Kaifeng ancient city wall

Kaifeng ancient city wall is 14.4 km long, one of the historical sites of Kaifeng. The existing wall still maintains the architectural style and scale of yuan and Ming Dynasties. In order to maintain the overall style of Kaifeng, a famous historical and cultural city, the local government began to renovate the ancient city wall in 1994. According to the planning of the cultural relics protection department, several gates have been restored one after another.

Kaifeng city wall

synonym

Kaifeng ancient city wall generally refers to Kaifeng city wall

Kaifeng city wall, the Qing Dynasty Kaifeng city wall, is located in Kaifeng City, Henan Province. On November 20, 1996, it was announced by the State Council as the fourth batch of national key cultural relics protection units. It is also a national 4A scenic spot

With a total length of 14.4 kilometers, Kaifeng city wall is the second largest ancient city wall building in China, next only to Nanjing city wall.

After the war and the flood of the Yellow River, there are now five layers of ancient city walls under the city wall. Although it has been restored in many dynasties, its scale, pattern and even important coordinates have not changed.

In order to maintain the overall style of Kaifeng, a famous historical and cultural city, the local government began to renovate the city wall in 1994. According to the planning of the cultural relics protection department, three gates, namely the west gate (Daliang gate), the north gate (Anyuan gate) and the small South Gate (New Gate), have been restored. Soon, the government will build Cao gate (Renhe gate), song gate (Lijing gate), Da Nan gate (Nanxun gate), etc.

Historical evolution

the Warring States period

The earliest city wall in the history of Kaifeng was built more than 2300 years ago in Daliang City, the capital of Wei Dynasty in the Warring States period. It is partly coincident with the present city wall and slightly northwest. In 365 BC, in order to control the Central Plains, King Hui of Wei moved the capital from Anyi (Xia County, Shanxi Province) to this place and built a Daliang city.

the tang dynasty

In 781 A.D., Li Mian, who was the governor of Yongping army and the governor of bianzhou, rebuilt bianzhou city in the northern and Southern Dynasties, which is the beginning of the history of Kaifeng city wall. According to Beidao Corrigendum and other documents, after the expansion of bianzhou City, there are 20 Li 155 steps around, there are seven gates, which enclose the Bianhe River into the city. The rebuilt bianzhou city actually laid the foundation of Kaifeng city wall.

Song dynasty

In 960 ad, Kaifeng, the capital of the Song Dynasty, was historically known as the east capital. After 168 years of nine dynasties, it formed a grand city with three cities: the outer city, the inner city and the imperial city. Kaifeng city wall, as one of the most important parts of Tokyo City (Imperial City, inner city and outer city), has been built continuously. Its scale is magnificent. According to historical records: in the late Northern Song Dynasty, the outer city of Tokyo had a circumference of 50 Li and 165 steps, a height of 4 Zhang, a width of 5 Zhang and 9 feet, and a resident population of more than 1.5 million. Through the Jin, yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, Kaifeng City experienced several wars and floods, and its name gradually disappeared in history.

Jin Dynasty

After the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty, the capital of Jin Dynasty was moved to Bianjing. Wanyanyu, Emperor Xuanzong of Jin Dynasty, expanded Kaifeng City to the north and south respectively, which made the inner city of Northern Song Dynasty expand 350 meters to the south to the area of today's dananmen, and 750 meters to the north to the north, the northern section of Kaifeng city wall. The scale of Kaifeng city wall was determined by the expansion of Tokyo inner city by Jin people.

In 1842, the Kaifeng city wall was rebuilt. Compared with the Qing City Wall in the first year of Kangxi, the gate of the rebuilt city wall was increased by more than Zhang. The height of the city wall was increased to 8 meters, and the width was increased to 5 meters. The perimeter was increased from 20 Li and 190 steps to 14.4 kilometers. The green brick structure is similar to the inner city of Tokyo. Although not as grand as the capital of Song Dynasty, it is still the second largest city wall site in China after Nanjing city wall of Ming Dynasty.

Ming and Qing Dynasties

Kaifeng ancient city has been inundated many times in history. In the first year of Hongwu (1368), Emperor Taizu of Ming Dynasty, Kaifeng city wall was rebuilt and the earth city was changed into a brick city. The perimeter of the city wall is 20 Li and 190 steps, with a height of 3.5 feet and a width of 2.1 feet.

In 1662, the first year of the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, the Kaifeng city wall was rebuilt on the basis of the Kaifeng city wall of the Ming Dynasty, with five gates, "built as old.". The perimeter of the city wall is 20 Li, 190 steps, 3 Zhang 5 feet high and 2 Zhang 1 feet wide, just like the Ming Dynasty.

In 1842, the Kaifeng city wall was rebuilt, which took one and a half years to complete. Compared with the Qing ancient city wall built in the first year of Kangxi, the perimeter of the rebuilt city wall was increased from 20 Li and 190 steps to the present situation. The city wall was heightened and thickened, and the gate was more than Zhang.

modern

For hundreds of years, Kaifeng city wall has experienced floods and wars. After the renovation, the ruins of the past are no longer visible, and the magnificent scene in history has been preliminarily reappeared. In 1997, Kaifeng mobilized people from all walks of life to repair the ancient city wall. In just a few months, more than 1 million yuan was raised. In less than one year, its landmark project, Daliangmen, stood at the western end of the city wall. In the following time, the municipal government raised funds to repair the Anyuan gate (North Gate) and the new gate (small South Gate). After the restoration, Kaifeng City Wall will be displayed in a more perfect image in front of the world.

In the second year of Tang Jianzhong (781 AD), Daliangmen, commonly known as Ximen, was built. In the early Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang was promoted to Kaifeng as Beijing, the capital of the Ming Dynasty, and changed the west gate to Daliangmen. Today, Daliangmen was rebuilt in 1998. It is the only gate rebuilt in Kaifeng City, and has become an important symbol of the ancient capital. The gate base adopts the blue brick structure, with three arched openings. The tower adopts the double eaves Xieshan architectural style, with carved beams and colored drawings. It is simple, elegant and magnificent. In the north of the city gate, the multi-storey ancient city horse road has been proved, which provides another important evidence for Kaifeng's unique history of city stacks. Now it has been opened as an ancient city wall Museum.

Nowadays, all the surrounding areas of Kaifeng city wall are planned to be a green park around the city. Every day, citizens of the ancient city come to the park for various folk activities, such as running, diabolo shaking, Henan opera, ballroom dancing, top of the Northern Song Dynasty.

In 2014, Kaifeng city wall was included in the world heritage application project of "city wall of Ming and Qing Dynasties in China".

Traffic information

Take bus No.11, 13, 18, 21, 30, 31, 34, 37 and get off at Daliangmen station.

Wall disturbance

In order to solve the problem of entering and leaving Kaifeng city wall from the west, ease the traffic pressure of Daliang Road, the main road between the East and the west, especially the traffic congestion in the scenic area, Kaifeng Municipal government plans to build a main road through the north section of the city wall in the West from 2007. Because the project involves passing through the existing ancient city wall, the project has aroused extensive discussion from all walks of life. In local forums, there have even been "through the wall faction" and "wall protection faction". Opinions on various non-governmental programs emerge in an endless stream.

Finally, in 2010, the local government formulated the construction plan of the road sinking through the wall, and the road (Jinyao Road) was completed and opened to traffic that year.

Address: Kaifeng City, Henan Province

Longitude: 114.334005

Latitude: 34.801277

Traffic information: take bus No.11, 13, 18, 21, 30, 31, 34, 37 and get off at Daliangmen station

Chinese PinYin : Kai Feng Gu Cheng Qiang