General's Office of Suiyuan City

General's Office of Suiyuan City

The General's Office of Suiyuan City is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

The Suiyuan City Wall and General's Office are located in the center of Xincheng District, Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Suiyuan City was a garrison town built for the Qing Dynasty’s Manchu Eight Banners army and served as the headquarters of the Suiyuan General. It has historically been the seat of a prefectural or provincial government, commonly known as "New City." Commissioned in the 13th year of Emperor Yongzheng’s reign (1735) under the decree of imperial envoy Tong Zhi, construction began in the 2nd year of Emperor Qianlong’s reign (1737) and was completed in the 4th year (1739). The city features a grid-like street layout with a central drum tower. Its walls were fully equipped for defense and structurally intact. Today, only 671 meters of the northeastern section of the wall remain, as the rest was demolished in the 1950s. The original General's Office still stands at the heart of the ancient Suiyuan City. Suiyuan City lies against green mountains and faces the Heihe River, surrounded by lush water and grasslands. Together with Guihua City, it formed a strategic stronghold, earning the nickname “Lock and Key of the North.”

The General's Office was completed in the 4th year of Qianlong’s reign (1739). During the Qing Dynasty, 67 generals served here. It was the administrative body governing the Suiyuan City Eight Banners Garrison, the Tumote Banner of Guihua City, the Ulanqab League, the Ikh Juu League, and overseeing the Green Standard Army troops stationed in Xuanda and Datong.

The office building follows a strict and symmetrical architectural style, built to the specifications befitting a top-ranking provincial governor. Constructed mainly of brick and wood, it covers an area of about 30,000 square meters with a total of 132 rooms. In front of the gate is a grand screen wall inscribed with the plaque “Shielding the Northern Frontier.” A pair of stone lions stand on either side of the entrance. The interior of the main gate consists of three courtyards: the front section served as official offices, while the rear section was the residential quarters. To enter the main gate, one must pass through the ceremonial gate—consisting of three doors—with the central one used only for formal processions and usually kept closed, while everyday access was through the side doors. Directly north of the ceremonial gate lies the main hall, which functioned as the decision-making and council center. On the east and west sides are corridors and side rooms used as offices for officials. The second courtyard features a three-room entrance hall in the center, with three side rooms on each side, also serving as offices. The third courtyard houses the general’s residence, built on a raised platform in the center, flanked by three side rooms on each side. Corridors connect the residence and the side rooms. To the east of the main hall is a garden with pavilions; to the southeast is a stable; and to the southwest of the main hall is a guardhouse for stationed soldiers. The office has undergone multiple renovations and has changed significantly over time. Restoration efforts in recent years have aimed to revive its original appearance as much as possible. Inside, there are restored displays of the General’s Office in operation and an overview of the history of the Manchu people in Suiyuan City.

In May 2006, the Suiyuan City Wall and General's Office, as historical architecture from the Qing Dynasty, were approved by the State Council to be included in the sixth group of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level.

The construction of the General's Office of Suiyuan City was a product of the Qing Dynasty’s efforts to stabilize its northwestern frontier and enforce political and military control over Mongolia north and south of the Gobi Desert. In the 13th year of Emperor Yongzheng’s reign (1735), the Qing court selected a site five li northeast of Guihua City (now the old city of Hohhot) to relocate and station troops from Youwei City.

Large-scale construction began in the 2nd year of Emperor Qianlong’s reign and was completed in the 4th year (1739), when the Qing court bestowed the name “Suiyuan City.” After the liberation, the office served as the administrative center for both the Suiyuan Provincial People’s Government and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region People’s Government, with a single leader presiding over both. On May 25, 2006, the General's Office and the Suiyuan City Wall were jointly announced as part of the sixth group of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level.

The General's Office of Suiyuan City, as the highest authority overseeing the Manchu, Mongol, and Han Eight Banners garrisons in Suiyuan and commanding northwest military and political affairs, was completed at the same time as Suiyuan City. The Suiyuan General stationed here, known as the “General Who Establishes Might,” wielded extensive power. In addition to commanding the Eight Banners garrison troops in Suiyuan and managing the Mongolian nobility and populace of the western two leagues of Inner Mongolia (Ikh Juu League and Ulanqab League), the General had the authority to dispatch troops from the Xuanda and Datong Garrisons (under the command of regional military commanders) and oversee border defense offices and districts during wartime. As a first-rank provincial governor of the Qing court, the Suiyuan General served here as a national military commander.

From February of the 2nd year of Qianlong’s reign, when General Wang Chang, the “General Who Establishes Might” stationed in Shanxi’s Youwei, was relocated to Suiyuan City by imperial decree, until the last general of the late Qing Dynasty’s Xuantong era, a total of 78 officially appointed Suiyuan Generals served here for 247 years. The structure and function of the General's Office remained unchanged throughout this period—as reflected by the inscription “Shielding the Northern Frontier” on the large screen wall erected in the 16th year of Emperor Guangxu’s reign (1890) by General Ke Meng’e.

In the 1st year of the Republic of China, Zhang Shaozeng, a Beiyang Army officer and commander of the 20th Division, was appointed as the Suiyuan General and continued to reside in the office. In the 3rd year of the Republic (1914), the title of General was changed to Military Governor, and the office was renamed the “Military Governor’s Office.” In the 17th year of the Republic (1928), the office was occupied by a “Provisional District Government.” In the 18th year (1929), Suiyuan Province was established, and the office became the Suiyuan Provincial Government.

In October 1937, under the support of the Japanese Empire, the puppet “Mongol United Autonomous Government” assembled by Prince De occupied Suiyuan. The office was briefly taken over by the puppet regime’s “Bayannur League Office,” and later by the puppet “Mengjiang United Autonomous Government.” After 1945, the Suiyuan Provincial Government returned to the office once again.

Further Reading:

· China National Second-Class Museum