Inside Chang'an City, the most basic unit was the ward.
Between one ward and another lay broad roads, their width reaching more than a hundred meters, enough for dozens of riders to travel side by side.
The road surface was laid with yellow earth, solid and heavy. On either side of the streets stood thick ward walls, and outside the walls grew large numbers of elm and locust trees.
Counting Chang'an's great streets, there were a full twenty-five main roads crisscrossing the city: fourteen running east to west, and eleven running north to south.
These streets, like the city's veins, cleverly divided Chang'an into one hundred and eight wards, as well as the bustling East and West Cities.
From a broader perspective, Chang'an could be divided into four major areas: northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest.
The East and West Cities were like the flourishing hearts of the southeast and southwest regions.
East City was a paradise of luxuries, every item gleaming brilliantly and reflecting the tastes and pursuits of high society.
The transactions here were not merely exchanges of goods, but even more so an interweaving of power and connections.
The major organizations of Spirit Hall, the Great Soul Arena, Mystic Night Pavilion, and the Plant Guild were all based here.
Along with them, neutral organizations such as the Treasure Pavilion, Rose Hotel, Winding Stream Party, and Culinary Hall, as well as some large merchant associations, were also in East City.
West City was a different scene altogether.
There was a dazzling array of goods, from everyday necessities to rare and exotic items, with everything one could want, and so it was praised as the "Gold Market."
Commercial activity in West City was even more vibrant, suited to large-scale transactions, making it an important economic center for Chang'an City and