Anren City Wall

Anren City Wall

Anren City Wall

Originally constructed in the fifth year of the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty (1510), the Anren City Wall was initially built as an earthen structure by Magistrate Xue Qiu to quell the “Yaoyuan Rebellion,” stretching over 600 zhang. In the fifth year of the Jiajing era (1526), Fan Xia, the military defense official of Raozhou, reconstructed it using stone. In the renxu year of the Jiajing era, the Jiangxi Provincial Governor mandated further expansion of the city wall and deepening of the moats. After three years, the new wall was completed, stretching a total of 1,330 zhang. It was built with red strip stones and featured nine gates: the Qingren Gate in the east, the Zhengyi Gate (also known as the Yungai Gate) in the west, the Gehui Gate in the south, and the Gongji Gate in the north. On the southeast side were the Xingxian and Yunjin Gates, while the southwest included the Guanlan, Bianmin, and Mengjin Gates. Its crenellations, waist walls, and guard posts were built to the standards of prefectural city walls. Following four major renovations during the Ming Chongzhen era (1637), Qing Kangxi era (1711), Qing Qianlong era (1736), and the late Xianfeng era (1855), the Anren City Wall restored in the second year of the Tongzhi era (1863) was built from thick red stone bricks. It stood two zhang and six chi high, and eight zhang and five to eight zhang and six chi wide. The wall had seven gate towers and 1,330 crenels. In the sixth year of the Tongzhi era (1867), it received imperial commendation after being approved by the Imperial Censorate through Shou Song’s petition. By the late Qing Dynasty, especially after bombings by Japanese forces, the wall suffered severe damage. Today, only three surviving sections of the wall—totaling 320 meters from the Little South Gate to the West Gate—remain for later generations to reflect upon.

Source: People's Government of Yingtan City