Xigubao

Xigubao

Xigubao is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Xigubao is located in Nuquan Town, Yu County, Hebei Province, about 2 kilometers east of the Hebei-Shanxi border.

The fortress combines a historic castle with an old theater, temples, and residential courtyards. The castle was built during the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty’s mid-period, and according to records, two barbicans were added outside the north and south city gates during the Shunzhi period of the early Qing Dynasty. It is the most unique and best-preserved among the ancient “Eight Hundred Fortified Villages” of ancient Yu Prefecture. The barbican of the fortress features a unique structural design, and the traditional courtyard homes exhibit the architectural style of the Ming and Qing dynasties.

The castle wall has a square floor plan, with each side measuring over 230 meters. It was built from rammed earth, with earthen bastions protruding outward, about 8 meters high. The inner gates of the two barbicans stand opposite each other along the north-south axis, forming a main street, with three smaller streets on the east and west sides respectively. A surrounding “patrol path” runs along the inside perimeter of the castle walls. This forms the distinctive “Chinese character 国 (country)” layout of Xigubao Village, making it a rather unique example among the ancient Eight Hundred Fortified Villages of Yu Prefecture.

There are approximately 180 well-preserved ancient residential courtyards in the village. Grand gate towers, exquisite brick and wood carvings with painted decorations, and intricate nine-linked and four-courtyard, four-entry residences all speak to the prosperity of the past. Most of these homes are of brick-and-wood structure, with blue stone foundations, white-lime-mortared blue brick walls, ridged roofs adorned with animal ornaments, and covered with blue tile. The local customs are simple and the surroundings are beautiful. Standing at the gate tower and looking around, one sees water fields stretching out in every direction, lush and green. The village itself features blue bricks and gray tiles, embodying the rustic charm described as “small houses nestled in the plains and villages, with cooking smoke rising — the very image of human life.” Every street and residential block of Xigubao Village, though weathered by a century of storms, retains its former glory. The historical appearance from the Ming and Qing periods remains largely preserved.

The buildings within the north and south barbicans are even more diverse in form, ingeniously laid out, and exquisitely crafted, showcasing the superb craftsmanship of ancient folk architecture. The inner gates of both barbicans were built during the Ming Dynasty, while the outer gates and structures within the barbicans were added during the Shunzhi era of the Qing Dynasty.

The South Barbican features complex architecture. The castle wall has a roughly square floor plan about 100 meters in length, constructed from rammed earth with earthen bastions protruding outward, about 8 meters high. The buildings within the barbican are divided into upper and lower sections. The lower part mainly consists of brick-vaulted, wood-imitating structures, while the upper part is of brick-and-wood construction. The central area of the barbican is a large open courtyard surrounded by various buildings, totaling 74 halls and pavilions. Ascending brick steps in the northeastern corner of the barbican leads to a corner gate; upon entering, you reach the eastern courtyard, which has a square brick floor, with a front brick-carved flower wall. About 50 meters directly south on the ground level is a coiled-roof music tower, flanked by one wing room on each side — also a unique example among the many theaters of Yu County. Directly north, the eastern side houses the Temple of the Horse King, and the western side the Hall of the Three Sworn Brothers. The eastern wing room on the ground level serves as monks’ quarters. The northern part includes a few guest rooms. The eastern side of the courtyard has a lower level building, while the southern part has another; between them is a central corridor connecting the eastern and western sides. The upper level of the corridor includes several small rooms. The western side of the courtyard includes a lower level room. The northern part contains a side hall. On the upper level, the rooms are arranged compactly, with some connected as suites. Some rooms feature exposed beams and purlins. The upper level also houses a small room that acts as a storage closet. The northwestern corner includes a room used as a kitchen. The eastern side includes a small room, and the southern side another; these are connected as part of the same unit. The building interiors are relatively low, but the layout is complex. The western side of the courtyard features a lower level room. The courtyard has a flat surface paved with square bricks. In the center is a “Buddha” character, beneath which is a well. The wellhead is wooden and worn smooth. On the eastern side of the courtyard is a small room. The southwestern corner includes a room that is somewhat sunken. The southern courtyard includes a small building. The eastern side of the courtyard includes a small room, and the upper level includes a small room that functions as a viewing pavilion. The lower level of the eastern side includes a room, and the upper level another. The entire courtyard is filled with a sense of harmony and intricacy.

The western part of the courtyard includes a lower level room. The courtyard has a flat surface paved with square bricks. The central area includes a “Buddha” character, beneath which is a well. The wellhead is wooden and worn smooth. On the eastern side of the courtyard is a small room. The southwestern corner includes a room that is somewhat sunken. The southern courtyard includes a small building. The eastern side of the courtyard includes a small room, and the upper level includes a small room that functions as a viewing pavilion. The lower level of the eastern side includes a room, and the upper level another. The entire courtyard is filled with a sense of harmony and intricacy.

The eastern wall of the barbican has a gate, built with a brick-vaulted structure, over 8 meters high. Outside the arched gate, there is a stone plaque engraved with regular script in intaglio: “Yongsheng Gate of Xigubao,” with a small inscription reading “the 19th year of the Kangxi reign.” Inside the gate, the stone-paved road surface still clearly shows historical wheel rut marks. Facing the gate stands a finely carved brick screen wall on a Sumeru pedestal, with perfectly matched joints.

The North Barbican has a floor plan and size roughly similar to those of the South Barbican. Its inner and outer gates and the gate tower of the inner gate are relatively well-preserved. Among its temples, such as the “Jiutian Pavilion,” were destroyed long ago.

The architectural layout of the barbicans in Xigubao is flexible and varied, with a rigorous and complex structure. The halls vary in height and are staggered, pavilions nestle among them, and the scenery is layered with views nested within views, borrowed from surrounding vistas, and hidden within scenes — fully demonstrating the exceptional artistic design skills of the craftsmen of the time.

In 2006, Xigubao was listed by the State Council in the sixth group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units as an ancient architectural site from the Ming to Qing dynasties.

Nuquan Town: Nuquan Town is located at the westernmost edge of Yu County, bordering Guangling County of Shanxi Province. It is 12.4 kilometers from the county seat and is a typical northern town primarily focused on agriculture. At an elevation of 940 meters, it covers an area of 57.3 square kilometers, governs 16 administrative villages, and has a population of 6,538 households and 17,762 people. The cultivated land spans 34,500 mu, including 12,350 mu of irrigated land, mainly planted with millet, miscellaneous grains, and corn.

Nuquan Town was established during the Yuan Dynasty and took shape during the Ming and Qing periods with a layout of “three fortresses, six lanes, and eighteen villages.” It currently has three National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units: Xigubao, Huayan Temple, and Laojun Temple, which are relatively well-preserved... More detailed information on Nuquan Town++

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Hebei Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units