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Walls grew as the city expanded
By Chen Zhaoxiong and Chen Qianqing |
September 28, 2009, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
IN ancient China, city and county administrative areas had city walls, which served for defence and supervision.
In the 10th year of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) Jiading was authorized as a county and started to build its city wall with four gates one year later. It's recorded that Jiading's city wall was mostly made of earth.
There was no detailed record of Jiading's city wall until 1356 when generals from Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, rebuilt it to hold off enemies.
The wall, which had four gates - north, south, east and west - was 5,268.3 meters in length, 4.67 meters in height and 12.44 meters in width. The enclosed area within the wall was 2.2 square kilometers.
In the Ming Dynasty ()1368-1644), the city wall was reinforced again to defend against Japanese pirates. Till the mid-16th century, the wall was 7,049.13 meters long, 8.09 meters high and 15.55 meters wide. Meanwhile the city expanded to 3.95 square kilometers, which is now the old city in Jiading.
With bricks laid on the outside of the wall, it became much stronger.
Also, four city towers were set up at each gate and 1.2-meter-high low walls were built on top of the wall.
The guards could walk bent along the wall without being seen or attacked by those outside the city.
There were also four water gates set up by the side of the four land gates.
At the water gate on the south stood a temple known as A Tai Temple. Probably it's because the ancient people wanted to seek protection from floods by worshiping the water god inside.
In the 10th year of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) Jiading was authorized as a county and started to build its city wall with four gates one year later. It's recorded that Jiading's city wall was mostly made of earth.
There was no detailed record of Jiading's city wall until 1356 when generals from Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, rebuilt it to hold off enemies.
The wall, which had four gates - north, south, east and west - was 5,268.3 meters in length, 4.67 meters in height and 12.44 meters in width. The enclosed area within the wall was 2.2 square kilometers.
In the Ming Dynasty ()1368-1644), the city wall was reinforced again to defend against Japanese pirates. Till the mid-16th century, the wall was 7,049.13 meters long, 8.09 meters high and 15.55 meters wide. Meanwhile the city expanded to 3.95 square kilometers, which is now the old city in Jiading.
With bricks laid on the outside of the wall, it became much stronger.
Also, four city towers were set up at each gate and 1.2-meter-high low walls were built on top of the wall.
The guards could walk bent along the wall without being seen or attacked by those outside the city.
There were also four water gates set up by the side of the four land gates.
At the water gate on the south stood a temple known as A Tai Temple. Probably it's because the ancient people wanted to seek protection from floods by worshiping the water god inside.
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