The Ancient City Wall of Lu'an

The Ancient City Wall of Lu'an

The Ancient City Wall of Lu'an is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Dating back to the Ming and Qing dynasties. Lu'an was the fief of descendants of Gao Yao, known as the State of Liu during the Shang Dynasty and the Liu'an Kingdom in the Han Dynasty; the wall reflects the diligence, bravery, and outstanding capabilities of ancient Chinese laborers.

Since the construction of its brick walls in the 13th year of the Hongwu era, the Lu'an city wall has seen continuous defense and renovation due to ongoing warfare. In 1514 (the 9th year of the Zhengde era), Prefect Li Gun renovated the wall, expanding the city’s perimeter and strengthening defensive measures. His outstanding governance was recorded by the local scholar Pan Rui in the "Record of the City Wall Repair," which is preserved in the historical text "Annals of Lu'an Prefecture."

In 1553 (the 3rd year of the Jiajing era), Prefect Shao Huijiu of Lu'an, together with Deng Xiangrong, opened the “Convenient Storage Gate” west of the North Gate to facilitate waterway transport. In 1517 (the 5th year of the Longqing era), Prefect Tang Kefeng renamed it the “Wenchang Gate.” In 1579 (the 7th year of the Wanli era), Prefect Yang Jihui sealed the Convenient Gate for the security of the warehouses. In 1581 (the 9th year of the Wanli era), Prefect Li Maogui reinforced the warehouse walls, reopened the “Wenchang Gate,” built three-story corner towers at each of the four gates (east, south, west, and north), installed eight artillery platforms within the four ramparts, and placed eight antique bronze cannons for defense. In 1635 (the 8th year of the Chongzhen era), amid constant military unrest, the walls were frequently bombarded. Zhang Liang, the Anlu Dao official, relocated to Lu'an and ordered the magistrate Luo Jie to repair the damaged walls over several years. The citizens of Lu'an voluntarily returned to assist in the repairs, and Prefect Xu Pan refurbished the gate towers.

In 1679 (the 18th year of the Kangxi era), Prefect Liu Ke Kong renovated the city wall and stationed 34 soldiers of the Lu'an Guard at the four gates.

In 1698 (the 37th year of the Kangxi era), Prefect Wang Tingzeng organized laborers to dredge the moat, repair the sluice gates, and refurbish the city wall.

In 1712 (the 51st year of the Kangxi era), Prefect Zhang Can raised funds and gathered craftsmen to rebuild the drum tower, which had been destroyed during the late Ming warfare.

In 1728 (the 6th year of the Yongzheng era), Prefect Li Maoren organized laborers to repair collapsed sections of the wall, renovate streets, and overhaul the drainage system comprehensively, erecting a commemorative stone at the drainage outlet.

In 1748 (the 13th year of the Qianlong era), due to damage from warfare, the repaired sections of the wall collapsed. Prefect Jin Hongxun organized laborers to carry out comprehensive repairs and summarized the experience in the prefectural records: “Merely patching up defective areas may suffice to beautify the wall temporarily, but it will soon collapse again. By reinforcing the foundation firmly and compacting the crenellations to prevent rainwater seepage, the wall can last permanently.”

In 1765 (the 30th year of the Qianlong era), Prefect Xie Qibing repaired the eastern gate.

In 1796 (the 1st year of the Jiaqing era), Prefect Fu Ming repaired the collapsed section of the Tongji Gate (West Gate).

In 1822 (the 2nd year of the Daoguang era), Prefect Niu Yingkui repaired nine zhang of the eastern gate wall, thirty zhang of the southern gate, and sixteen zhang of the northern gate.

In 1826 (the 6th year of the Daoguang era), Prefect Sun Lingfu raised funds to build a levee along the moat from the West Gate to Shanglongzhao. Later, this section was nicknamed “Sun’s Dike” in honor of his achievements.

In 1849 (the 29th year of the Daoguang era), Prefect Huang Wu repaired eight zhang six chi of the West Gate. In the 30th year of the Daoguang era, Prefect Song Peizhi repaired eight zhang of the North Gate and five zhang five chi of the East Gate.

In 1858 (the 8th year of the Xianfeng era), Prefect Mao Nianqu repaired ten zhang of the West Gate.

In 1860 (the 10th year of the Xianfeng era), Prefect Yao Debin repaired nine zhang of the southwestern wall. In the 11th year of the Xianfeng era, Prefect Zou Si repaired eight zhang of the West and North Gates, including one gate tower.

In 1863 (the 2nd year of the Tongzhi era), Prefect He Jiacao and Candidate Official Zeng Guangyi repaired over thirty zhang of the eastern wall, ten zhang of the North Gate, and twenty zhang of the western wall. In the 5th year of the Tongzhi era, Prefect Cao Guanghan repaired forty zhang of the wall.

In 1871 (the 10th year of the Tongzhi era), Prefect Li Wei repaired seventy zhang of the wall, restored ninety-one zhang, heightened twenty-three to thirty zhang across fifty-two zhang, especially refurbishing the decaying structures at the east, south, and north gates. He personally inscribed and reinstated the name “Convenient Storage Gate.”

In 1920, Ma Xiangbin, commander of the Second Brigade of the Anhui Army, reinforced the city wall and dredged the moat to improve defenses. Unfortunately, during the War of Resistance, parts of the wall were destroyed when the Japanese 10th Division occupied Lu'an in 1938.

In the 1950s, with the urban development needs of New China, a nationwide “City Wall Demolition Campaign” took place, and Lu'an was no exception. Most of the wall was torn down, including the Old West and South Gates during this period. Some original wall sites were repurposed as roads—sections between the Old West Gate and the Convenient Storage Gate were filled in to become part of today’s Pihe Road, while parts of present-day Jiefang Road were built on the filled-in moat. Currently, only two relatively intact segments of the ancient wall remain: one is located north and west of Gulou Street in Lu'an, where the lower stone slab foundation and upper small blue bricks of the drainage channel still exist; the other is situated on the eastern bank of the Pi River, north of Yunlu Bridge on Yunlu Street in Lu'an, stretching 140 meters, and was renovated after the 1990s.

From its initial brick construction to its destruction during the War of Resistance, the Lu'an Ancient City Wall had a repair history spanning 560 years. After the founding of New China, the 1950s demolition campaign transformed the wall into roads. Only fragmented remnants silently narrate Lu'an’s tumultuous past. The surviving section near Yunlu Bridge, about 150 meters long, features typical Ming Dynasty architectural elements at its northern end, with “T-shaped” laid foundation stones and Ming-era small blue bricks. The southern end was rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty after collapse, with bricks marked “Daoguang 3rd Year” and “City Work.” At the southern end, near Nan Cheng Primary School, the remaining wall shows a stone base and visible drainage holes made of small blue bricks, with moss-covered surfaces telling endless tales of history.

Though the Lu'an Ancient City Wall has changed beyond recognition, the numerous patches reflect over 500 years of repair history by the people of Lu'an. Provincial cultural relics experts deem it to have significant preservation value. Today, as part of the old city renovation plan, the municipal government has entered the stage of constructing the Pihe flood control dike. To enhance cultural heritage protection, the government has invested in restoring the 150-meter section of the ancient wall north of Yunlu Bridge, adhering to the principle of “restoring the old as it was.” The restored wall, together with Yunlu Bridge, the Dragon Coil Stone at Xialongzhao, the ancient pagodas to the north and south, and the newly built Lu'an Cultural Wall, forms a scenic riverside attraction in the old city.

Protected Area: The wall structure itself and a buffer of 50 meters to the east, and 5 meters to the south, west, and north.

Construction Control Zone: Same as the protected area.