Andingmen

Andingmen is the west gate of Xi'an city wall, commonly known as the west gate. It was originally the central gate in the west of the imperial city of the Tang Dynasty. It was preserved when Han built the new city at the end of the Tang Dynasty. In 1374-1378, when the city wall was expanded, it moved slightly southward and was named Andingmen. "Stability" means the western frontier Antai Kangding. Inside the gate is the West Street, and outside the gate is the main street of Xiguan. The west gate has three gatehouses, the city tower, the arrow tower and the gate tower, which are respectively on the three city walls from the inside to the outside. There are arched door openings under the gatehouse. There is a square urn between the tower and the arrow tower. It is a passageway in peacetime and an important defensive place in wartime. The archery tower is the most complete ancient castle in China. On the north side of the tower is a viewing platform built by the Japanese emperor during his visit to Xi'an.

Andingmen

Andingmen, the west gate of Xi'an city wall, is located in the south of the middle of the west wall. It was originally the Shunyi gate in the west of Chang'an Imperial City in Sui and Tang Dynasties. It was reserved when Han built the new city in the late Tang Dynasty. From 1374 to 1378, the city of Xi'an was expanded. This gate was still used as the west gate and changed its name to "Andingmen". Today, there are Wengcheng, Jianlou, Zhenglou and erchongmendong in Andingmen. In addition, three ticket holes will be opened on both sides of the gate for vehicles and pedestrians to pass through.

Historical evolution

The site of Andingmen was originally the shunyimen gate in the west of Chang'an Imperial City in Sui and Tang Dynasties, which was reserved when Han built and rebuilt the new city in the late Tang Dynasty. From 1374 to 1378, the city of Xi'an was expanded. This gate was still used as the west gate and changed its name to "Andingmen". However, in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the lintel type three door opening was changed to the brick arch type single door opening, and its position moved slightly to the south.

At the beginning of Hongwu Period in Ming Dynasty, there were urn cities on the outside, and the main tower and arrow tower on the inside and the urn cities respectively. In 1636, sun chuanting, the governor of Shaanxi Province, built a new moon city outside the urn City, built a gate tower on the moon city, and changed the fixed bridge over the moat into a suspension bridge.

In the early years of the Republic of China, the gate building, suspension bridge and moon city were demolished due to the construction of bridges on the moat.

Andingmen Jianlou was built in 1378, the 11th year of Hongwu in Ming Dynasty. Later, it was repaired and rebuilt for many times in the past dynasties, and has been followed up to now.

In the early 2000s, the foundation on the southwest side of the main building of Anyuan gate subsided, and the beams, columns, rafters and other components were damaged or even cracked. From April 2004 to September of the next year, the cultural relics department of Shaanxi Province made new components for maintenance, and restored the old system of Ming and Qing Dynasties. On the north side of the tower is a viewing platform built by the Japanese emperor during his visit to Xi'an, which is a key cultural relic protection unit of the state.

Andingmen is no longer responsible for urban traffic. In 1987, the gap on both sides was repaired and three ticket holes were built for vehicles and pedestrians to pass through.

Discovery of Ming Dynasty painting

On November 17, 2009, a few days ago, cultural relic experts found more than 1000 square meters of exquisitely colored paintings preserved for more than 600 years in the main building built in the early Ming Dynasty on the west gate of Xi'an city wall (Andingmen) in Shaanxi Province, which provides important information for the study of Ming Dynasty's painting technology and architectural art history.

The painting area is more than 1000 square meters. The key to the preservation of such a large area of painting is the simple use of the main building in history. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties and even the Republic of China, it was stationed in the army. In the 1950s, it became a library building, and in the early 1980s, it became an office building of the fire department. When he was transferred to the cultural relics department, he displayed the history of Xi'an's urban development and renovated it from the perspective of ancient buildings. "

The main building of Andingmen is the military headquarters, which can be said to be the "headquarters" of the northwest king in Ming Dynasty. As an office space, its architectural painting is not as noble as the royal architectural painting, but the status of the northwest king, especially the official style of military architectural painting, is very precious.

Traffic situation

Inside Andingmen is West Street, outside is Xiguan main street.

Bus routes: No.7, No.10, No.31, No.45, NO.201, No.202, No.206, no.215, No.223, No.501, no.509, no.612, No.722, no.900, no.k630, No.3 all night, etc.

Address: West Street intersection, Lianhu District, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province

Longitude: 108.92511975765

Latitude: 34.2593649807

Tour time: 10-20 minutes recommended

Ticket information: included in the 54 yuan ticket of Xi'an City Wall scenic area

Opening hours: 8:00-18:00 from April 1 to April 30; 8:00-19:00 from May 1 to October 31; 8:00-18:00 from November 1 to March 31 of the next year

Chinese PinYin : An Ding Men