Protecting Jiading since ancient times, the city walls have many stories to tell
Print Edition
IN ancient times, city walls were built in China as fortifications to defend against enemies and also act as a boundary between two administrative areas.
The old city wall in Jiading dates back to the Jiading Period of the Song Dynasty (960-1219) and was first built as an earth wall.
After 100 years, the wall decayed and needed repair. In 1358, official Lu Zhen renovated the wall with bricks and stones, and widened the moat to protect the city. Three water gates were built on its east, west and south sides.
The east-west Lianqi River and north-south Hengli River ran through the city and formed a cross, while the circular moat formed a ring. Local people called them shi zi jia huan, which means “a cross and a ring.”
In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Japanese pirates repeatedly harassed China’s coastal cities. To keep the invaders away, official Wang Yingpeng ordered locals to renovate the city wall in 1536 and add a new water gate on the north side.
In 1553, pirates attacked the city again and county governor Wan Siqian’s army defeated the enemies. After the battle, Wan led locals to reinforce the wall.
Under the supervision of the government, workers took only five months to build the battlements on the wall. They also lengthened the circumference to 7.55 kilometers, heightened it to 8.33 meters and made it 16.66 meters wide.
After Yang Dan took over as the governor the following year, he continued to strengthen the city wall. He ordered the building of 2,369 new battlements on the wall and heightened them all the battlements by 1.33 meters. A total of 16 observatories were built on four sides of the wall; the east and west water gates were widened; three yuechengs, semi-circular enclosures between the outer and inner city, were renovated and a new one was built on the east; an embankment was built with stones to hold back water of the moat; the wall gates were all wrapped up with iron; and the moat was lengthened to 7.797 kilometers and deepened to 3.33 meters.
It was rare to see such a strong and spectacular city wall at a small county like Jiading in Yangtze River Delta region at that time.
As a result, the county succeeded in defending itself from invasions for many years. Locals and their descendants spoke highly of the efforts made by county governors Wan and Yang and they have been honored for generations.
In 1590, county governor Xiong Mi built a new water gate named Huilongguan and a clock tower on the southeast of the southern water gate. Located between Liuhe River and Wusong River, Jiading was affected greatly by the tide of the rivers and used Huilongguan and the southern water gate alternatively.
In 1602, county governor Han Jun closed Huilongguan and opened the southern water gate to let Hengli River flow faster into the moat. The act last for about 60 years until Liuhe River and Wusong River were silted up at the beginning of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). County governor Lu Qiling reopened Huilongguan, closed the southern water gate and dredged the waterways, trying to solve the silting problem.
In 1684, governor Wen Zaishang closed Huilongguan and opened the southern water gate to pursue good fortune and avoid disasters according to the principles of feng shui.
Seven years later, governor Feng Han demolished Huilongguan and drew an end to its mission.
In May of 1928, the county finished reconstruction of the suspension bridge. The following month, a proposal was approved by the government to remove the yuechengs. Since then, four yuechengs were removed one after another, making it convenient for residents to pass through the wall.
In the 1950s and 1960s, most of the walls were pulled down to make room for an official meeting and activity center, a storehouse and Jiading No. 1 high school. Only the moat, two water gates, segments of the old city wall near the southern avenue and western water gates remain today.
Mounds, which are ruins of the old city wall, can be found in town.
The site of the northern watergate built in the Ming Dynasty was found on the north side of Hengli River in July 2009, during a reconstruction project of the city’s pumps and water gates. Porcelain items from the Jiajing Period (1522—1566 ) of Ming Dynasty were unearthed at the site.
Today, the wall is a free scenic attraction with parks built for recreation.
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