Ruins of the Ancient Ding’an City

Ruins of the Ancient Ding’an City

The ruins of the ancient Ding’an City are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Although Ding’an Ancient City has endured five hundred years of weathering and war damage, it has been repaired multiple times over the dynasties and remains one of the better-preserved ancient cities in Hainan. The gateways still retain the original door pivots and holes for the bolts, and the old city streets preserve their historic charm. However, later on, with urban development, two-thirds of the ancient city wall—which had been declared a “Provincial-Level Cultural Relics Protection Unit”—was quickly demolished. Only the west and north gates of the ancient city remain, and the north gate tower has been converted into the office building of the Ding’an County Grain Bureau. The city walls now only survive in two sections, totaling about one kilometer in the northwest and southwest. Today, although the deep arched passageway of the north gate still features its dark stone walls, the polished flagstone road is no longer clean and gleaming. This old city district, which has witnessed five hundred years of history, has finally given way to a rapidly developing new area, ending its former bustling days of merchants and cargo ships coming and going, and growing increasingly quiet. The ancient city walls that bore the weight of centuries now lie in fragile ruins, and the historic city gates that once saw glory have lost their splendor, now presenting a desolate scene of dilapidation and decay. If this continues, even the intact parts of the ancient city will be reduced to mere fragments. Without proper protection, it will be a tragedy for human civilization. A short walk from the North Gate of Ding’an along the ancient flagstone path leads to the Nandu River, the mother river of Hainan. This was one of the main transportation routes connecting the ancient city to the outside world. The once-busy docks have long vanished, but the clear river water remains. The prosperity and clamor of the past have disappeared into the dust of history, never to return.

On October 7, 2019, the ruins of the ancient Ding’an City were designated as part of the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units by the State Council.

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units