Hanguang Gate Relic Museum of Xi'an Tang City Wall

As China’s first museum of city entrance remains, Hanguang Gate Relic Museum of Xi’an Tang City Wall is constructed inside the wall body and located west to the South Gate of Xi’an City Wall. In the museum, the relics of Hanguang Gate with a history of more than 1,400 years, also the largest and most complete city gate relics in China, are displayed. Unlike the dark grey color the outer surface of the Wall is in, the relics in the museum, containing rammed-earth, are generally in an earthy yellow hue.

Xi'an Hanguang Gate Relic Museum

 The Hanguang Gate, as one of the oldest gates of Xi’an City Wall, was originally constructed more than 1,400 years ago. In the following Tang Dynasty (618-907), the Hanguang Gate acted as a gate of the imperial city then. Along with the changes of dynasties, the ancient Hanhuang Gate has long buried under the City Wall’s brick layer, and never had an opportunity to come out. Until back to 30 years ago in the modern period, people repairing the City Wall found it. This big surprise, after renovation, faces to the public as a unique relic museum in the body of City Wall.
 With a long history and a relatively complete layout of city gate passages, this large relic is considered as the most precious treasure of the museum. Constructed with pure loess, the relic comprises two partition walls and three passages. The partition walls each with a width of about 3 meters (3 yards) are respectively 8 meters (26 feet) and 1 meter (3 feet) high. The middle passage can only be used by the emperor, so it’s wider than the entrance and exit on both sides. If you look at the stone speed bump on the passage carefully, you can find ruts beside it, and the grand procession of the emperor seems to be visible before the eyes.

Gateway Relic of Xi'an Hanguang Gate

 Once you step into the exhibition hall of this section relic, you will be firstly amazed by its size, which is as high as 4 stories and covers the entire width of the hall. On the section, light projection presents names and ranges of rammed-earth layers from five different dynasties. The rammed earth layer in the bottommost middle is the most ancient one from more than 1,400 years ago. On the both sides, there are dark-grey bricks. Standing on the second floor of the museum and looking at this huge relic, you can feel a strong color contrast and find the embodiment of time.

Section Relic of Xi'an City Wall

Relic of Hanguang Gate Water Culvert

 Descend the stairs to the exhibition room behind the section relic, and you’ll find a relic of water culvert of the city wall, which is in an arched shape to disperse the pressure from the upper layers of rammed-earth. In the water culvert, there is a water fence composed of some iron-made bars with a rhombic section. Such a design shows wisdom of the ancients, because it not only enables water to smoothly flow through, but also blocks enemies who attempt to enter the city through the culvert. In the ancient times, there is one water fence every 20 meters (22 yards) in the water culvert, while currently, only one relic can be viewed here.
 1. The Hanguang Gate, as an entrance to Xi’an City Wall, is the only gate equipped with an elevator, which provides much convenience for tourists.
2. Please keep a proper distance from handrails around the relic to prevent falling down.
3. In the hall between the gateway relic and the section relic in the museum, temporary exhibitions are held occasionally. The exhibits, from peasant paintings to traditional Chinese architectural components, will leave you a lasting impression.

Peasant Painting in Hanguang Gate Museum

Stone Collection of Hanguang Gate Museum

4. A suggested visiting route which brings you a rich travel experience can be: visit Hanguang Gate Relic Museum → ascend the City Wall and walk eastward for about 25 minutes to the South Gate → admire the Defensive System of City Wall in the south gate region → leave the City Wall attraction through South Gate. The reversed route is also suggested.
 

Admission Fee	It’s included in the ticket to Xi’an City Wall, which costs CNY 54 for an adult, CNY 27 for a tourist aged 7 to 18, and is free for children under 7 and the elderly over 65.
Opening Hours	08:00-20:00 from May 1 to October 31. 08:00-18:00 from November 1 to April 30.

  Xi'an City Wall Tickets Booking
 Take Bus No. 6, 16, 18, 35, 184, 224, 251, 286, 311, 402, 407, 504, 604, 608, or 800 to Hanguang Gate Station, and walk northward for about 3 minutes to arrive at the entrance.
 Take Line 6, get off at Qiaozikou Station, get out from Exit E, and walk southward for about 15 minutes to get to the entrance. Alternatively, take Line 5, get off at People’s Hospital-Huangyan Village Station, get out form Exit A, and walk northward for about 15 minutes to reach the entrance.
 Xian Bus / Metro Search
 Muslim Quarter: the most bustling pedestrian street with rows and rows of local food stalls and restaurants, also the largest Muslim community in Xi’an.