Qiansuo Ancient City

Qiansuo Ancient City

Qiansuo Ancient City is a cultural tourism attraction.

Introduction to Qiansuo Ancient City

Qiansuo Ancient City (also known as Zhongqiansuo City) is an ancient fortress, independently established as a "suo" within the military defense system of Liaodong Town during the Ming Dynasty. Built in the third year of the Xuande reign (1428), the Ming administrative system designated a "qianhu" (a military unit of 1,000 households) as a "suo," with a total of 126 such forts nationwide. Today, Qiansuo City is the only one well-preserved. It measures 500 meters in both length and width, stands 10 meters high, and covers an area of 0.25 square kilometers. The city has three gates—Dingyuan Gate to the east, Guangding Gate to the south, and Yongwang Gate to the west—while there is no north gate. A Temple of the God of the North (Zhenwu Temple) was built on the site where the north gate would have been. The city was rebuilt in the 43rd year of the Qianlong reign (1778). Today, the ancient city remains largely intact, with all three gates still standing, including the barbican of the west gate. The old town features a cross-shaped street layout with 16 lanes, and there were once 12 temples, shrines, and churches. Nowadays, Qiansuo serves as a hub for grain, mountain produce, and seafood distribution, and is a traditional market in the southwestern part of Suizhong County.