Sungang Old Enclosure

Sungang Old Enclosure

Sungang Old Enclosure is a cultural heritage site protected by the Shenzhen Municipal Government.

Sungang Old Enclosure, also known as the Former Site of the Yuanxun, is located in Sungang Village, Luohu District, Shenzhen. It was built in the early Ming Dynasty by the He family of Sungang to commemorate their ancestor, the renowned Lingnan scholar He Zhen. The structure has a square layout, measuring 68 meters from east to west and 63.5 meters from north to south, with watchtowers at each of its four corners. A 5-meter-high, 2-meter-thick wall connects the watchtowers. Inside the enclosure, there are three longitudinal lanes, six transverse lanes, a total of 140 rooms, and three wells. The entire enclosed compound is a grand and imposing architectural complex. The outer wall of the southern gate is built with granite, and the stone plaque above the gate is inscribed with the four large characters “Former Site of the Yuanxun.” Currently, parts of the watchtowers have collapsed, and the houses inside the enclosure have undergone multiple renovations over the years.

He Zhen (1322–1388), originally from Yuantoushan Village in Dongguan, fled here during the Yuan Dynasty due to conflict with Wang Cheng and later prospered in the area. In the late Yuan and early Ming Dynasties, He Zhen raised the banner of righteousness in Lingnan and pledged allegiance to the Ming, for which he was granted the title of Marquis of Dongguan. He settled here with his mother, second son, and fifth son, establishing the land and founding Sungang Village, symbolizing hopes that future generations would thrive and multiply like bamboo shoots. His great-grandson, He Yunlin, built this enclosed compound in memory of his great-great-grandfather He Zhen, and surrounded it with a moat, naming it the Former Site of the Yuanxun.

In 1988, the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government designated it as a cultural heritage protection site.