The Xiamen City Wall

The Xiamen City Wall

The Xiamen City Wall is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Fujian Province.

The ruins of Xiamen City are located on the east side of No. 43 Xinhua Road, Siming District, Xiamen City, Fujian Province. After being designated as a provincial-level cultural heritage site, it became known as Xiamen Suocheng (Xiamen Garrison Town).

The ancient city wall was first built in the 27th year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (1394). To enhance coastal defenses and guard against pirate attacks, the Ming government ordered Xiahou Zhoudexing to construct garrison towns along the southeastern coast. During the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty, after Shi Lang recaptured Taiwan, the Waterborne Military Command Office (near Xiamen Public Security Bureau) was established within the Ming-era city. In the 24th year of Kangxi (1685), the old city wall was demolished and expanded, with the new wall stretching approximately 2,000 meters in circumference. In the 17th year of Qianlong (1752), it underwent a second renovation and further expansion. The ruins of Xiamen City are among the most significant remnants of the original city and serve as important evidence of Xiamen's urban development history. By 2003, archaeological discoveries had uncovered only about 120 meters of the wall.

Xiamen City was established in the 27th year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (1394). The original city wall was 1,360 meters in circumference, 6 meters high, and about 2.9 meters wide at the base, featuring four city gates and 22 watchtowers. The four gates were, from east to west: the eastern "Qiming" (Dawn) Gate, the western "Huaixin" (Reflecting Sound) Gate, the southern "Qiaode" (Harmonious Virtue) Gate, and the northern "Huangshu" (Grand Hub) Gate. A garrison of 1,240 soldiers from the central and left battalions of Yongning Guard was stationed here, and Xiamen thereby acquired the name "Zhongzuo Suo" (Central Left Garrison), under the jurisdiction of the Fujian Regional Command. It formed a strategic network with Jinmen Suocheng, Gaopu Suocheng, Yongning Weicheng, and Zhenhai Weicheng, strengthening the region’s maritime defenses.

In the 15th year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty (1417), the wall was heightened to 2.2 zhang (approximately 7 meters), and moon walls were added to all four gates. In the 8th year of the Zhengtong reign (1443), four additional watchtowers were constructed.

In the 20th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1681), during the conflict between Qing forces and the Zheng regime of the Southern Ming, the city wall was destroyed. It wasn’t until the 22nd year of Kangxi (1683), after Taiwan was reclaimed, that reconstruction began under Shi Lang, the Fujian Naval Commander and Duke of Jinghai. The wall’s circumference was extended to 1,920 meters, and its height increased to 9.6 meters. In the 24th year of Kangxi, the old wall was demolished and rebuilt, extending the perimeter to around 2,000 meters. In the 17th year of Qianlong (1752), a second renovation and expansion took place.

During the Opium Wars, British forces captured Xiamen City, and the walls gradually fell into disrepair. By the early 20th century, the city wall remained largely intact, with both inner and outer sections still clearly defined. However, in 1919, the Xiamen Municipal Council, chaired by Lin Erjia, advocated for road construction to improve transportation, leading to the demolition of most of the ancient city wall and its associated structures. Only a section of the northern wall remains, approximately 80 meters in length, running northwest to southeast. The surviving wall stands 2–7 meters high, sloping gently, with a flat top 3.5–6 meters wide. The wall consists of two sides built with dry-laid granite strips, and the core filled with lime-soil mixture. The granite slabs measure 1.4 meters in length, 0.28 meters in width, and 0.3 meters in height, arranged in alternating horizontal and vertical patterns.

In 1961, the Xiamen City ruins were designated as part of the first batch of municipal-level cultural heritage sites by the Xiamen Municipal Government.

In 1983, the Xiamen Municipal People’s Committee re-designated them as part of the first batch of municipal-level cultural heritage sites.

In 1994, on the 600th anniversary of Xiamen’s founding, the municipal government allocated 150,000 RMB to repair the ancient wall. This included restoring 64 meters of wall, reconstructing 28 crenellations, cleaning the surrounding area, erecting monuments and pavilions, paving pathways, and hosting the “Commemoration of the 600th Anniversary of Xiamen’s Founding.”

In August 2003, the Municipal Bureau of Culture announced plans to build a site museum based on this section of the Ming-era city wall.

On August 4, 2004, the Xiamen Cultural Relics Management Committee held its second expanded meeting, where it was decided that the Xiamen City ruins would be nominated for inclusion in both the National Key Cultural Heritage Protection Units and the sixth batch of Provincial-Level Cultural Heritage Protection Units.

In May 2005, the Xiamen City ruins were listed in the sixth batch of Fujian Provincial-Level Cultural Heritage Protection Units.