Southern Great Wall Scenic Area

Southern Great Wall Scenic Area

The Southern Great Wall Scenic Area is a cultural relic protection unit of Hunan Province and a World Cultural Heritage site.

The Miao Frontier Great Wall, largely located in Fenghuang County, Hunan Province, stretches approximately 190 kilometers from Tingziguan at the border with Tongren in the south to Xiqueying in Jishou in the north. Initially constructed in the 33rd year of the Jiajing reign during the Ming Dynasty (1554 AD) and completed in the 3rd year of the Tianqi reign (1622 AD), it is known as the “Ten-Thousand-Li Wall of the Miao Frontier.” Furthermore, as it is the only Great Wall in southern China, it is also referred to as the Southern Great Wall of China, the Southern Great Wall, or simply the Southern Wall. It is one of the grand ancient architectural projects in Chinese history, which prohibited trade and cultural exchanges between the Miao and Han peoples at that time. It reflects the characteristics of a dynasty and encompasses the political, economic, military, and cultural phenomena of that era, embodying the spirit of governance methods of the time. It serves as vivid historical material for studying the conquest and rule of remote ethnic minorities during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

The Great Wall, as a renowned World Cultural Heritage site and a symbolic structure of the Chinese nation, has long been considered a defensive line in the Central Plains region against northern nomadic tribes. However, lesser known is the fact that during the Ming Dynasty, around the Wanli era, a section of the Great Wall was also built in Hunan. Since this section was primarily intended to guard against Miao uprisings, it came to be known as the Miao Frontier Great Wall. Additionally, as it is the only Great Wall in southern China, it is also called the Southern Great Wall of China, the Southern Great Wall, or simply the Southern Wall. The Miao Frontier Great Wall is largely situated in today’s Fenghuang County, Hunan Province. Its overall scale is much smaller than that of the northern Great Wall. It was damaged in the late Ming Dynasty but was later rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty and subsequently underwent some restoration.

The construction of the Southern Great Wall separated the Miao regions of western Hunan into northern and southern parts. The area to the north was designated as a “raw zone” of “uncivilized people,” with regulations stating that “the Miao shall not leave their territory, and the Han shall not enter the villages,” thereby prohibiting commercial trade and cultural exchanges between the Miao and Han peoples.

Now, after more than a hundred years, this long-dormant Miao Frontier Border Wall in the river of history has finally shaken off the dust and reemerged before the world. On April 22, 2000, Professor Luo Zhewen confirmed that this was indeed the Southern Great Wall, causing a stir both domestically and internationally.

The wall of the Southern Great Wall is about 3 meters high, with a base width of 2 meters and a top width of 1 meter. It winds around mountains and crosses rivers, with most of it built along perilous ridges. The Fucheng section is 3 kilometers long, 5 meters high, and 2.8 meters wide. Battlements are constructed along the northern side, featuring 76 evenly spaced crenels, each 0.7 meters square, with a 2-meter-wide walkway on top. Midway along the wall, there is a square-shaped artillery battery, with the highest point of the wall located 50 meters southwest of the battery. At an altitude of 688 meters stands a soldiers’ command and accommodation fortress, which is 9 meters long from east to west and 3 meters wide from north to south, covering an area of 27 square meters. The foundation consists entirely of precisely cut long strips of bluestone, with rectangular steps in the middle of each side leading into the fortress. The entire wall is constructed from meticulously carved square bluestones, bonded with a mortar made of glutinous rice and lime. After more than 600 years of weathering, the exposed stone surfaces are all dark bluish-black, distinct from the surrounding stonework. According to experts, the stones used to build the wall were all quarried from the mountain below, cut into ashlar blocks, and then transported up the mountain piece by piece. The sheer scale of the entire project is truly breathtaking.

Best Time to Visit

The Southern Great Wall is located in western Hunan, where the climate is subtropical, monsoonal, and humid. The area enjoys mild weather, distinct seasons, abundant sunlight, and plentiful rainfall, with an average annual precipitation of 1300–1500 mm. The mean annual temperature ranges from 12°C to 16°C, with July being the hottest month, averaging between 24°C and 27°C, and January the coldest, averaging between 1.7°C and 4.3°C. The frost-free period lasts 240–288 days. The Southern Great Wall is suitable for travel in all seasons, but the best time to visit is from April to November.

Ticket Price: 45 RMB per person

Free admission is granted to seniors aged 70 and above, as well as children under 1.3 meters in height.

Transportation Tips

Take a local bus from Tujiaolong Station in Fenghuang County to Alashizhen, which takes about 20 minutes and costs 6 RMB.

1. At Tujiaolong Bus Station (West Station) in Fenghuang County, take a bus bound for “Alaying” and get off at the Southern Great Wall Scenic Area (inform the driver in advance). The journey takes approximately 30 minutes, and the fare is about 8 RMB.

2. Alternatively, you can hire a car from Fenghuang Ancient Town, with the trip taking about 15 minutes.