Located in Northwest China, Xi’an is one of the oldest cities in the country. It has played a central role in the region’s culture and politics since the 11th century B.C. Of the many features that make Xi’an stand out, the fortified city walls may be the most apparent to visitors. The city walls of Xi’an are some of the largest, oldest and best preserved of their kind. They were originally built under the rule of the Hongwu Emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang, as a military defensive system. The emperor had been advised…
