Walking Through Xi'an Ancient City (Part One)

The Fragrance of Chinaberry Blossoms on South Horse Road Lane South Horse Road Lane, a historic alley inside Xi'an's city wall, is located directly south of the West Gate, with the city wall to its west. It stretches 740 meters long and 10 meters wide, running from the South City Wall to the West Gate ramp. While not the site of major historical events, its fate has always been closely tied to the city wall's defense and urban transformation, with significant historical connections. In Xi'an, if there's a place that perfectly blends antiquity, history, and natural beauty, South Horse Road Lane is certainly one of them. In late spring and early summer, the blooming chinaberry flowers add a unique and captivating touch to this ancient alley. Starting from the southwest corner of the ancient city, park your bicycle and stroll slowly along the lane, and you'll see a row of tall chinaberry trees on the south side next to the city wall. These trees are lush with dense branches and leaves, providing ample shade, with clusters of flowers quietly guarding the ancient wall and the years that South Horse Road Lane has witnessed. The tree canopies line up along the trunks on the inner side of the city wall, like giant umbrellas woven from flowers and leaves, casting cool green shadows under the sun. Now is the season when chinaberry blossoms are in full bloom, with clusters and strings of light purple flowers densely adorning the branches, twinkling like stars and floating like gentle clouds. During this season of blooming chinaberry flowers at the western city wall of the ancient city, I came here to enjoy their fragrance, photograph the flowers, and trace historical footprints. The fragrance drifts to one lane and two neighborhoods of South Horse Road Lane. This lane is South Horse Road Lane, and the two neighborhoods are Longqu Bay and White Egret Bay. During the Tang Dynasty, this lane was part of the western government office area of the imperial city. The western side of the Tang Dynasty imperial city housed offices like the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and the Court of the Imperial Stud, and the vertical street where South Horse Road Lane is located was likely used for transporting supplies to government offices and for officials' travel, witnessing the administrative operations of the Tang Dynasty capital, though no specific events were recorded. During the An Lushan Rebellion in 756, Tang troops relied on the western wall of the imperial city to resist rebel forces, and the lane, as a passage inside the city wall, may have been used for troop deployment, though specific details are not found in historical records. In the Ming Dynasty, the military positioning of Horse Road Lane was established in the seventh year of Hongwu (1374). When the Xi'an city wall was expanded, horse ramps were added to access the wall, and South Horse Road Lane became a military passage connecting the South City Wall and the West Gate. In 1643, when Li Zicheng's rebel army besieged Xi'an, Ming troops transported firearms and provisions to the city wall through this lane, demonstrating its defensive value. The lane was also part of the daily patrol route for the Ming Dynasty Prince of Qin's guards. The Prince of Qin's Palace (now Xi'an New City Square) had guards who likely used this lane to travel to and from the city wall, making the lane part of the royal security system. During the Qing Dynasty, it transformed from a military passage to a civilian street. As the Governor-General's Office of Shaanxi and Gansu was established in Xi'an, South Horse Road Lane, close to the West Gate (then called "Fengyuan Gate"), was likely used for transporting documents and weapons between the northwestern frontier and inland areas, witnessing the Qing Dynasty's governance of the northwest. Later, during the Hui Muslim Rebellion in the 19th century, specifically in 1862, Qing forces reinforced the city wall's defenses. South Horse Road Lane, as an access route to the wall, housed garrison troops and stored gunpowder. Some parts of the wall still show signs of Qing Dynasty repairs. In modern Chinese history, it became a mark of war and urban renewal. During the Anti-Japanese War, after the Battle of Shanghai in 1937, Xi'an became a target for Japanese air raids. Air raid shelters were dug into the city wall on the west side of South Horse Road Lane (three still exist), with some tunnels extending to the edge of the lane, remaining physical evidence of modern defensive history. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, government protection and renovation began. During the 1983 restoration project of Xi'an's city wall, South Horse Road Lane was designated as a "buffer zone for protection inside the city wall," and some illegal buildings were demolished to restore the Ming and Qing Dynasty lane dimensions. In the early 21st century, cultural tourism was gradually introduced, completing the transformation from a "defensive passage" to a "cultural lane." As the breeze blows, the flower branches sway gently, making a soft rustling sound as they touch the old city bricks. Meanwhile, a unique fragrance fills the air—a slightly sweet, penetrating scent that's neither as rich and gorgeous as roses nor as fresh and elegant as jasmine. Its fragrance requires you to calm down and savor it carefully to appreciate its charm. This scent envelops the entire South Horse Road Lane and nearby neighborhoods, making everyone who passes by slow down and immerse themselves in this subtle fragrance.