South Great Wall


Great Wall, one of the World Culture Heritage sites in China and the representative architecture of China, is wildly
known to be built for separating the central China from the north ethnic minorities. While seldom people know
there is a section of Great Wall built in Hunan province during Ming Dynasty to present one south China ethnic
minority group: Miao people from rebelling. This Great Wall is named Xiangxi Border Great Wall, also called South
Great Wall.

The South Great Wall is 10 kilometers away from Fenghuang Ancient City. It was in April 2,000 that archaeologists
discovered more than 190 kilometers of ancient wall, whose structural and military systems were the same as
those of the northern Great Wall.

Located at the border of Hunan and Guizhou, the Southern Great Wall starts at Xiqueying Village of Guzheng
County and ends at the Tingziguan Pass with a total length of more than 190 kilometers.

Experts confirm that it is part of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall built to defend the kingdom against the Miao people of the south. Mostly constructed on
high and precipitous ridges, 4,000-5,000 soldiers used to be stationed along this section of the Southern Great Wall.

The wall is about 3 meters high and its basement is about 2 meters wide. It revolves around mountains and cuts across water. The most part of it
is built on the precipitous ridges. There are more than 800 whistle terraces, gun emplacements, blockhouses, and outposts used for stationing
troops and defending. At that time, often there is a troop of 4,000 to 5,000 soldiers.

Nowadays two sections of the wall are still standing: one is in Liaojiaqiao Town and the other in
Jixing Town. The section in Liaojiaqiao Town has been renovated 1,780 meters for visitors to
appreciate.

Now the “Southern China Great Wall” is not used to isolate ethnic groups, but as a tourism site and
an archaeological subject for China. It is a cultural and historical and military treasure really worth a
tour.