Yanzhou City Mountain Fortress

Yanzhou City Mountain Fortress

Yanzhou City Mountain Fortress is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Era: Han to Tang

Yanzhou City Mountain Fortress is situated on Shicheng Mountain, east of Chengmenkou Village, Xidayaoyao Town, Dengta City, Liaoyang, Liaoning Province. It was constructed in the early 4th century when Goguryeo occupied Liaodong. Also known as Goguryeo’s Baiyan City, it was renamed Yanzhou City during the Tang Dynasty and is commonly called Yanzhou City. At the highest point within the fortress stands a square command platform, commonly referred to as the General Pointing Platform, which is about 8 meters high and surrounded by walls, forming the inner city. From the platform, views of the scenery both inside and outside the fortress can be fully appreciated. The construction materials for the mountain fortress were sourced locally, predominantly using blue “wedge-shaped stones.” The stones were all finished with an axe, and the masonry is fine—large heads face outward while pointed ends face inward, with stone slabs used horizontally to reinforce the core of the wall.

In May 2013, it was designated and announced by the State Council as part of the seventh batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units