Baimaguan Ancient Town

　　Baimaguan is situated by the ancient Shimen River (now Yuntai River) in the northern part of Kang County, approximately 30 kilometers from the county town. The town is enclosed by stone city walls built along the mountains and overlooking the water, making it one of Kang County’s long-established ancient towns. In the seventh year of the Yongzheng reign during the Qing Dynasty (1729), the direct-administered Jiezhou Prefecture established the Baimaguan Sub-Prefect here. In the first year of the Qianlong reign (1736), it was reorganized as the Baimaguan Branch Prefecture of the direct-administered Jiezhou Prefecture. In the second year of the Republic of China (1913), it was changed again to the Baimaguan Police Station. After Kang County was split off in the 18th year of the Republic of China (1929), the county seat was established at Baimaguan. It is said that in the 14th year of the Republic of China (1925), a temple was built on Yuntai Mountain, attracting a continuous stream of pilgrims throughout the year. The incense offerings were abundant and the site became widely renowned. As a result, Baimaguan was later renamed Yuntai. In May 1944, after the county seat was moved southward to Ankoumen, the area was established as a town and named “Yuntaizhen” (Yuntai Town).

　　Baimaguan Ancient Town was built in the third year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty (1877). The city walls were entirely constructed of stone, with a circumference of 281 zhang (approximately 936 meters), a height of 1.9 zhang (approximately 6.3 meters), and a width of 1.2 zhang (approximately 4 meters). There were four gun emplacements and 428 battlements. Gate towers were built on both the eastern and western sides. The eastern gate was called “Jianguang Gate,” and the western gate was called “Yong’an Gate” (now destroyed). On the northern side, the city walls followed the terrain, ascending and descending over the mountain ridges, being wider at the base and narrower at the top, resembling a hanging bell. Later, a two-story bell and drum tower was built atop the mountain peak. Towering and majestic, it tolled day and night to mark the time, making for a remarkable sight. Outside the eastern gate, over the Malian River, a wooden bridge was constructed in 1920, named the “Zhongshan Bridge.” The bridge stood 4.8 meters high, 4 meters wide, and 12 meters long. Its bridge house was adorned with carved beams and painted rafters, featuring vivid colors, making it an ideal spot for cooling off and resting during summer.

　　The scenery surrounding the town is picturesque and pleasant. The sights described in the “Newly Compiled Chronicles of Kang County,” such as “Evening Glow over Yuntai,” “Moonlit Nights at the Mountain Pass,” “Morning Bell from the Mountain Temple,” “Streams Flowing from Ancient Caves,” “Layered Greenery of Eagle Peak,” and “Snow Accumulation on Anshan,” are all located nearby. The poet Lü Dailin wrote: “Beneath Yuntai Mountain the waters surge and roar; In the evening, the slanting sun exudes grandeur. Scattered homes blur into the ancient temple; Vast forests cradle the fragrant meadow. Residual light shines far west toward the Qin lands; Twilight deepens high toward the North Star. Gazing into the distance, a shepherd boy follows his ox; I mistake his short flute for a fairy’s reed pipe.” It is truly an exquisitely beautiful landscape painting. The Qingbo Stream flows gently from west to east; the Malian River sparkles as it flows from north to south. The two rivers encircle the town and converge at its southeastern corner. Willow trees sway along the banks, and the riverside town reflects in the water, adding even more charm to the ancient settlement.

　　The beautiful Baimaguan Ancient Town holds a glorious revolutionary legacy. On September 19, 1936, three regiments of the Sixth Division of the Right Column of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army, led by Division Commander He Bingyan and Political Commissar Liao Hansheng, arrived here during the Long March. The county battalion and county government fled the town. A portion of the Red Army stayed in the town for a week, mobilizing the masses, conducting propaganda, and establishing the first red revolutionary regime in Kang County—the Provisional Soviet Government of Kang County—planting the seeds of the red revolution.

　　Source: Kang County Tourism Bureau