The Golden Wall

The Jin Great Wall

The Jin Great Wall is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Within Qiqihar City, there are 206.15 kilometers of the Great Wall built during the Jin Dynasty, stretching through Gan Nan County, Nianzi Mountain District, and Longjiang County of Qiqihar. The Jin Great Wall was constructed in the 12th–13th centuries, primarily by the Jurchen people with the labor of various ethnic groups. Spanning from the Nenjiang River in the northeast to the Ordos Loop of the Yellow River in the southwest, it is a military defensive structure extending over 4,000 kilometers. The project was divided into three routes: northeastern, northwestern, and southwestern. The Qiqihar section of the Jin Great Wall belongs to a part of the northeastern route and is also the earliest section of the Jin-built wall. In order to consolidate its newly acquired territory, defend the Jin capital Shangjing, and further expand its military gains while preventing northern incursions, the Jin court decided to dispatch General Puluohuo to commence border defense construction and build the Great Wall in the fifth year of the Tiānfǔ era, which corresponds to 1121 AD. Historical records state that Puluohuo was highly commended for his meritorious service in border defense and was eventually killed in action on this very section of the wall. The main wall of the Qiqihar section of the Jin Great Wall is tall and well-preserved. It features external battlements equipped with watchtowers. The wall surface includes a patrol path for vehicles and horses. Outside the wall lies a protective moat to shield the main structure. As needed, discontinuous second and third walls and moats were built outside the main wall to enhance defensive capabilities. Inside the wall, there were garrison forts where soldiers were stationed. Therefore, the Qiqihar section of the Jin Great Wall is well-structured and functionally integrated. Due to long-term desolation and sparse human activity after the Yuan Dynasty, it has been preserved in relatively good condition and remains impressive today. Since the Binzhou and Yalin railway lines, the Nianbei highway, and the Yalu River waterway all pass near the Jin Great Wall, the Nianzi Mountain District section is considered the best spot for visiting and sightseeing.