Chongqing Ancient City Wall

Chongqing Ancient City Wall

The Chongqing Ancient City Wall is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Era: Ming Dynasty

Type: Ancient Architecture

Region: Yuzhong District, Chongqing

Batch: Seventh Batch

1. The Tongyuanmen Gate and city wall were built during the Ming Dynasty. The gate features an arched roof constructed with strip stones, some of which are damaged. The gate stands 5.33 meters high, 3.5 meters wide, and 7.41 meters thick. Approximately 100 meters of the surrounding city wall remains on either side. Tongyuanmen originally had a barbican, but due to the passage of time, it has been completely destroyed. In the past, Tongyuanmen marked the edge of Chongqing’s urban area; heading west from the gate led to Fotuguan, an important route to Chengdu. With historical changes and urban expansion, Tongyuanmen is now situated along a major city thoroughfare where three roads intersect. It sees constant traffic and bustling pedestrian activity. Below the gate, daily life unfolds peacefully, transforming what was once a strategic defensive pass into a place of peaceful living. The Tongyuanmen city wall follows the contour of the mountain, offering a commanding view and exemplifying the distinctive mountain-city style of ancient walls, possessing significant architectural, scientific, and scenic value. The construction history of Chongqing’s city walls spans from 316 BC, when Yi built the fortress in Jiangzhou, to 226 AD during the Jianxing era when Li Yan of Shu built a great wall, and through the Southern Song Dynasty when Peng Daya and Yu Jie constructed the mountain defense system to resist Mongol (Yuan) invasions, up to a major reconstruction during the Ming Dynasty under Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang (1368–1398). The 1747 *Baxian Annals* states: “In the early Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty, Commander Dai Ding rebuilt the stone walls on the old site, reaching a height of ten zhang. The perimeter measured 2,660 zhang and 7 chi, encircling the river as a moat, with seventeen gates—nine open and eight closed—symbolizing the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams. Chaotianmen, Dongshuimen, Taipingmen, Chiqimen, Jinzimen, Nanjimen, Tongyuanmen, Linjiangmen, and Qiansimen were the nine open gates. Cuiweimen, Jintangmen, Renhemen, Fenghuangmen, Taianmen, Dingyuanmen, Hongyamen, and Xishuimen were the eight closed gates.” The Ming-era walls were entirely built of stone. Since the emergence of class societies, rulers have constructed city walls as defensive structures to protect their interests from foreign threats—an inevitable development in history. Over time, as cities evolved, some of these high walls and deep moats were leveled, while others have been preserved. The remaining Tongyuanmen ancient city wall in Yuzhong, Chongqing, with its long history of creation and evolution, vividly reflects the diligence, bravery, and wisdom of the people of Bayu, as well as Chongqing’s profound history and rich culture. As an important historical testament to Chongqing’s mother city, it holds great significance for understanding historical relics and offers valuable research insights into the study of Chongqing’s ancient city. This site was designated as a municipal cultural relics protection unit by the Chongqing Municipal People's Government on March 19, 1992, and as one of the first batch of municipal cultural relics protection units after Chongqing became a municipality directly under the central government on September 7, 2000.

2. The Dongshuimen Gate and city wall were built during the Ming Dynasty and served as the main eastern gate of old Chongqing. The surviving Dongshuimen gate is 3.2 meters wide, 5 meters high, and 6.7 meters thick, featuring a stone-arched gate structure. Nearby, there is about 200 meters of stone city wall, approximately 6 meters high. The gate earned its name because it faces east, in the same direction as the flowing Yangtze River. The strip stone battlements and gate are largely intact. It is a single gate with an arched gate opening, though the inscription “Dongshuimen” (East Water Gate) on the lintel has weathered. The Dongshuimen city wall faces the Yangtze River, standing solitary in the middle of the water. Naturally fortified and imposing in stature, it is a prime example of the mountain-city style of ancient walls, with high architectural, scientific, and scenic value. The construction history of Chongqing’s city walls spans from 316 BC, when Yi built the fortress in Jiangzhou, to 226 AD during the Jianxing era when Li Yan of Shu built a great wall, and through the Southern Song Dynasty when Peng Daya and Yu Jie constructed the mountain defense system to resist Mongol (Yuan) invasions, up to a major reconstruction during the Ming Dynasty under Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang (1368–1398). The 1747 *Baxian Annals* states: “In the early Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty, Commander Dai Ding rebuilt the stone walls on the old site, reaching a height of ten zhang. The perimeter measured 2,660 zhang and 7 chi, encircling the river as a moat, with seventeen gates—nine open and eight closed—symbolizing the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams. Chaotianmen, Dongshuimen, Taipingmen, Chiqimen, Jinzimen, Nanjimen, Tongyuanmen, Linjiangmen, and Qiansimen were the nine open gates. Cuiweimen, Jintangmen, Renhemen, Fenghuangmen, Taianmen, Dingyuanmen, Hongyamen, and Xishuimen were the eight closed gates.” The Ming-era walls were entirely built of stone. Since the emergence of class societies, rulers have constructed city walls as defensive structures to protect their interests from foreign threats—an inevitable development in history. Over time, as cities evolved, some of these high walls and deep moats were leveled, while others have been preserved. The surviving Dongshuimen ancient city wall in Yuzhong, Chongqing, with its long history of establishment and transformation, bears witness to the former water docks and the vicissitudes of Chongqing’s mother city. It reflects the diligence, bravery, and wisdom of the people of Bayu, as well as Chongqing’s long history and rich culture. As a vital piece of historical evidence for Chongqing’s mother city, it carries significant meaning for historical relics and offers important research value for the study of Chongqing’s ancient city. This site was designated as a municipal cultural relics protection unit by the Chongqing Municipal People's Government on March 19, 1992, and as one of the first batch of municipal cultural relics protection units after Chongqing became a municipality directly under the central government on September 7, 2000. Currently, Dongshuimen and its city wall have been incorporated into the historical and stylistic coordination zone of the “Huguang Guild Hall.”

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units