Ancient City Wall Ruins Park of Zhao County

Ancient City Wall Ruins Park of Zhao County

The Ancient City Wall Ruins Park of Zhao County is a cultural heritage conservation unit of Zhao County.

The Ancient City Wall Ruins Park of Zhao County is the only park in Shijiazhuang dedicated to the preservation of ancient city walls. Covering an area of 140 acres, the park makes full use of the remaining sections of the ancient city wall and moat, and is designed around two of the “Ten Scenic Spots of Ancient Zhaozhou”: “Ripening Rice in the Southern Fields” and “Autumn Colors on Mount Lan.” The construction emphasizes cultural content and leisure, achieving a genuine integration of heritage protection and recreational use.

City walls were traditional defensive structures in ancient Chinese cities. Zhao County (historically known as Zhaozhou) traces its origins to the Spring and Autumn period when the State of Jin established the settlement of Jipu here, marking the beginning of the ancient city. Through subsequent dynastic changes and frequent warfare, the city’s fortifications were continuously reinforced and strengthened. By the Song Dynasty, the outline of the city walls had largely taken shape.

According to the Guangxu Edition of the Zhaozhou Annals: “The prefectural city was built with earthen walls, the exact time of its establishment is unknown. The foundation is 2.5 zhang (approx. 8.3 meters) wide, the walls stand 3.2 zhang (approx. 10.7 meters) high, encircling an area of over 13 li (approx. 6.5 km), with 62 gun platforms. The crenellations are 5 chi (approx. 1.7 meters) high, totaling 2,881 battlements. The eastern wall is 748 zhang long… the southern wall is straight and 496 zhang long, with gates positioned between the earthly branches Ding and Wei. The western wall is 749 zhang long… the northern wall is 419 zhang long… the moat is 10 zhang (approx. 33 meters) wide and 10 chi (approx. 3.3 meters) deep, encircling the entire city, filled with vast waters.” The entire wall had four gates… all of which were double-gated with double closures.

Yanglin Village: Located in the central area of the sacred Buddhist mountain Wutai Shan, Yanglin Village administers four villager groups: Yanglin, Yingfang, Taiping Street, and Jinjiesi, with a total of 380 households and over 840 residents. The village has only 20 mu of arable land but boasts 2,648 mu of forested area. Thanks to its geographical advantages, Yanglin Village has consistently focused on tourism as its leading industry. In 2005, the village achieved a total economic income of 5.715 million yuan, of which tourism revenue accounted for 3.935 million yuan, and the per capita net income was 3,136 yuan. The village has 61 Party members, and 25 activists were trained this year. During the 2005 election for the village Party branch and committee, … Yanglin Village detailed information++