Reminiscing the Southern Great Wall
In Fenghuang, many historical sites are worth a visit. In April 2000, Professor Luo Zhewen, vice president of the China Great Wall Society, announced the discovery of the "China Southern Great Wall," a new attraction popular with tourists. According to the survey by Professor Luo and his team, well-preserved remains of the Southern Great Wall still exist in the Miao territories around Fenghuang, including one ancient city...
This article is compiled from the original travel notes on the "Zhangjiajie Tour Guide Network" (33519.com); it is a record of trips from earlier years. Time-sensitive information such as ticket prices, schedules, and accommodation prices is subject to the latest announcements from scenic areas and transportation authorities; the itinerary ideas and attraction introductions still have reference value.
In Fenghuang, there are many historical sites worth seeing. In April 2000, the 'China Southern Great Wall,' announced as discovered by Professor Luo Zhewen, vice president of the China Great Wall Society, is a new attraction that tourists love to visit.
According to the investigation by Professor Luo Zhewen and his team, it is determined that the well-preserved China Southern Great Wall ruins in the Miao region around Fenghuang currently include 1 ancient city, 2 ancient city sites, 10 ancient castles, 130 garrison forts, 47 blockhouses, 311 watchtowers, 1 gate, 4 camp villages, and 13,185 meters of earth and stone border walls. According to the 'Miao Border Defense Overview,' the Southern Great Wall was built during the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty, and its initiator was Cai Fuyi, the Huguang Assistant Administrator. Before this, the Hunan-Guizhou border area had seen multiple Miao uprisings, each of which was quelled only after the court sent large armies. After Cai Fuyi became Huguang Assistant Administrator, he went deep into the Miao region to investigate and drew a complete map of the strategic points of the Miao territory. He submitted a memorial to the court, suggesting the construction of earthen border walls to guard against and strengthen the blockade of the Miao people. After Emperor Wanli saw this report, he made a red-ink mark and allocated 40,000 taels of silver from the treasury, and the border wall in the Miao region was quickly built. According to the design, the starting point of the border wall was chosen at Tingziguan at the junction of Fenghuang and Tongren. This location is on the Hunan-Guizhou border, with high terrain, offering a clear view of the Miao lands in Guizhou and Hunan, making it easy to defend. The border wall started from here, connected to Huocaoling, then passed through Wuzhai Si, Ganziping Si, Qianzhou, and ended at Xique Camp of Zhenxi Qianhu Suo, with a total length of about 180 kilometers. The wall was mostly built of earth, with stone walls only where near rocks.
After the Fenghuang border wall was completed, there were no major wars on the border for several decades. But by the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty, two large-scale Miao uprisings broke out within 20 years. The Qing court sent troops to carry out brutal suppression, and the rebellions gradually subsided. Then, during the Qianlong and Jiaqing reigns, an even larger Miao uprising broke out in the Fenghuang and Qianzhou area. Miao leaders Shi Liudeng, Shi Sanbao, Wu Bayue, Wu Tianban, Wu Tingli, and others led their troops in battle, annihilating large numbers of Qing soldiers and successively capturing Qianzhou, Pushi, Luxi, Guzhang, and other places. The court mobilized over 100,000 troops from seven provinces to suppress the uprising before it was quelled. Afterwards, the Qing court appointed Fu Nai as the Tongzhi of Fenghuang Ting and 'Minister in Charge of Miao Border Affairs.' Upon taking office, Fu Nai focused on three major tasks: training militia, military farming, and border repair. The border repair involved rebuilding the original Ming Dynasty border wall that had been destroyed by the rebel army, using stone blocks throughout, and strengthening the border with blockhouses, camps, and castles, so that this ancient border wall once again stretched across the mountains and ridges of the Miao region. According to the plans of Fu Nai and others, building this border wall could defend against the Miao and permanently secure the Qing Dynasty's foundation. But historical development always goes against people's will. Consider that Qin Shi Huang built the Great Wall, which was much larger and longer than this Southern Great Wall, yet before the Great Wall was even completed, Qin Shi Huang had already died. Later generations lamented: 'The Great Wall of ten thousand li still stands today, but we no longer see Qin Shi Huang of that year.' The rulers of the Qing and Ming dynasties did not learn from Qin Shi Huang's lesson and repeated the same mistake. They built the Miao border wall, but the result naturally could not prolong the rule of the court and emperor. When the time came, whether the Ming Dynasty or the Qing Dynasty, both ultimately fell. The border wall reinforced and built by Fu Nai is now also long broken and incomplete, with only ruins remaining. Unexpectedly, making the past serve the present, it has become a place for today's people to visit and feast their eyes.