Tingzhou City Wall

Tingzhou City Wall

Tingzhou City Wall is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Tingzhou City Wall—(Tingzhou Ancient City Wall, Chaotianmen Gate Tower, Sanyuan Pavilion Gate Tower, Baozhu Gate Tower) is located in Tingzhou Town, Tingzhou County, Longyan City. It was first built in the fourth year of the Dali era of the Tang Dynasty (769). Chen Jian, the prefect of Tingzhou, relocated the Tingzhou administrative center from Dongfangkou to this site and built an earthen wall. In the early Dazhong era of the Tang Dynasty, Prefect Liu Jun initially constructed 179 watchtowers and built a smaller inner city, called the “Heroic Fortress.” In the third year of the Zhili era of the Song Dynasty (1066), the first large-scale expansion of Tingzhou City Wall took place, with the wall’s circumference measuring “five li and two hundred fifty paces,” and six city gates were opened. In the fourth year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1371), the earthen wall was entirely encased in bricks and stones, and 675 zhang of crenellations were built. The currently preserved 1,500-meter section of the wall, along with Chaotianmen, Wutongmen, and Huijimen, remains largely intact to this day, serving as a testament to the long history of Changting.

Time Period: Tang Dynasty to the Republic of China

Address: Tingzhou Town, Tingzhou County, Longyan City, Fujian Province

The ancient city wall of Tingzhou was first built in the fourth year of the Dali era of the Tang Dynasty. By the Ming and Qing dynasties, the total length of the Tingzhou city wall had reached over 5,000 meters, with 12 city gates, “nestling against the mountain and facing the stream,” forming a unique layout described as “a city within the mountains, water within the city,” and the “Buddha hanging pearls.” The superb architectural craftsmanship and enduring artistic value fully reflect the diligence, wisdom, and exceptional talent of the ancient Han laboring people. The nearly 3,000 meters of well-preserved wall today connect Chaotianmen, Wutongmen, Huijimen, and Baozhu Gate.

In 1996, Tingzhou City Wall was listed as part of the fourth batch of Provincial-Level Cultural Relics Protection Units, and in 2013, it was designated as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Tingzhou Town: Tingzhou Town in Tingzhou County, Longyan City, is located in the western part of Fujian Province, on the upper reaches of the Ting River, at the southern end of the Wuyi Mountain Range. It is the seat of the county government. The jurisdiction covers 10.6 square kilometers, with nine neighborhood committees and a population of 62,600. Since the Tang Dynasty, it has been the site of prefectures, counties, routes, and provincial-level administrations, and is the ancestral home of the Hakka people. It is a long-established renowned handicraft city and serves as the political, economic, and cultural center of western Fujian.

The New Zealand international friend Rewi Alley praised Tingzhou as “one of the most beautiful small cities in China.” In 1931, the Central Soviet Area established “Tingzhou City,” which was known as the “Little Shanghai of the Red Region.” In 1992… More detailed information about Tingzhou Town++

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units