Anshan Yibao (Anshan Relay Fort), Liaoning, China
For more information about Anshan City in Liaoning Province, China. Please visit my website: www.abookaboutchina.com/cityguide/Anshan
Though the Great Wall is known to have passed through Liaoning, as far a Dandong city on the border with Korea, little is known of it and few remains can be seen. However, just south of Anshan city in Liaoning, are two fortifications of Ming era which were probably constructed by the Ming around the same time as the wall.
The first building is relatively small. It is a stone tower dating to Wanli 6 or 1587 AD. It was used as a signal tower. It is located at 41° 4'53"N 122°57'51"E, just beside the main road north-south between Haicheng city and Liaoyang city. It is just on the southern edge of modern Anshan city but is about 3.71km north of old Anshan fort. It has a stone foundation on top of which are brick walls with a rammed earth core. It has been recently restored to this full height. Photographs I have found of the tower prior to restoration show the south wall at about half it's current hight and the north side as a pile of rubble. Today the restored tower could be mistaken for new as modern cement pointing and plastic drainage tubes have been added. A slight colour difference can be seen between the new bricks and the old.
The second building, Anshan Chengcun or Anshan Yibao is larger. It is a walled town or fort located at 41° 3'12.02"N 122°56'6.95"E which formed the old city of Anshan. It was originally built of wood and dated to 1387 AD. It was rebuilt in the year Wanli 6 or 1578 AD. This time the walls were fortified as stone outsides filled with rammed earth core. There is a legend of a wooden city magically turning to stone overnight.
The walls form a roughly square town measuring 283 by 290 metres. The walls are 10 metres wide by 8 metres high. On each side there would originally have been a gate. The gate walls measure 13 metres. On top of the gates would have stood timber towers. Most of the walls are still visible but lack their full height. The best preserved is the wall around the south west gate. This section of wall has received some restoration, putting it up to its full original size.
This walled town was a relay station for travellers on the route from Haicheng in the south, to Liaoyang and Shenyang cities in the north. It would also have held a small garrison of soldiers. Within the walled town was a large temple to the Dragon King. One website I read says the temple may date to the Liao dynasty.
During the Boxer rebellions around 1900, the site was a hot bed of Boxer activity. At this time, the cite was burned down. There remains one building in the centre of the town that has burnt timers clearly visible in its framework. The town was never properly rebuilt after this. The site was garrisoned and then damaged during the Russian-Japanese war around 1904. During the 20th century, the modern city of Anshan was constructed just to the North of this site and the old city has been largely forgotten. Even Anshan locals don't know about it.
The positions Anshan Yibao is significant. At this point, the main lines of communication between Haicheng city in the south and Liaoyang city in the north, pass through a narrow gap between two mountains. Diverting east takes you into very mountainous terrain while diverting west takes you wide of your path into the flat plains which marshy. The fort of Anshan Yibao controls this communication route. The modern day highway and railway lines still run through this way. In addition, a river runs through the valley, taking a arced route around the west and north of the town. Anshan Yibao would have controlled the bridge over this river.
This picture above is of the south west gate of Anshan Yibao. This gate has been restored to its original height.
For more information about Anshan City in Liaoning Province, China. Please visit my website: www.abookaboutchina.com/cityguide/Anshan