Niangniangcheng Mountain Fortress

Niangniangcheng Mountain Fortress

Niangniangcheng Mountain Fortress is a cultural heritage site protected by Liaoning Province.

Niangniangcheng Mountain Fortress is located in Yangjiabao Town, Xiuyan County, Liaoning Province, about 15 kilometers from the county seat. It is a military defensive mountain fortress built during the Sui and Tang dynasties by the Goguryeo people. Historical records indicate that during the Jin and Sui periods, the Goguryeo people occupied Liaodong and constructed over 20 mountain fortresses within Xiuyan County, among which Niangniangcheng was the largest. The fortress was originally called "Houhuangcheng" and was occupied by Goguryeo’s Prime Minister Gaesomun’s sister, Gaesuzhen, hence the name "Niangniangcheng" (Fortress of the Noble Lady). The fortress had five gates—east, west, south, north, and southwest—with the eastern valley entrance serving as the main gate, which was the primary entry and exit point. The gate is 3 meters wide and 4 meters deep, and the large foundation stones on both sides remain well-preserved to this day. At the southern end of the fortress stands a general’s platform, while a beacon tower is situated at the highest point of the northern wall. It served as an easily defensible military stronghold.

Legend has it that Gaesuzhen once lit a signal fire on the beacon tower to test whether her brother would send reinforcements. Seeing the alarm, Gaesomun dispatched troops, but it turned out to be a false alarm. Later, when Emperor Taizong of Tang launched a campaign to the east and attacked the fortress, Gaesuzhen again lit the beacon fire, but no reinforcements came. She eventually fought alone until her death. Her soldiers buried her head and body in the southern corner of the fortress, and later generations called the site the "Tomb of the Noble Lady." It is also said that during the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty, the Lingyun Temple was built here, with a statue of Gaesuzhen enshrined inside, which led to it being called the "Temple of the Noble Lady."

During the Daoguang and Xianfeng eras of the Qing Dynasty, the renowned Manchu poet of Xiuyan and literary talent of Liaodong, Duolong’a, wrote a poem titled “Visiting Niangniangcheng”: “I came seeking ancient relics, and found an old city atop the hill. The inscriptions on ancient steles have faded, and scattered stones of the old fortress lie everywhere. Elders speak of bygone days, and wild land is overgrown with brambles. Stone walls encircle the mountain hollow—troops must have been stationed here back then. Earthen steps are mixed with rubble, likely the ruins of a general’s platform. Broken halberds are buried in yellow sand, and overgrown weeds stretch into the hazy smoke. The ancients valued strategic strongholds, and the terrain must have been carefully chosen. Rise and fall are never certain—today’s thoughts arise from yesterday’s scenes. Step by step I approach the scene, pausing and then moving on. Wild winds shake the big trees, as if echoing the sounds of battle drums.” Later, visitors who toured the site also wrote verses lamenting: “A foreign woman held the fortress walls, yet people left and the city changed with time. The story of the wolf’s cry is apt to borrow—her head and body parted, dyed in the yellow springs.”

In 1981, Niangniangcheng was designated as a cultural heritage site protected by Liaoning Province, with dedicated personnel managing it. Currently, the original natural ecology of the mountain fortress remains well-preserved, infrastructure is easy to develop, and the overall difficulty of development is relatively low, leaving everything in a stage awaiting further development.

Yangjiabao Town: Yangjiabao Town is located in the southern part of Xiuyan, stretching 27 kilometers from north to south and 5.5 kilometers from east to west, covering a total area of 147 square kilometers. The town government is located in Xingkailing, 13 kilometers from Xiuyan Town. The Dapan Highway runs through the entire area, making transportation very convenient. The town administers seven administrative villages: Tuanshan, Dengjiabao, Yangjiabao, Sujiabao, Xingkailing, Songshuyang, and Jiadaogou, comprising 83 villager groups with a total population of 13,600.

The terrain in the area is higher in the north and lower in the south. The Qianshan Mountain Range runs through the entire region, with intermittent, uneven peaks and ridges forming a hilly landscape. The highest mountain in the area is... More details about Yangjiabao Town++

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Cultural Heritage Sites Protected by Liaoning Province