Zhenbiancheng

Zhenbiancheng

Zhenbiancheng is a cultural heritage site protected by Hebei Province.

Zhenbiancheng is located on the inner side of the Great Wall, at the border between Huailai and Changping in Beijing. Along with Changyucheng and Baiyanggou, it is known as one of the Three Border Towns of Beijing.

Zhenbiancheng is truly a stone city: its walls are built of stone, its houses are constructed from stone, and its streets are paved with stone. Stone is the main building block of this ancient town’s life—long flagstones, fine gravel, and delicate pebbles are all in evidence. The town is divided into three streets, six lanes, and seventy-two hutongs. The north-south routes are streets, while the east-west ones are lanes. All of them, whether streets, lanes, or hutongs, are paved with locally sourced stones. The houses were originally mostly traditional courtyard homes, most built from stone, with only particularly prominent or decorative sections constructed using blue bricks. In the center of the town stands a bell and drum tower, and there were once twelve temples, though now only the Great Buddha Temple remains. Despite being over 400 years old, the lush pines in the temple still thrive, providing dense shade. Sadly, these ancient temples were destroyed during the “frenzied” Cultural Revolution. Among the surviving temples, the Temple of the God of Wealth (also known as the Guan Yu Temple) is relatively well preserved. It is located to the north of three ancient locust trees on the east side of the South Gate. It is said that there used to be a memorial archway in front of the temple gate, with the inscription “Zhenbiancheng” on the front and “Zhongyi Archway” on the back. The main hall of the temple still stands, and although it is cluttered with miscellaneous items, the classic wooden pillars and brackets still hint at the former refinement. A stone stele from the temple remains standing under a large locust tree at the South Gate. The back of the stele records the names of donors, but the inscriptions on the front have faded beyond recognition. There is also a theater stage in the town that is over 300 years old, and traces of the painted beams can still be faintly seen. Most of the residents are descendants of frontier guards, hailing from all directions, and over the centuries, their customs have gradually converged.

Speaking of Zhenbiancheng, one cannot fail to mention the Ming Great Wall. After the Ming Emperor Chengzu moved the capital to Beijing, the northwestern outskirts—due to their proximity to various Mongol tribes—were frequently subjected to raids. In fact, even before Zhenbiancheng was established, the area had long been a major route for nomadic tribes to invade the Central Plains, owing to the numerous northwest–southeast valleys. Suffering greatly from the pillaging of these tribes during the Ming Dynasty, the authorities built a large number of defensive structures in these valleys—fortresses, fortified passes, beacon towers, and border walls crisscrossed the rugged mountains. Some beacon towers even extended through the mountains, reaching all the way to the Huailai Basin near the Guanting Reservoir. At the time, most of the Beijing section of the Great Wall was under the jurisdiction of the Jizhen defense command, and Zhenbiancheng was an important part of this defensive system. Volume fifty-seven of the Jiufu Tongzhi records: “Changcheng Ridge, located slightly southwest of the state (referring to Changping Prefecture). On the ridge are the ruins of square battlements, said to have been built by Emperor Qin Shi Huang. There is a spring called Mapao. Three li further west lies Yousi Terrace. Ten li further west from the terrace, the land consists entirely of steep ridges. One such ridge, called Huilin, is twice as treacherous as the Great Wall, with stones as fine as powdered clamshell. Descending the mountain leads to a town—the ruined settlement of Zhenbian. Another ten li westward is another town, called Zhenbian. The area is surrounded by mountains on both sides…” Volume sixty-seven states: “The Zhenbian Road Fortress, located one hundred li west of the prefecture (referring to Changping Prefecture), borders Wanping County. Built in the fifteenth year of the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty, it spans the mountains from east to west, encloses an area three li in circumference, and has two gates. A garrison of a thousand households was stationed here. Later, another fortress was built to the west and named Zhenbian New Town, featuring three gates. In the early years of the Qing Shunzhi reign, a military commander was stationed here, later replaced by a military intendant. The old fortress has since been abandoned. In the sixth year of the Kangxi reign, a military captain named Zheng Jun and the military intendant Hu Tan donated funds for reconstruction. Currently, an assistant officer is stationed here. The fortress houses the Zhenbian Granary…” The original Zhenbian fortress was built across a valley, but after a devastating flash flood, it bore the brunt of the damage and was eventually abandoned. What we see today is the so-called Zhenbian New Town. Zhenbiancheng was built during the Ming Wanli era. As the name implies, it was a small military town tasked with guarding the frontier. To the southwest of Zhenbiancheng lies the majestic and elegant Bijia Mountain, whose highest peak reaches 1,445 meters. The area north of the mountain belongs to Huailai, while the south belongs to Beijing—an indication of the strategic importance of this frontier town in guarding the capital region in those days. The walls of Zhenbiancheng are built from large, solid mountain stones, forming a sturdy enclosure. The wall is 4.2 meters high (currently about 3 meters tall), making it a true stone fortress. To accommodate the terrain, the eastern wall tilts 18 degrees northwest. The town has three gates—east, south, and north—all fitted with double wooden doors. Originally, both the north and south gates had barbicans. The inner arch of the north gate still exists, but the south gate has vanished, leaving only three ancient locust trees from the same period. In the middle of the east wall is a 5-meter-wide brick arch gate, above which hangs a plaque inscribed with the three large characters “Zhenbiancheng” (this plaque was originally on the south gate but was moved here after the south gate was destroyed). At the site of the north gate, there used to be a… (text missing)… The town also has several stone inscriptions on the northern peaks, recording the construction history.

In modern history, Zhenbiancheng also achieved glory: it was the birthplace of Huailai’s first rural Party branch. In August 1937, Kuomintang troops fought fiercely against Japanese forces here, and it is said that bullet holes from that time can still be seen on the walls.

Further reading:

· Second Batch of Cultural Heritage Sites Protected by Hebei Province