Zhiding Gate

　　   Zhiding Gate — The north gate is situated on the northern side of Danzhou’s city wall and is named Zhiding Gate, while the gate tower is called Beidi Tower. The four city gates and the wall as a whole were built in the 19th year of the Wanli era (1591 AD) and completed in the 20th year of Wanli. Zhiding Gate is the only remaining ancient Ming Dynasty structure among the four city gates.

　　   During the Ming Dynasty, much of the border area between Guangxi and Guizhou consisted of mountainous terrain, often referred to as barren land, and was predominantly inhabited by ethnic minorities. The region was culturally underdeveloped and economically very backward. Ethnic minorities frequently rose up in rebellion against the oppression of Han officials, taking to the hills and establishing strongholds, leading to constant warfare. After Su Zhaoyang relocated to Danzhou, he had the city wall constructed. This particular gate faces directly north toward the Guangxi-Guizhou border region and was named “Zhiding” (meaning “to bring order”), symbolizing the hope that effective governance would bring peace. In reality, during the Ming, Qing, and Republican periods, the realm was plagued by chaos, the people suffered, and excessive taxes and levies made life unbearable for the ethnic minorities in the mountains — so why wouldn’t they rebel? However, Su’s wish came true more than 300 years after his death — only in the socialist period under the leadership of the Communist Party have the ethnic minorities in these mountainous regions truly achieved peace, stability, unity, and prosperity...

　　   Source: Tourism Bureau of Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County