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For those who take a tour to Nanjing, Nanjing City Wall is definitely a must-go historical site. The history of Nanjing City Wall can be traced back to as early as Ming Dynasty, when Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang designed it. In ancient China, it was mainly used to resist invaders and consolidate the Emperor’s sovereignty. It was not an easy task to build Nanjing City Wall at that time. Granite, rectangle stones and limestone are the three main materials that used to build city wall. Since the skill and condition were limited, it took over 20 years to complete the construction of Nanjing City Wall. About 200000 labors were hired to participate in the construction of it. It is hardly to image how those labors tried every means to move the stones and finish such a difficult project. Though Nanjing City Wall has been standing there for six hundred years, it is well-preserved by local government and people, offering tourists an opportunity to sense the rich civilization of Nanjing City.
Nanjing City Wall is said to be the best preserved old city walls of ancient China, which is kept in good condition. In fact, it is consisted of four parts, the Outer City, Inner City, Imperial City and the Palace City. As the name implies, the Outer City is located in the outside area, which looks like a diamond shape. With 180 meters, its main function is to strength defense. However, the Outer City is no longer existed now. The Palace City is the most inner part of Nanjing City Wall with the Imperial City built around it, which is also called “Forbidden City” out of habit by local people. Most of the remained part of Nanjing City Wall is the Inner City. Each time when we look at the relics of it, we seem to see the ups and downs of Ming Dynasty.
The inscriptions on bricks are also worth to admire, because they have recorded the true history of Nanjing. Some of them were left by scholars and officials, while the others were written by artisan and folk people. The Chinese characters carved on it contain elegant calligraphic styles and reveal the changes of Nanjing City Wall over the history.
Travel tips: 1. it may take you about 15 Yuan to appreciate the Nanjing City Wall. 2. Nanjing City Wall is opened to the public from 8:00 in the morning to 21:00 at night. 3. Buses are available for tourists, including Bus No. 10, 22, 66, 69,133, 143 and so on. Please remember to get off at the station of “Zhongyangmendong Station”.