Xi’an City Wall South Gate (Yongning Gate)

Xi’an City Wall South Gate, named Yongning Gate, is one of the four main gates of Xi’an City Wall, which is chosen by most visitors as the entrance to ascend the City Wall. In ancient times, it was not simply a gate but a solid military defensive fortification, while nowadays it presents the most enriching travel experience among all 18 gates of the City Wall. 

Xi'an City Wall South Gate

Yongning literally means perpetual peace, and this name comes from Chinese folklores. It’s said that the God of Fire lives in the south, and to eliminate fires and pray for safety for this gate in the south, people named it “Yongning”.
 

Among all the City Wall gates, the South Gate is undoubtedly the sturdiest one with most complete defensive buildings, including a drawbridge over the outer moat, a drawbridge tower, a crescent-shaped enclosure, an arrow-shooting tower, a barbican, and a main gate tower to constitute a military architectural complex.
 

The history of the South Gate dates back to 582 of Sui Dynasty (581-618), when Anshang Gate was built as eastern one among three south entrances to the imperial city area. In the following Tang Dynasty (618-907), Commander Yang Jian was stationed in Chang’an, which Xi’an was called at that time, and ordered to reconstruct the city wall and retain the Anshang Gate. In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), after expansion of the original imperial city wall, the Anshang Gate served as the south gate in the middle of City Wall’s southern section, and was named Yongning Gate. In short, the South Gate enjoys profound history of more than 1,440 years.
 

Located on the central axis of Xi’an, the South Gate is quite convenient to arrive at by metro or bus (see below). Besides, many other attractions such as the Bell Tower and the Stele Forest are quite close to the gate, so that you can save your time spent on the road to the greatest extent and visit as many attractions as possible together.
 

Xi'an City Wall Lantern Festival

With the above-mentioned unparalleled significance, the Yongning Gate is often chosen as the place to hold various activities. At 9:00 and 9:30 respectively from Tuesday to Sunday, welcome ceremonies are given and then the South Gate is open as the drawbridge is slowly lowered for tourists to pass. In about one and a half months around the Chinese New Year, the City Wall Lantern Festival is held on the South Gate part of City Wall for people to view delicate and colorful lanterns. Moreover, the South Gate is the starting point of the Xi'an International Marathon.
 

Outside the South Gate, there is a moat serving as the first defense line. Over the moat, a drawbridge was built as the only passage to the South Gate. In ancient times, it was lowered for people to enter and exit the city in the daytime, and was raised to impose a curfew. If enemies attempted to invade, the passage to the city would be cut off through the rise of the drawbridge.

Moat and Drawbridge Tower

After crossing the drawbridge, you will see the drawbridge tower which controls the raising and lowering of drawbridge and is neatly built with a total of 20 holes for shooting arrows from the front and two sides. The back side of the drawbridge tower has dark-red wooden windows.
 

Behind the drawbridge tower is the grand arrow-shooting tower, and there are 48 arrow holes in four rows in the front and also some arrow holes on both sides. Such an arrangement enables soldiers to shoot enemies from three directions, so that the crescent-shaped enclosure between Drawbridge Tower and Arrow-shooting Tower can be well defended. Currently below the arrow-shooting tower, there is a rosefinch-featured stone sculpture because the rosefinch is the animal indicating the south direction in Chinese culture.

South Gate Arrow-shooting Tower

Through side doorways of the crescent-shaped enclosure, you can find the stairs to the symbolic three-eaved main gate tower, which is the highest building in the entire south gate region for the convenience of observation, command, and shooting. Now, the quaint main tower is in red, blue, and green colors, and beast statues are decorated on roof ridges.

The barbican of Xi’an City Wall South Gate is surrounded by the arrow-shooting tower and the main tower and also walls on east and west sides, thus in a rectangular shape. As an important defensive facility, the barbican becomes an enclosed space when the main gate and other side gates are closed, so that attacking enemies in the barbican is as easy as like catching turtles in a jar.
 

1. It’s recommended to visit the South Gate along the following route: south entrance of the South Gate → drawbridge → drawbridge tower → crescent-shaped enclosure → barbican → step up to the wall and admire the main tower.
 

2. Throughout the day, female and male soldier actors patrol the city on the wall and relieve guard for many times, so you have a chance to take photos of and with them.
 

The entrance fee of the South Gate, which is one of the main entrances to the City Wall, is the admission fee to the entire City Wall.
 

CNY 54 for an adult;

CNY 27 for visitors of 7 to 18 years old;

Free for those under the age of 7 and those aged 65 and above.
 

Note: The ticket of the Welcome Ceremony is CNY 60, which contains the admission to the South Gate.
 

8:00-22:00
 

Note: The south entrance of the South Gate is closed temporarily from 8:00 to 10:10 every Tuesday to Sunday due to the welcome ceremony, so one needs to enter the attraction through the north entrance during these periods.
 

The north entrance of the South Gate further opens from 22:00 to 8:00, but only for visitors to leave.
 

 By Metro

Take Metro Line 2 and get off at Yongningmen / Yongning Gate Station. Get out from Exit A1 or D1, and walk northward for about 4 minutes to get to the south entrance of the South Gate.

 By Bus

(1) To Nanmenli Station which is the closest bus station to the north entrance of South Gate: Take Bus No. 12, 184, 193, 208, 221, 600, or 603. After getting off, walk southward along the underground passageway for about 6 minutes to enter the City Wall.

(2) To Nanmenwai Station which is the closest bus station to the south entrance of South Gate: Take Bus No. 11, 12, 16, 184, 187, 193, 203, 204, or 208. After getting off, walk northward along the underground metro passageway for about 9 minutes to enter the City Wall attraction.