Chenyang Village Castle

Chenyang Village Castle

Chenyang Village Castle is located on West Chenyang Village Street in Bayu Township, Rongcheng County. The wall is 2–3 meters high, with a top width of 3 meters and a base width of 5 meters. It stretches 180 meters from east to west and 74 meters from north to south. The structure was built using rammed earth, with each layer about 14 centimeters thick, and lies 0.5 kilometers north of the Juma River. According to the *Rongcheng County Annals* and the *History of the Song Dynasty*, West Chenyang Village once had a “fort” — a frontier castle of the Southern Song border. The tomb of Zhao Defang, the eighth prince of the Song Dynasty, is located south of the village, and this fort served as the military garrison for protecting the prince’s mausoleum.

During the Song Dynasty, the border between the Song and Liao dynasties was defined by the Bai River. Due to constant incursions from the Liao to the south, this castle was built to defend against northern threats. Originally named Chen Family Fort, it was later simply referred to as “the fort.” It stood in coordination with nearby Dazhang Fort and Nanzhang Fort, located about 2 kilometers southeast and south, respectively, and was surrounded by residential buildings. In August 1987, the site was designated as a county-level cultural heritage protection unit. The protected area is centered at the eastern end of the castle, extending 180 meters westward to civilian houses, bounded by the street to the east, and approximately 174 meters north to south, forming a perimeter of 708 meters.

Exact location: Chenyang Village Castle is located on West Chenyang Village Street in Bayu Township, Rongcheng County.

Bayu Township: Located in the northeastern part of Rongcheng County, Bayu Township borders Liangmatai Town to the east, Jiaguang Township to the northwest, Rongcheng Town to the southwest, and is separated from Beinancai Township of Dingxing County by the South Juma River to the north. To the southeast, it neighbors Dahe Town. The township government is located at No. 1, Jinbao Road, Nanbayu Village, 3.5 kilometers west of the county seat. The total jurisdiction area is 29.2 square kilometers, covering 20 administrative villages with a population of 22,000. The built-up area of the town is 3.47 square kilometers, with a planned area of 5.56 square kilometers. Office phone: 0312-5558792.

In 1953, Bayu... Bayu Township detailed information++