Xing

Xi'an (Chang'an)

The overall form of the city was an irregular rectangle. The ideal square of the city had been twisted into the form of the Big Dipper for astrological reasons, and also to follow the bank of the Wei River. The eight avenues divided the city into nine districts. These nine main districts were subdivided into 160 walled 1×1 li wards. About 50-100 families lived in each ward. The Xuanpingmen gate is the main gate between the city and suburbs. The district north of the Weiyang Palace is the most exclusive. The main market, called the Nine Markets, is the eastern economic terminus of the Silk Road. Access to the market was from the Northeast and Northwest gates, which are the most heavily used by the common people. The former connects with a bridge over the Wei River to the northern suburbs and the latter connects with the rest of Xing to the east. An intricate network of underground passages connects the imperial harem with other palaces and the city. These passages are controlled by underground gatehouses.