The Ancient Ming Dynasty City of Sanhe

The Ancient Ming Dynasty City of Sanhe

The Ancient Ming Dynasty City of Sanhe is located at the source of the Han River, where the Meijiang, Tingjiang, and Meitan rivers converge. It was built in the 42nd year of the Jiajing reign during the Ming Dynasty (1563). The city is constructed of brick and stone, with walls stretching 1,547 meters in length, 4.5 meters in height, 2.4 meters wide at the top, and 3.3 meters wide at the base. The entire wall features 918 crenels and four gates. Prior to restoration, only the South Gate “Xuanhe Gate,” the West Gate “Zhenning Gate,” and nearly 600 meters of the remaining wall were left. During the Song Dynasty, a temporary palace was established here along with a Prince’s Hall, serving as a command center in the fight against the Yuan Dynasty. In the Ming Dynasty, the site hosted a town, military defenses, a postal relay station, and a patrol inspection office. In the early Qing Dynasty, a general’s residence was set up, and Wu Lugui, the General of Raoping, once stationed troops here. In 1918, when Sun Yat-sen visited the Ancient City of Sanhe to discuss aid for Fujian and the protection of the constitution, he stayed at Yusun Tower within the city.