The Ming Dynasty City Wall of Langxi

The Ming Dynasty City Wall of Langxi

The Ming Dynasty City Wall of Langxi is a cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province.

Long before the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, after Zhu Yuanzhang captured Huizhou, a hermit named Zhu Sheng advised him to “build high walls, store abundant grain, and delay claiming the title of emperor.” Zhu Yuanzhang adopted these suggestions. After unifying the country, he ordered all prefectures and counties to build city walls extensively. The Ming Dynasty city wall is located in Jianping Town, Langxi County, and construction began in the 45th year of the Jiajing reign (1566), with an original circumference of 780 zhang (nearly 6 li), a base width of 2 zhang 2 chi, and a top width of 1 zhang. It had four gates—east, west, south, and north—and gate towers. Over the years, the ancient wall suffered various degrees of damage. Although the Ming Dynasty undertook repairs, historical records on them remain vague.

During the Qing Dynasty, several major repairs were carried out in the 4th year of Kangxi (1665), the 12th year of Kangxi (1673), the 37th year of Kangxi (1689), and the 6th year of Yongzheng (1728). Today, only about 800 meters of the original section from the east gate to the ferry dock at the south gate in Jianping Town remains. In 1982, the county government allocated funds for partial restoration of the Ming Dynasty city wall. As the only Ming Dynasty city wall in Xuancheng City, its original construction stele is still clearly legible. The stele is 2.6 chi long and 1.6 chi wide, recording the names of three individuals—the supervising official, the civilian supervisor, and a stonemason from Zhejiang—as well as the clear date “the 45th year of the Jiajing reign, 8th month,” making it the only ancient city wall in the province that retains its original construction stele.

The Ming city wall was designed with a primary function of “flood prevention over military defense,” which is why its stone foundation is solid and sturdy. It is a section of wall rich in historical and cultural value, and the materials used in its construction were highly refined. The county government carried out repairs on this section in 1985. To preserve this historic structure, the Langxi County Government of Xuancheng City raised 300,000 yuan this year to restore the wall in keeping with its original architectural style. It is now a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province.

Protected area: 20 meters outside the east side of the Ming city wall, the Langchuan River to the south, 20 meters outside the west side of the Ming city wall, and 20 meters outside the north side of the Ming city wall.

Construction control zone: a 10-meter buffer extending outward from the protected area on all sides.