Tianwangzhai Scenic Area

Tianwangzhai Scenic Area

Tianwangzhai Scenic Area is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a cultural heritage site protected by Hubei Province.

The ruins of Tianwangzhai are located within the Taibaiding Scenic Area of the Tongbai Mountains in Suixian County, dating back to the Yuan and Qing dynasties. Originally named Anhezhai, the fortress walls were built entirely from stone blocks and consist of both inner and outer layers. The outer wall remains only in the southwest section, approximately 1,000 meters long, about 4 meters high, and around 1 meter thick; the inner wall extends over 5,000 meters, stands about 5.5 meters high, and is roughly 1.4 meters thick, with irregular loopholes and firing ports at the base. Inside the fortress, there are multiple stone-paved house foundations, typically grouped in threes, with a total width of about 10 meters and depths ranging from 4 to 5 meters. Historical records indicate that during the late Yuan Dynasty, farmers surnamed Tian from the Tongbai Mountains gathered to rebel, proclaimed themselves the “King of Tian,” and established the fortress on Gucheng Mountain. They trained troops, fortified defenses, and named the stronghold “Anhe.” In the fourth year of the Xianfeng reign during the Qing Dynasty (1854), the fortress was expanded and reinforced, covering an area of approximately 5 million square meters. It featured structures such as barbicans, beacon towers, and markets. This site is of considerable size and holds academic significance.

Tianwangzhai is situated on Gucheng Mountain in the Tongbai Mountains, at an elevation of 1,018 meters. The ancient fortress dominates the peaks of the sprawling Tongbai Mountains, with fortress walls built along the mountain contours using stone blocks. Encircling nine peaks, the wall stretches over two thousand meters in undulating length, resembling a section of the Great Wall.

This site is one of the largest and best-preserved ancient military fortress complexes in Central China. The remaining structures include six kilometers of ancient fortress walls, barbicans, beacon towers, and other historic buildings. It is honored as the “No. 1 Fortress in Central China.”

Source: Hubei Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Hubei Provincial Cultural Heritage Sites