Jinbianhao

Jinbianhao

Jinbianhao

In the 1980s and 1990s, people referred to the Jin Dynasty military defense project located in Chengjisihan Town, Zhalantun City, Inner Mongolia as Jinbianhao. In the 1920s, it was also called the Golden Great Wall. In short, it had different names in different historical periods. It was once also known as Jinbianbao (Golden Border Fortress) or Haogian (Trenches), among others. Historically, it was called Tai Zhou Bianhao or Changchun Bianbao. Some historical records also refer to it as the Genghis Khan Border Wall (Border Fortress, Border Trench). As you can imagine, this famous Jin Dynasty military defense project—the Golden Great Wall—attracted the exploration and fascination of many scholars both then and now. Through multiple excavations and research by domestic archaeologists, it has been confirmed as an important military defensive project of the Jin Dynasty. The reason for its construction was that at that time, in the Songhua River basin within what is now Heilongjiang Province, there was a branch of the Jurchen people led by Wanyan Aguda. This Jurchen group lived in the Songhua River basin, an area rich in forests, grasslands, and farmland—suitable for hunting, animal husbandry, and farming alike. With a mild climate, fertile soil, abundant water sources, and high-quality grass, it was an exceptionally well-suited place to live. Thanks to favorable timing, geographic advantages, and unity among the people, the Jurchen gradually grew powerful. In 1115 AD, they established their capital in Acheng, Heilongjiang Province, naming it "Huining," and their state was called the Jin.

In 1121 AD, the Mongols rose to power—what would later become the Yuan Dynasty—and faced with the already rising Jin, launched full-scale warfare, sending troops to attack the Jin multiple times. To defend against foreign invasion, the Jin organized manpower to construct the "border trench" military defense project. At the time, this defensive project was called the "Boundary Trench." Construction of this "Boundary Trench" began in 1138 AD (during the Tianjuan era of Emperor Xizong of Jin) and was completed in 1198 AD, taking a total of 60 years.

The eastern starting point of the northeastern section of Jinbianhao is located at Qianhou 7 Jiazi, 8 kilometers north of Nierji in the Morin Dawa Daur Autonomous Banner, on the western bank of the Nen River. From there, it extends southwest into Arong Banner, then enters Dahev Town, Zhalantun City via Xiangyuyi Township in Arong Banner. It connects four townships and four towns within Zhalantun City, spanning a total length of 140 kilometers within the city. South of Haduhe Township, it enters Jalaid Banner in the Xing'an League at the 75-kilometer mark, continuing all the way to the Hetao region in western Inner Mongolia—a total length of over 5,000 kilometers. Today, the Golden Great Wall serves as the boundary line between Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Heilongjiang Province.

The section of the "Boundary Trench" within Zhalantun City is the eastern starting portion of the Golden Great Wall. It consists entirely of a single wall with a single trench. Most of the wall has been buried under sand and grass, with remnants generally standing 2 meters high, reaching up to about 8 meters at the highest points. About 15–20 meters outside the wall lies the trench, varying in width from 2 to 6 meters and in depth from 3 to 4 meters. Approximately every 10 kilometers along the wall, there is a military fortress (Rongbao) constructed from rammed earth and wooden planks, with a perimeter of 180 meters and a square shape resembling a small city wall (the main buildings no longer exist). Each fortress has two gateways and crenellated battlements (arrow slits), with a largely similar layout.

The ruins of a Jin Great Wall fortress located 10 kilometers south of Chengjisihan Town in Zhalantun City are relatively well-preserved, with its scale and outline still faintly visible. Several Jin Dynasty artifacts, such as pottery fragments and arrowheads, have been unearthed here. On June 25, 2001, the State Council designated the entire Jin Great Wall as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. Today, the section of the Jin Great Wall in Chengjisihan Town, Zhalantun City, is the best preserved and most suitable for sightseeing.