The Site Park of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom’s Feudal Lord Titles and System Establishment

　　The place where the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom conferred feudal lord titles at the founding of the kingdom is located on Yong’an New Street in the county town, adjacent to the County People’s Government. It is an important historical site of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom revolution and has now been developed into a cultural park. The park features the ancient city wall of Yong’an Prefecture, the Temple of War, ancient magnolia trees, the ancient dry well pit, the Stele Corridor of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Edicts, and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Relics Exhibition Hall. Outside the city, there are also the East and West Gun Batteries, the Long Wall, and the former command post of Feng Yunshan, the South King. Among them, the western city wall, the Temple of War, and Feng Yunshan’s command post were all designated as national key cultural relics protection units on June 10, 2006.

　　The Site Park of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom’s Feudal Lord Titles and System Establishment is located on Yong’an New Street in Mengshan County Town. During the Ming Dynasty in the 13th year of the Chenghua era, Mengshan County was once called Yong’an Prefecture. The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom revolution lasted for 20 years and spread across 18 provinces, representing the pinnacle of peasant warfare in Chinese history.

　　In the first year of the Xianfeng reign of the Qing Dynasty (1851), the sensational Taiping Heavenly Kingdom peasant revolution broke out in Jintian Village, Guiping. On September 25 (the first day of the intercalary eighth lunar month), it captured Yong’an Prefecture (today’s county town) and stayed there for over half a year. Here, under the leadership of Hong Xiuquan, the Taiping Army conferred feudal lord titles and established a governing system, carrying out a series of political constructions; they promulgated the Taiping Calendar, published new books, carefully organized defenses, and repelled frequent military sieges by Qing forces, smashing the Qing army’s tight economic blockade. This laid the foundation for advancing into the south and establishing their capital in Jinling (Nanjing), writing an immortal chapter in the history of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom revolution.

　　Mengshan is the cradle of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom revolution and its first capital. Today, Mengshan County still preserves 26 historical sites and over 1,500 relics related to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. The park also retains sites such as the ancient city wall of Yong’an Prefecture, the Temple of War, ancient magnolia trees, the Stele Corridor of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Edicts, as well as the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Relics Exhibition Hall. Outside the city, there are also the East and West Gun Batteries and the former headquarters of South King Feng Yunshan.