Gentle Reader,
One of the absolute highlights of our trip to China was bike riding around the top of the Ancient Wall in Xi'an. This was a journey of 8.5 miles, all on a sweltering, humid day. But the wind on the wall was gentle and cooling, at times. The ride was exhilarating, and the view was astounding. Such a beautiful blend of the ancient and the modern as one looks around while pedaling. People were biking at a variety of paces, most in no hurry whatsoever. While riding, one experiences the unevenness of the pavement and the real sense of a city within a city. There are numerous fortifications and watchtowers along the way. We stopped for some refreshment (ahhh.....) about halfway around the wall...
Xi'an was one of the ancient capital cities of China, from the 11th century BC to 10th century AD. Thirteen dynasties and regimes made their capitals in Xian. This city is also the starting point of The Silk Road, which provided us some wonderful connections to our Turkey Fulbright in 2009.
This wall was originally built during the Tang Dynasty. It's 40 feet tall and 40-46 feet wide at the top. It is 50-60 feet wide at the bottom. And this wall covers a total of 8.5 miles. For protection, the wall is also surrounded by a large moat. Ramparts, which appear every 120 meters, were built to defend against enemies climbing up the wall. Each of the 98 ramparts has a sentry building.
The wall was originally built with a layer of dirt, with a base layer of lime and glutinous rice extract. The wall has been restored three times. In 1568, the wall was rebuilt with bricks.
I didn't want the ride to end... Scott took time to play tai chi on the wall, too. A most memorable day...
Namaste,
Marianne/ Bailing
Our fearless, creative navigator!!!
Scott plays tai chi on the Ancient Xi'an Wall...
