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Wall very effective against invaders
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Stories of ancient Chinese architecture
Chinese architecture is most famous for the Great Wall, but there is so much more. In a history of more than 5,000 years, Chinese people developed unique architectural philosophies, structures and techniques that are very different from their Western counterparts. While Chinese architectural beauty is a feast for the eyes, the soul of ancient Chinese construction usually lies in the historical stories behind the walls. Shanghai Daily columnist Zhang Ciyun and editor Chen Jie will guide you as you knock on the gate of this ancient kingdom.
Suzhou, located in the Yangtze Delta in east China, has long been reputed as a “paradise on Earth,” not only for its unfailing yearly bumper harvest of rice and fish, but also for its flourishing culture and distinctive architecture.
Talking about the architecture of Suzhou, people usually first think of its black-roof, white-wall folk houses, stone bridges, Buddhist temples and, particularly, its iconic private gardens, which are known for their exquisite designs and graceful styles.
But that’s not all. One gem of ancient Chinese architecture in Suzhou is its city wall, which is undisputable as one of the most sophisticated and best preserved in China.
Like many other ancient city walls still existing in the country today, in its 2,500-year-old history, the Suzhou City Wall has been pulled down and rebuilt several times.
The Suzhou City Wall was first built in 514 BC with rammed earth. With a perimeter of 23.5 kilometers, it had eight land-water gates. It was deemed at the time the most grandiose city wall ever built south of the Yangtze River, the longest river in China.
However, under the rule of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, the Suzhou City Wall was pulled down in a campaign to strengthen the central government’s control of the country.
It was rebuilt in the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220). But it was still built with rammed earth. It was not until AD 922 that it was rebuilt with bricks to beef up its defense.
In addition, several horse-face platforms (called mamian in Chinese) were added to some sections of the wall. The platform, square or semi-circular in shape and projecting outward from the wall, was said to be quite effective in fighting wall attacks. Parapets were built on the top of the walls.
In 1275, the country was invaded by Mongols from the north. The tribal invaders didn’t like walls and they ordered the demolishing of the Suzhou City Wall.
In the latter years of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), Suzhou rebuilt its city wall amid rebellions against Mongol rule. Later, it underwent several major renovations during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. So, most sections of the brick walls and gate towers people see today were built in early years of the Qing Dynasty, but the Pan Gate and the Xu Gate were constructed in the late Yuan Dynasty.
One of the unique characteristics of the Suzhou City Wall is that for 2,500 years, it has kept its original layout and original sites for its eight land-water gates.
Unlike most city walls in the northern part of the country which were nearly all built in a rectangular shape, the Suzhou City Wall is irregular in order to take advantage of its crisscrossing waterways, surrounding hills and other natural defenses.
Another unique characteristic of the Suzhou City Wall is its combination of land and water gates, an extremely sophisticated defense system.
The spectacular Pan Gate is perhaps the best example of the combined land-water city gates. The complicated gates were built in a big “L” shape to improve their defense. The water gate sits to the south of the land gate and consists of a stone sluice gate and a wooden fence gate about 24 meters apart.
It not only could repel invaders arriving on water during war, but also control flooding and facilitate water traffic during peacetime.
The land gate here has an “urn city” built right outside it. The 180-square-meter “urn city” is a fortified enclosure which was designed as a trap for invaders who had breached the outer defense line.
The Pan Gate now standing at the southwest corner of the Suzhou City Wall was rebuilt in 1351.
Today, a museum built inside one section of the ancient city wall displays rare relics and tells about the wall’s 2,500 years history.
Pictorial dictionary
角楼(jiaolou) Turret
Jiaolou are watchtowers usually at the four corners of a city wall in ancient China to help beef up defense. Their styles vary greatly. Some boast a cross-roof ridge, some feature multiple eaves and some have large and complex bracket sets.
The best known jiaolou are the four grandiose towers at the four corners of the Forbidden City in Beijing, first built in 1420 and later revamped during the Qing Dynasty. Seated on xumizuo (须弥座), or a high base with decorated moldings, those turrets stand 27.5 meters tall and feature gable and hip roofs, golden glazed tiles and gilt-bronze roof crowns. Their doors and windows are decorated with exquisite woodcarvings with delicate and graceful patterns.
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