The Five Frontier Wall Forts

The Five Frontier Wall Forts

Guide:

Zhenbian Fort borders Yanggao County to the east, with a fort perimeter of 1 kilometer; Zhenchuan Fort borders Zhenbian Fort’s Sixteenth Beacon Tower to the east, also with a 1-kilometer perimeter; Hongci Fort borders Zhenchuan Fort’s Nineteenth Beacon Tower to the east, with a perimeter of 1.5 kilometers; Zhenlu Fort borders Hongci Fort’s Fifteenth Beacon Tower to the east; Zhenhe Fort borders Zhenlu Fort’s Twentieth Beacon Tower to the east. Here, you can take in the frontier landscape and learn about ancient military strategies.

: Built during the Ming Dynasty to defend against invasions from the Mongols. The five forts are Zhenbian Fort, Zhenchuan Fort, Hongci Fort, Zhenlu Fort, and Zhenhe Fort. They are located along the Great Wall more than 50 li northwest of Datong Prefecture, spaced approximately 25 li apart.

Tour Guide

Zhenbian Fort: Located in Dayi Village, Dashicun. The fort has a rectangular layout, measuring 312 meters north–south and 215 meters east–west, with a perimeter of 1,054 meters. The walls are 5 meters high, 5.6 meters wide at the base, and 3.3 meters wide at the top, built with stone on both the inner and outer faces and filled with rammed earth in the middle. Each corner of the fort has a square watchtower. The southern wall has a central gate, 5 meters wide, with the inscription “Zhenbian Fort” on the lintel. There is a battlement on the northern part of the western wall. The main gate has been destroyed. The northern wall is relatively well preserved. Most of the eastern, southern, and western walls have collapsed by nearly half, with some sections completely gone. Zhenchuan Fort: Originally named Shuijintou, it was under the jurisdiction of the Beidong Road of Jibei Dao, patrolled by Datong Town. Today, the fort is severely damaged—its bricks have all been stripped, and the rammed earth walls on the west and south sides have been leveled. The east wall is partially collapsed, with only parts of the north wall remaining. Hongci Fort: Also known as Hongsi Fort, it belonged to the Beidong Road of Jibei Dao, patrolled by Datong Town. This fort held a strategically important position, directly affecting the security of Datong Town. Its bricks have long been removed, and the remaining earthen walls are badly damaged, with most of the southern wall flattened. The original brick-arched south gate is now just an open breach. Zhenlu Fort: Originally called Hucun, it was under the jurisdiction of the Beidong Road of Jibei Dao, patrolled by Datong Town. The fort has a square layout with a perimeter of 250 meters. The walls were tall and thick, making it quite majestic in its time. There is a gate on the western side, with a barbican. Although the Five Forts of Datong are situated on flat terrain without natural defenses, if the enemy breached the wall, disaster would inevitably spread to these forts, further threatening the Yungang Grottoes and Datong. Hence, the strategic importance of Zhenlu Fort is extremely high.

Special Tips

Related Information: To the west of the Juyong Pass, the Ming Great Wall splits into northern and southern lines that converge at Pianguan in Shanxi, collectively referred to as the Inner and Outer Great Walls. The Outer Great Wall extends northwest from the Juyong Pass through Chicheng, Chongli, Zhangjiakou, Wanquan, and Huai’an into Datong City’s Tianzhen, Yanggao, Datong, and Zuoyun, following the border between Inner Mongolia and Shanxi to reach Pianguan and Hequ. The Inner Great Wall runs southwest from the Juyong Pass through Yixian in Hebei, Hunyuan, and Fuping, then enters Datong City’s Lingqiu and Hunyuan, continuing through Yingxian, Fanshi, and Shenchi to reach Laoying. The Five Frontier Wall Forts refer to the forts built along the Ming Great Wall in Datong. These Five Forts are divided into Inner Five Forts, Outer Five Forts, and Frontier Five Forts. The commonly referred to “Five Frontier Wall Forts” are the “Inner Five Forts,” namely Zhenbian, Zhenchuan, Hongci, Zhenlu, and Zhenhe Forts, all located north of Datong City.

Address: 8.7 km west of Yanggao County, Datong City

Type: Historical site / Ancient architecture

Recommended visiting time: Suggested duration of 4 hours

Opening hours:

Open all day

Ticket information:

No admission fee.

Transportation

Take a bus from Datong to Yanggao County, then drive about 9 km west along S202

It is located south of Songjiagou Village, on the south side of S202.