For the admission fee of less than 6 Australian Dollars I embarked on the fantasy journey of the 18m-thick, at the base, 14km-perimeter of Xi’an’s City Walls…
There are four gates to the rectangular walls. At the South Gate entrance, climbing the last stair onto the 12m high bastion, I had the bizarre feeling of being aboard Noah’s Ark.
I read the present walls were built in 1370 by the first Ming emperor Hongwu on the foundation of the Tang imperial palace. They were constructed using rammed earth, quicklime, and glutinous rice extract.
At the South Gate there was a bicycle rental. For tired walkers or time-conscious visitors, battery-operated carts ran between sectors or entire perimeter of the Walls. I counted more people walking…
The views were spectacular. For parents and grandparents walking with children, or for the young at heart, there was a lively Chinese fairyland every step of the way...
I could have easily walked another 4 hours and taken a second gigabyte of photos had it not been for extinguishing digital-camera batteries and imminent sun set…
Hard to find lithium batteries in China, other batteries are cheap but of short duration, I soon learnt to buy them in large quantity…
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