Andingmen

Andingmen, or the West Gate, stands as the primary western entrance to the ancient city wall of Xi’an. It is recognizable by its complex defensive structure, which includes a gate tower, an arrow tower, and a main city tower, all connected to a surrounding wall system known as the Moon City. This configuration historically allowed for a military strategy often described as catching turtles in a jar, where defenders could trap invaders within the barbican between the inner and outer gates.