Ancient Great Wall in Tangshan

Ancient Great Wall in Tangshan

The ancient Great Wall in Tangshan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Ancient Great Wall in Tangshan

The Great Wall winds 220 kilometers through Tangshan, featuring 29 renowned passes and fortresses. Its landscape features rolling peaks and vast, surging momentum, embodying the essence of the Ming Great Wall. The areas along the wall preserve simple folkways and many historical tales, making it a top-tier attraction in Tangshan. Notable sites include the Jiu Feng Mountain Great Wall in Zunhua, the Panjiakou Underwater Great Wall in Qianxi, the Marble Great Wall in Qian’an, Qing Shan Pass, Xifengkou, Lengkou Pass, Prison Tower, Seventy-two Arch Tower, Water Gate, Great Wall Brick Kilns, and Horse Breeding Enclosure—each a unique gem of the Great Wall that has gained increasing recognition both domestically and internationally in recent years. The wall on Jiu Feng Mountain is notably low, less than ten feet high and no more than three feet wide, a result of corrupt officials skimping on materials during construction, making it a classic example of shoddy “tofu-dreg Great Wall.”

The Qing Shan Pass wall stands fourteen feet high and sixty-six feet nine inches in circumference, built during the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty. From a distance, it appears delicate and classic, exuding an antique charm. The Seventy-two Arch Tower consists of 72 arches of varying sizes, showcasing a uniquely beautiful design; the Water Gate, constructed from blue bricks in an arched shape, remains intact despite centuries of wind, rain, and mountain floods. The “Left Third Kiln,” hailed as the premier Great Wall brick kiln, is located in Dalindzaizhai, Qianxi. Discovered in 1985, it earned its name from the “Left Third” markings on its bricks. After full excavation in 1993, seven ancient Great Wall brick kilns were uncovered, representing the largest and most complete brick production site along the Great Wall discovered to date, solving the mystery of where the Great Wall’s bricks originated.

The Marble Great Wall in Qian’an is about 1.5 kilometers long, 10 meters high, and 5 meters wide. The base of the wall and the foundations of the watchtowers are mostly made of marble—an extremely rare feature along the entire Great Wall. Xifengkou, historically known as Songting Pass, is a famous ancient battlefield. It was here that the 29th Army resisted the invading Japanese forces during the war, giving rise to the widely known “March of the Volunteers,” which added enduring charm to the Xifengkou section of the Great Wall. Along the wall, you can also find the headquarters of Qi Jiguang, the national hero who commanded border defenses and fought enemies for 16 years—the Jizhen Regional Military Command. There is also the Earth’s oldest rock formation, the Taipingzhai Migmatitic Ancient Rock, recognized by UNESCO, dating back 3.67 billion years,

as well as a series of attractions such as the Paleolithic Site at Zhua Village in Qian’an.