The Chinese have always laid out their cities in a spiritually favourable rectangular pattern, typically facing south on a north-south axis and surrounded by a defensive wall. This was done to favour Feng shui, a form of geomancy which assesses how buildings must be positioned so as not to disturb the spiritual attributes of the surrounding landscape (I spoke about Feng shui it in my Hong Kong entry when discussing the Bank of China building). Xian's city walls, originally built in 1370, are one of the best preserved examples of city walls left in China (the Beijing city walls were long since pulled down). Acting as a barrier to the outside world, the walls are 12m high, 18m deep at the base and 12km in length. They are capped with crenulations, a watchtower at each corner and fortress-like gates in the centre of each side, now major roadways. The bell tower sits right in the middle of the city enclosed by the walls in a direct line from each of the 4 gates, a simple design which makes for getting around the city a piece of cake. Xian, Shaanxi Province, China. September 30th, 2004
.%20Xian's%20city%20walls%2C%20originally%20built%20in%201370%2C%20are%20one%20of%20the%20best%20preserved%20examples%20of%20city%20walls%20left%20in%20China%20(the%20Beijing%20city%20walls%20were%20long%20since%20pulled%20down).%20Acting%20as%20a%20barrier%20to%20the%20outside%20world%2C%20the%20walls%20are%2012m%20high%2C%2018m%20deep%20at%20the%20base%20and%2012km%20in%20length.%20They%20are%20capped%20with%20crenulations%2C%20a%20watchtower%20at%20each%20corner%20and%20fortress-like%20gates%20in%20the%20centre%20of%20each%20side%2C%20now%20major%20roadways.%20The%20bell%20tower%20sits%20right%20in%20the%20middle%20of%20the%20city%20enclosed%20by%20the%20walls%20in%20a%20direct%20line%20from%20each%20of%20the%204%20gates%2C%20a%20simple%20design%20which%20makes%20for%20getting%20around%20the%20city%20a%20piece%20of%20cake.%20Xian%2C%20Shaanxi%20Province%2C%20China.%20September%2030th%2C%202004){kind=link}