Five-Dragon Wall on Dazhong Street

Five-Dragon Wall on Dazhong Street

The Five-Dragon Wall on Dazhong Street is a cultural relic protection unit of Shanxi Province.

Five-Dragon Wall on Dazhong Street (Fifth Batch of Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units)

Era: Qing Dynasty

Address: Dazhong East Street, Chengqu District, Datong City

The Five-Dragon Wall on Dazhong Street was constructed in the second year of the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty (1724). It was originally situated in front of the main gate of the Confucian Temple in Datong County, facing south. Built from blue bricks, it is 33.6 meters long, 5.7 meters high, and 1.22 meters thick, with a total area of 41 square meters. The base is a brick Sumeru pedestal, while the central panel features five coiled dragons carved in high relief. The roof is designed in imitation of a wooden hip-and-gable roof structure, with 24 sets of three-tiered bracket arms (dougong) beneath the eaves. On both sides of the wall are decorative wing walls, and the central panel also includes two auspicious high-relief carvings depicting the “carp leaping over the dragon gate.”

As a remnant of the Qing Dynasty, the Five-Dragon Wall on Dazhong Street has a complete layout and vivid, lifelike imagery. Its massive body is weighty, stately, and imposing, possessing significant historical, scientific, and artistic value.

In 2016, the Five-Dragon Wall on Dazhong Street was included in the fifth batch of cultural relics protection units of Shanxi Province.

Source: Shanxi Provincial Administration of Cultural Heritage

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units in Shanxi Province