Xinghua City Wall

Xinghua City Wall

The Xinghua City Wall is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province.

The Xinghua City Wall was first built in 1225 during the Baoying era of the Southern Song Dynasty as an earthen wall, but collapsed by the end of the Yuan Dynasty. In 1372, during the fifth year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty, it was rebuilt with bricks and surrounded by moats both inside and out. In 1559, the 38th year of the Jiajing era, the wall was heightened to 11 meters to defend against Japanese pirates, sloping outward and inward with a base width of 13 meters. The four gates and their towers were reconstructed: the eastern gate Qiyuan Gate and Guanhai Tower; the southern gate Wenming Gate and Huaiyun Tower; the western gate Weiwu Gate and Jianshan Tower; and the northern gate Zhaokui Gate and Yangchen Tower. Water gates connecting to the city’s internal river were established at all four directions, and 20 sentry posts were set up along the wall.

Having endured battles such as the Southern Song resistance against the Mongols, the Zhang Shicheng uprising at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the “Three Kings” rebellion (including the Xinchang King’s resistance against the Qing) in the late Ming Dynasty, and the battles during the modern War of Resistance against Japan that led to the recapture of Xinghua, the wall became worn and damaged. In 1958, with approval from the provincial government, most of the wall was demolished. Today, only two sections remain: one north of Dongyue Temple and another east of Dongying Street. In 1986, the Xinghua County People's Government designated it as a cultural relic protection unit.

In 2002, the Jiangsu Provincial People's Government designated the section north of Dongyue Temple as a cultural relic protection unit. In 2006, the Xinghua Municipal Government carried out major renovations on this section, and in 2010, a new ancient city wall ruins park was built north of it.

Address: Chengjiaogen Lane, outside Dongcheng, Xinghua City

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units