Site of Shizhou City

Site of Shizhou City

The Site of Shizhou City is a cultural heritage site protected at the prefectural level in Enshi.

The Site of Shizhou City consists of the ancient Shizhou city gate and wall ruins located in Liujiaoting Subdistrict, Enshi City, and the Liuzhou City ruins located in Zhouhe Village, Wuyangba Subdistrict, also in Enshi City. The two sites are 3.5 kilometers apart and cover a total area of 3.3 square kilometers.

The ancient Shizhou city gate and walls were initially constructed in the third year of the Chunyou era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1243), and were repaired during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. They occupy an area of 45,000 square meters. The walls were built along the contours of the mountain terrain using square stones bonded with tung oil, lime, and glutinous rice paste. The surviving structures include the west and south gates, their gate towers, and most of the city walls.

The Liuzhou City ruins were an important military garrison of Shizhou during the Southern Song Dynasty and served as a military fortress during the resistance against the Yuan Dynasty. The fortress was built with stone blocks and earth, with walls following the ridgelines of the mountains. The western and southern sections are particularly well-preserved, with most of the crenellations still intact. Approximately 6,500 meters of the walls remain, with an average width of 3.5 meters and a maximum height of 1 meter. Other remains include the foundations of four city gates, stone carvings, horse paths, parade grounds, a general’s tomb, and watchtowers.

The Site of Shizhou City is a symbol and testament to the central dynasties' governance over ethnic minority regions throughout history.

In 2006, it was designated as part of the sixth group of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level by the State Council.

Liujiaoting Subdistrict: Located in the old urban area of Enshi City, Hubei Province, at 109°58′ east longitude and between 29°50′–30°29′ north latitude, Liujiaoting Subdistrict is a key part of downtown Enshi. It borders Wuyangba Subdistrict across the Qingjiang River to the east, the Bajiao Dong Autonomous Township to the south, Tunbao and Baiguo townships to the west, and Xiaoduchuan Subdistrict to the north. The terrain is characterized by typical low mountainous hills, with continuous hills, surrounded by mountains, crisscrossing valleys, and an elevation ranging from 380 meters at the lowest to 1,125 meters at the highest, resulting in a relative elevation difference of 745 meters and an average altitude of 560 meters... More details about Liujiaoting Subdistrict++

Further reading:

· Sixth Group of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level