Ruins of the Ancient Fortress of Yaksa

　　Gucheng Island is located in the Heilongjiang River, 4 kilometers north of Xing'an Town, Mohe County. It is the second largest island in the Heilongjiang River, situated 50 meters from the Chinese shore and 350 meters from the Russian shore. The opposite bank of the island is the city of Yaksa, which is now Albazin in Russia. During the Battle of Yaksa, Qing troops built an earthen fort and military camps on the island and set up their command post, making it the bridgehead for reclaiming Yaksa. The name “Gucheng” (Ancient City) comes from this earthen fort.

　　In September 1650, as the Qing troops entered the Pass, Tsarist Russia took the opportunity to invade China’s Heilongjiang River basin and forcibly occupied Nerchinsk and Yaksa. The Daur people living in the Yaksa stronghold chose death over submission, resisting the enemy with spears and javelins. The Russian army massacred the stronghold, killing 661 Daur people, capturing 360, and sparing only 15. The Russians occupied Yaksa, built a fortress, and engaged in widespread burning, killing, and looting. The Chinese people in the Heilongjiang River basin called the Russian invaders “Luocha,” meaning “demons.”

　　The Qing government repeatedly demanded that the Russian invaders withdraw from China, but the Russian government ignored these demands and continued to reinforce Yaksa with troops, intensifying its military expansion. To defend the sacred territory of the motherland, Emperor Kangxi, after suppressing the “Rebellion of the Three Feudatories,” inspected the northeastern defenses in the spring of 1682. He ordered Ming'ai, Vice Minister of the Lifan Yuan, to establish postal relay stations between Mergen (Nenjiang) and Yaksa, with 25 stations reaching present-day Xing'an Town. In February 1685, Emperor Kangxi commanded General Peng Chun and Lieutenant General Lang Tan to lead a team with red-barreled cannons and hundreds of shield-bearing soldiers to rush to Aihui to join forces with General Sabsu of Heilongjiang. Then, 3,000 Qing troops advanced by land and water straight to Yaksa, setting up their command post on Gucheng Island. On June 23, Peng Chun delivered a surrender notice written in Manchu, Russian, and Polish to prisoners of war, who carried it into Yaksa. The Russian invaders, confident in their strong fortifications, ignored Peng Chun’s warning. On June 25, Peng Chun ordered artillery fire on Yaksa. The thunderous sound shook the earth, flames lit up the sky, and under intense pressure, the Russian invaders retreated into the fortress, trapped in a passive position. Meanwhile, the shield-bearing soldiers’ ships densely populated the river, fiercely engaging with Russian reinforcements from upstream and fleeing troops, dyeing the river red with blood. After fierce fighting, the Russian invaders suffered heavy casualties and had no choice but to send envoys to the Qing camp to beg for surrender. Tolbusin led over 600 men back to Nerchinsk. The Qing troops reclaimed Yaksa, burned down the fortress, and then withdrew to Aihui and other areas.

　　In August 1685, learning that the Qing troops had withdrawn, Tolbusin led reinforcements to reoccupy Yaksa, rebuilding artillery positions, armories, and defensive structures, aiming to hold the city permanently. In February 1686, Sabsu prepared to drive out the invaders again. On Gucheng Island, they “dug long trenches and built earthen ramparts” to besiege the enemy. In July, Sabsu led a large force to Yaksa, bombarding the enemy camp inside the city with heavy artillery and beginning the assault. Tolbusin was killed by a cannonball. The Qing troops then dug trenches around the city to cut off its water supply. The Russian troops, trapped in the isolated city, were exhausted and lost their fighting capability. Of the 800-man garrison, only 66 survived and had to surrender. China achieved a complete victory in the Yaksa Self-Defense Counterattack.

　　When news of the defeat at Yaksa reached Moscow, the Russian regent, Princess Sophia, was forced to send special envoys to Beijing to deliver a letter to the Qing government, requesting a ceasefire and expressing willingness to resolve the border issue through negotiations. In September 1689, representatives from China and Russia negotiated in Nerchinsk and signed the Treaty of Nerchinsk.

　　On May 28, 1858, General Yishan of Heilongjiang and Russian Governor Muravyov signed the Treaty of Aihui, ceding a vast area of Chinese territory north of the Heilongjiang River and south of the Outer Xing'an Mountains to Russia. From then on, Yaksa was renamed Albazin, setting a criminal precedent for Russia’s further plunder of Chinese territory.

　　Today, Gucheng Island covers 15 square kilometers, and traces of the ancient fortress and artillery positions can still be found on the island. Before 1964, the Emuer Commune was stationed on the island, later becoming Gucheng Village, with most of the land cultivated for farming. In the spring flood of 1985, an ice jam disaster occurred, and villagers relocated inland. Only a two-story building remains in the center of the island, standing guard over the green fields. The shoreline is covered with trees and shrubs, ancient trees interconnected, standing tall like guardian soldiers. The shimmering river water embraces the island and flows slowly into the distant valley, its roaring sounds seemingly echoing the thunder of ancient battlefields.