South Gate (Yongningmen)

The south gate of the Xi'an City Wall is Yongning Gate. It's often referred to as South Gate. The gate was constructed during the early years of the Sui Dynasty. It is the city gate that has been around the oldest in Xi'an.

Among the four gates of the rectangular wall, the South Gate (also known as Yongning Gate) is the most magnificent and beautifully decorated, and thus is the main gate for visitors to start their tour of the city wall. Along the top of the wall is a walkway with a width of 12-14 metres (39-46 ft).

The total length of Xian Ancient City Wall is about 14KM. Normally, it takes around 3 hours to visit the whole part of Xian city wall by walking. It will take about 1.5 hours if you rent a bike or take the battery cart. It might be take long to visit the Xian city wall if you like photography or walk at a leisure pace.

All four sides of Shanhaiguan had a gate: Zhendong (East), Yinun (West), Mangyang (South), and Weiyuan (North). Due to disrepair over the centuries, only Zhendong gate still remains today. Zhendong Gate is the most important gate in Shanhaiguan due to its position, which faces outside the pass.