Hengshan Stockade

Hengshan Stockade

Hengshan Stockade was a famous town in Tiandong County over 800 years ago during the Southern Song Dynasty, once known as "the largest trading market in southwestern China" and an important military stronghold.

The ancient ruins of Hengshan Stockade are now the three villages of Shangzhai, Xiazhai, and Yinjiang in Baiyin Village. According to local folklore, the so-called Yinjiang village was a community where artisans concentrated on crafting gold and silver jewelry and minting coins. The current location of Tiandong County’s county seat—Pingma Town—was the horse trading hub of Hengshan Stockade. Pingma, which literally means “horse appraisal,” derived its name from being the place where horses were evaluated. Shangfa Village in Pingma Town was where blacksmiths specializing in making horseshoes and weapons gathered. In the Zhuang language, “Shangfa” means blacksmith. The outer city of Hengshan Stockade spanned approximately 4 km from north to south and about 5 km from east to west, covering an area of 20 square kilometers.

Located near the You River, Hengshan Stockade was a major hub for water and land transportation during the Song Dynasty. Across the river lies the Ancient Tea Horse Road, an ancient pathway leading directly to Debao County and onward to Dali.

The Ancient Tea Horse Road was an important trade route in ancient China that connected southwestern China with India and Myanmar. The main goods traded along this route included tea, horses, salt, and porcelain, earning it the nickname the “Silk Road of Southwest China.” In 2002, this forgotten historical route was rediscovered, and savvy Yunnan entrepreneurs quickly transformed it into a renowned adventure tourism hotspot both domestically and internationally. That same year, Tiandong County also began reconstructing its own version of the “largest trading market in southwestern China.”

According to expert research, the eastern starting point of the Tea Horse Road from Guangxi to Yunnan was the ancient town of Hengshan Stockade in Tiandong County. From Hengshan Stockade, the route passed through Debao, Jingxi, Napo in Guangxi, and then Funing, Guangnan, and Kunming in Yunnan before reaching Dali, extending further into Myanmar, India, and even West Asia. As the eastern terminus of this route, Hengshan Stockade flourished during the Shaoxing era of the Southern Song Dynasty, becoming a key marketplace for trade between the Southern Song and various ethnic minority regimes in the southwest. It was also the largest horse market of the Southern Song. The Southern Song court purchased between 1,500 to 3,500 warhorses annually from the Hengshan horse market, and when including civilian demand, the annual horse trade volume reached up to 40,000 horses. Most of these horses came from southwestern regions and kingdoms such as Dali, Ziqi, Luodian, and Temuodao.

Beyond its role as a commercial hub, Hengshan Stockade also served as an important cultural relay station during the Southern Song Dynasty. Historical records indicate that merchants from Dali “often purchased books such as Records of the Grand Historian, Book of Han, Records of the Three Kingdoms, Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Government, Compendium of Materia Medica, Pulse Classic by Wang Shuhe, and Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold upon arriving at Hengshan.” Books traded at Hengshan Stockade spread continuously along the Ancient Tea Horse Road, this cultural corridor, reaching all corners of the southwest and deeply influencing the region's social life. This shows that Hengshan Stockade was not only an economic powerhouse for the ancient Zhuang people but also a thriving cultural center.

Legend has it that the prosperity of Hengshan Stockade ultimately met its demise under the hooves of Mongol cavalry. At the time, Hengshan Stockade functioned as a military-administrative stronghold. While the Southern Song and Jin Dynasties were locked in a prolonged stalemate, the nomadic Mongols, who roamed the grasslands, rose to prominence. The iron hooves of this horseback people shattered the silence of the vast Gobi Desert. In 1234, the legendary Genghis Khan led his forces to conquer the Jin Dynasty, and subsequently, they rode south to attack the Southern Song. In 1259, the Mongol general Ulaan Khatag was ordered to lead 3,000 cavalry troops and “10,000 barbarian auxiliaries,” taking a circuitous route through Sichuan and Guizhou. They fought their way through numerous obstacles, marching straight toward Hengshan Stockade. The Southern Song defenders of Hengshan Stockade, Generals Xiang Shibei and Liu Xiongfei, led 60,000 troops and valiantly resisted the overwhelming Mongol forces. Despite their fierce resistance, they were ultimately defeated by the enemy’s powerful bows and arrows. The battle claimed many lives, and the once-famous city was reduced to rubble by the flames of war.

The former prosperity of Hengshan Stockade has long vanished along with the flowing waters of the You River, but its brilliant ancient market culture has been passed down through generations. Soon after Hengshan Stockade was burned down, a new town similar to it—Pingma Town—rose from the ruins and thrived, remaining the most bustling market in the You River basin through the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Pingma Town, the county seat of Tiandong County, emerged before the world with a completely renewed look and spirit. Today, it has grown into an emerging city with a population of nearly 100,000. Currently, the people of the entire county are united in their efforts to build Tiandong County into a “strong western county of China.”

In 2009, the Western China County Economic Development Forum was held in Guizhou Province. With its unique investment appeal, renowned specialty industries, and products, Tiandong County was honored with three titles: “Most Investment-Attractive City in Western China,” “Home of Specialty Industries in Western China,” and “Famous Specialty Product of Western China.” There is no doubt that the future of Tiandong will be even more prosperous and renowned.