Longtan Mountain City

Longtan Mountain City

Longtan Mountain City is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Longtan Mountain City is located on Longtan Mountain, eight kilometers east of Jilin City, Jilin Province. The mountain stands tall and majestic, resembling a huge barrier stretching across the eastern part of the city when viewed from afar. The shape of the mountain is like an upturned basin, and the city walls of the mountain stronghold are built atop its ridgeline. The mountain city was constructed during the Eastern Jin and Sixteen Kingdoms period.

The layout of the mountain city is an irregular polygon, with city walls stretching 2,396 meters in circumference. Most of the walls are built with layers of yellow earth mixed with crushed stone, while the recessed areas are compacted yellow earth, six to twelve centimeters thick and about ten meters high. The city wall forms an irregular polygon. The interior of the city is relatively flat, suitable for stationing troops, while the outer cliffs are steep and the terrain is easily defensible. There are three gates: west, south, and north. On the protruding parts of the city walls on all four sides, there is a platform, among which the southern platform is the highest, commonly known as the “South Heavenly Gate,” standing about 100 meters above the surrounding ground. Red rope-patterned tiles have been discovered on this platform, suggesting that there may have been watchtowers or similar structures here in the past.

The main structures within the mountain city are the so-called “Water Prison” and “Dry Prison.” The “Water Prison,” also known as the “Dragon Pool,” is actually a reservoir located at the lowest point in the northwest corner of the mountain city, from which Longtan Mountain gets its name. The pool has a rounded-corner “convex” shape, measuring 52.8 meters from east to west, 25.75 meters from north to south, and 11.5 meters in depth. One meter below the edge of the pool on the eastern end of the northern wall, there is a stone drainage tunnel that leads outside the wall. The “Dry Prison” is situated near the mountain ridge in the southwest corner of the mountain city, about 420 meters from the “Water Prison.” It has a circular layout, with straight, sheer walls, a diameter of 10.6 meters, and a depth of two to three meters, and never accumulates water. Judging from its terrain and depth, it is likely a cellar or underground storage used for keeping military supplies.

Three gray-black pottery jars made using a potter's wheel, one pottery pot, one six-handled iron cauldron, and one double-handled iron kettle from the Jin Dynasty have been unearthed within the mountain city.

Longtan Mountain City (including the reservoir and the cellars) is a typical military fortress built during the height of the Goguryeo Kingdom’s power. It is not only an important site for studying the architecture of Goguryeo city fortifications but also physical evidence for researching the kingdom’s northern territory. In May 2006, Longtan Mountain City was designated by the State Council as part of the sixth group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units