Ruins of the Gun Embankment

Ruins of the Gun Embankment

The ruins of the Gun Embankment are a cultural tourism attraction.

The Gun Embankment is one of the historically renowned ancient sites in Weixian County. Legend has it that it was built over 4,000 years ago by Gun during his efforts to control the floods. Historical records from the Qing Dynasty describe the long embankment as stretching hundreds of miles, serving as a barrier against floods for our ancestors. Its southern source originates in Linxi, running through Weixian County all the way to Nangong. According to the Weixian County Annals from the Kangxi era: “The Gun Embankment extends from Tangyang into Ganling, passing north of Shaogu Gathering in Weixian County, where there is a village named Quanli, surrounded on three sides by the embankment. The top is over two zhang wide, and the height is also over two zhang.” Within the territory of Weixian County, the ruins of the Gun Embankment stretch approximately 20 kilometers, starting from the south of Shaogu Village, passing west of Quanli Village, crossing Sunzhuang, and reaching Nancangzhuang, then turning north to Tuantizhuang, before entering Nangong. Currently, the section from Shaogu to Sunzhuang retains relatively well-preserved ruins, with about 50–60% of its original scale still intact. The embankment stands about 7 meters high and 15 meters wide. Despite millennia of erosion by wind and rain, traces of its steep structure and rapid water flow can still be seen. These remnants also reflect the remarkable struggle and grand vision of Weixian’s ancestors in their fight against floods.