Nantou Ancient City Wall

Nantou Ancient City Wall

The Nantou Ancient City Wall is a cultural relic protection unit of Guangdong Province and a patriotic education base.

Nantou Ancient City is located at No. 3109 Nanshan Avenue, Nanshan District, Shenzhen. It is the oldest city in Shenzhen, now referred to as the "Xin'an Ancient City" and commonly known as "Jiujie" (Nine Streets). Historically, it served as the administrative center, coastal defense fortress, and hub for maritime transport and foreign trade in the Lingnan coastal regions through the dynasties, and is also the historical origin of the Greater Bay Area including Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Macau.

According to the Xin'an County Annals and archaeological research, the existing Nantou Ancient City was originally built in the 27th year of the Hongwu reign during the Ming Dynasty (1394), initially serving as the garrison town of the Dongguan Guard Command (for its historical evolution, see the "Chronology of Events"). The ancient city has an irregular rectangular layout, backed by mountains and facing the sea. Originally, it was surrounded by moats, with the city wall extending 680 meters at its longest from east to west and 500 meters at its widest from north to south. Today, a section of the northern wall remains, though in uneven and fragmented condition. The north gate and west gate have been destroyed, while the east gate still exists but has been rebuilt with stone. Only the south gate remains well-preserved.

Inside Nantou Ancient City, a road network of six vertical and one horizontal thoroughfares blends seamlessly with the natural terrain. There are nine streets: Xianqian Street, Xianning Street, Yongying Street, Juxiu Street, Heyang Street, Ying'en Street, Wutong Street, Pailou Street, and Xin Street—hence the local folk name “Jiujie” (Nine Streets).

On July 17, 2002, the Nantou Ancient City Wall was included in the fourth batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units.

Address: No. 2 Nantou Battle Ground, Nanshan District, Shenzhen (within Nantou Ancient City)

Type: Museum

Recommended visiting time: 1–2 hours

Phone: 0755-26611170

Admission: Free entry.

Further reading:

· Fourth Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units