Guoyu Ancient Town

Guoyu Ancient Town

Guoyu Ancient Town is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Guoyu Ancient Town is located in Guoyu Village, Beiliu Town, Yangcheng County. It is a fortress built in the early Tang Dynasty at the foot of the Taihang Mountains. The fortress is nestled against mountains and beside water, featuring majestic walls and rows of battlements along the ramparts. Inside the town, the Yulou Tower stands tall, ancient temples exude solemnity, official residences are luxurious, and folk houses are elegant—making it a uniquely distinctive ancient architectural complex in China’s rural areas. Covering an area of 179,000 square meters, it currently preserves 40 Ming Dynasty residential courtyards, including the Old Lion Courtyard, Small Lion Courtyard, Chen Family’s 12 Residences, and Wang Family’s 13 Courtyards, totaling 1,100 rooms. It is a typical castle-style village. The existing fortress walls are 12 meters high, 5 meters wide, and 1,400 meters long, complete with battlement towers, crenels, city gates, and water gates. The fortress walls feature three levels with 628 hidden troop bunkers, serving both residential and defensive purposes. The ancient alleys inside the town are paved with stone slabs, leading to secluded paths. Lining both sides of the alleys are two-story Ming Dynasty folk houses. The ground floor of Yulou has walls 2 meters thick and includes essential living facilities such as a stone mill, grindstone, and a well. Through a concealed stone door tunnel, one can access two hidden passages leading outside the town. The second floor is equipped with gun ports, while the third floor and above are all residential. The top floor has walls 0.8 meters thick, along with crenels and battlement towers.