The Site of Santunying City

The Site of Santunying City

The Site of Santunying City is a cultural relic protection unit of Hebei Province.

The Site of Santunying City is located in Santunying Town, Qianxi County, and is an ancient site from the Ming Dynasty.

The Santunying City was built in the second year of the Tianshun era (1458) and had been in use for over ten years by the early Wanli era, when its southern wall had collapsed, leaving only a desolate area. As a result, Qi Jiguang petitioned his superiors for approval to rebuild Santunying City. Planned in the early Wanli years, the reconstruction was completed within two years. The city was expanded to twice its original size, incorporating all the barracks that had been located outside the city walls. The walls were heightened and thickened, and three gates were established: the eastern gate named Binri Gate, the southern gate named Jingzhong Gate, and the western gate named Gongjing Gate. Following the model of the Xiangcheng cities built by the Han and Tang dynasties in the north, no northern gate was included. Watchtowers were built atop the city gates, corner towers at the city’s angles, and nine enemy towers were constructed around the perimeter, each equipped with arrow slits. The town government was built in the center, forming a citadel within the city.

Qi Jiguang was known for his integrity throughout his official career. After retiring, his family fell into poverty, and he suffered from illness and hardship. He passed away on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month in the fifteenth year of the Wanli era (January 5, 1587) in Penglai City at the age of 60, and was posthumously honored with the title "Martial and Resolute Duke." After he was transferred south in the eleventh year of the Wanli era (1583), the people of Santunying built a shrine in his honor on the summit of Jingzhong Mountain, along with a stele titled “The Stele in Memory of Minister Qi at Jingzhong Mountain” inscribed by his friend Guo Zaoqing. After his death, the people of Santunying also erected the Chongbao Shrine for him on the east side of the city’s drum tower, along with a stele titled “The Merit Stele of Minister Qi” inscribed by Fan Yang's military defense official Ma Sigong of the Ming Dynasty.

It was announced as a cultural relic protection unit of Hebei Province on February 7, 2001.

Santunying Town: A town under the jurisdiction of Qianxi County. During the Ming Dynasty, it served as the administrative seat of the Jizhou Town garrison. In 1953, Santunying Township was established; in 1958, it became part of Dongfeng Commune; in 1961, Santunying Commune was formed; in 1984, it was restructured as a township; and in 1985, it was upgraded to a town. In 1995, Pengzhuang Township and Gaojiadian Township were merged into it. Located in the western part of the county, it is 12.5 kilometers from the county seat. Covering an area of 111 square kilometers, it has a population of 25,000. The tunnel for diverting Luan River water to Tianjin runs across the southern part of the town. The Bangjun–Kuancheng Highway passes through the area. The town administers Guanyuan, Xilou, Jingquan, Baohu, Nanguan, Xiguan, Dongjie, Beijie, Jizhuangzi, Xuetuoya, Zhaojiacun, and Pailougou... More detailed information about Santunying Town++

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Hebei Province