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Located in north central China’s ancient capital, Xi’an, has long been famous for its 2,000-year-old Terracotta Warriors and is a tourist attraction from all over the world.
But this month, attention is focused on another historic site: the Xi’an City Wall. The Xi’an City Wall is one of the most impressive traditional defense systems in the world and is said to be one of the only intact ancient city walls remaining in China.
Measuring 12 meters high and 5 meters wide, this 13-kilometre-long fortress currently hosts an annual light show as part of the Lunar New Year and Spring Festival celebrations.
Thousands of dazzling lights and lanterns have transformed the massive city wall surrounding Xi’an’s ancient center. Inside the fortress, there are traces of what was once the capital of several Chinese dynasties.
This year is the Year of the Dragon, so the mythical beast will have an even stronger presence at the 2024 festival, appearing in a set of 20 lanterns displayed on the walls.
Among the most stunning installations is a seemingly roaring 18-metre-tall dragon lantern, its piercing blue eyes and subtly painted red scales rising above an illuminated makeshift cloud. It’s floating.
“This is so beautiful. I want to get on a plane and see it with my own eyes,” one Chinese netizen wrote on Weibo, China’s popular X-like social media network.
Other themed exhibits focus on the city’s history, landscapes and folklore for children. Cultural performances and other activities will also be held on the wall as part of the festival.
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Visitors attend Xi’an’s Chinese New Year light show, which opened on February 2nd.
Lanterns are an important part of Lunar New Year celebrations and even have their own day called the Lantern Festival. China officially observes Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar (in 2024 it falls on the 24th day of February).
This event is called Yuanxiao, where yuan means beginning and xiao means night. Held to commemorate the first full moon of the year, it marks the end of Lunar New Year celebrations and the beginning of winter and the start of the spring season.
Although the Lantern Festival is officially set aside for one day, the dramatic displays set up across China as people travel to celebrate it provide locals and tourists with an opportunity to enjoy themselves throughout the Lunar New Year. They are often kept for several weeks to serve.
The Xi’an light show, which opened on February 2, will run for 52 days, officials said.
Lantern Festival is a time for friends and family to gather together to look at the lanterns, laugh as they solve the witty riddles attached to the lights, and sometimes bond in hopes of finding love.
In historical times, Lantern Festival was one of the few days of the year when unmarried girls and boys were allowed to see each other and all gathered together under a row of lanterns. Therefore, some people call this day Chinese Valentine’s Day.
This tradition is said to have become popular during China’s Han Dynasty about 2,000 years ago.
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The top of Xi’an City Wall is a popular exercise location for locals and tourists.
When the lanterns aren’t lit, Xi’an City Walls offer panoramic views and a relaxing space for locals and tourists to cycle or take a refreshing stroll.
Built during the Ming Dynasty and featuring intricate drawbridges, towers and moats, this city wall was once one of the world’s most impressive military defense systems.
It was the city chosen by 13 Chinese dynasties as their capital, protecting the city where many travelers began their Silk Road journeys.
Today, the wall stands between modern-day Xi’an and the old city center.
And a fair number of famous Americans also visit. When Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg traveled to the city in 2015, he reportedly enjoyed a morning jog on the wall.
A year earlier, in 2014, then-U.S. first lady Michelle Obama was seen jumping rope and dancing on the Xi’an City Walls.