Tongguan was established at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty. At that time, Guancheng was built on the source of the loess, moved several miles to the south in the Sui Dynasty, and moved south to the source under Emperor Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty, forming today's former site of Tongguan City. Tongguanjin was established in the Tang Dynasty, Tongguanwei was established in the Ming Dynasty, and Tongguan County in the Qing Dynasty. It was invaded during the Republic of China. It is known as Tongguan. It is located at the crossing of the Yellow River and is located in the key provinces of Shanxi, Shanxi and Henan. The key to the Luoyang Post Road that yoke Chang'an is the key to enter and exit the Three Jin Dynasties, so it has become the inevitable place for the east into the Central Plains and the west to exit the Guanzhong, the Western Regions and the key pass. "Four Towns Throat", "Bai Er Zhongguan" reputation.
Tongguan Ancient City West Gate
During the Jian’an period, Emperor Xian moved to the south gate of Tongguan, which is the area of Yangjiazhuang and Chengbei Village in today’s Gangkou Town. The name of Tongguan began here. The history of its construction lacks records. Judging from its relics, it starts from the east along the west side of Wangwanggou, and goes west through Chengbei Village to the east bank of Jingou. The east and west faces a ditch, and the terrain is flat and wide. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the battle of the Northern Zhou Dynasty Emperor Yu Wenjue defeating the Eastern Wei general Dou Tai took place here. After Emperor Min won the victory, Tongguan was changed to "Tongguguan".
Tongguan Ancient City West Gate Interior
In the 7th year of Sui Daye (AD 611), Tongguan in the Eastern Han Dynasty was moved to the Kengshoujin Valley between the northern and southern Lianchengguans (now Jingoukou of Gangkou Town) nearby). After the death of the Sui Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty remained fortified here for about eighty years. In the second year of Tang Tianshou (691 AD), he subsidized the relocation, moved closer to the Yellow River (now the old city site of Gangkou Town), built related buildings, and excavated trenches outside the city.
Exterior view of the west gate of Tongguan ancient city
In Ming Dynasty, Tongguan was a military office, Tongguan guard was set up, and the city was expanded unprecedentedly. In the 9th year of Hongwu (AD 1376), a large-scale expansion of the former Guancheng south and west was made. The east, west, and north sides are made of slabs. The height of the city is about 16 meters. The south and southeast corners are the height of the mountain, cut into crevices, which are more than 30 meters high and the perimeter of the city is 11.2 kilometers. This includes Qilin Mountain, Phoenix Mountain, Xiangshan Mountain, Yintai Mountain, Bijia Mountain, etc. in the city. There are six gates: the east gate is named "Jindou"; the west gate is named "Huaiyuan"; the south has the upper south gate and the lower south gate; the north has the big north gate and the small north gate. There are tall towers at the East, West Gate and Dabei Gate. In the second year of Jianwen (1400 AD) and the Xuande period (AD 1512), buildings were built at the water gate. In the eighteenth year of Jiajing (1539 AD), two more heavy gates were built. In Wanjiu (1601 AD), a large-scale reconstruction was carried out, and these buildings were named: Dongmen Tower was called "Ying En", Dong Weng City was called "Zhanzi Chu", Dongguo Gate was called "Tian Xian"; Ximen The building still uses "Huaiyuan", the West Weng Tower is called "Daguan Pavilion", the West Guomen is called "Diwei"; the upper south gate is called "Lingyun", the lower south gate is called "Yingxun"; the big north gate is called "sucking flood" , Xiaobeimen is called "Fujin" and Beishuiguan Tower is called "Zhenhe". The name is quaint and has a profound meaning.
In the Qing Dynasty for more than two hundred years, it was still fortified at Tongguan City in the Ming Dynasty. The size of the city was one according to the Ming Dynasty, but it has undergone many restorations and new constructions. In the 53rd year of Emperor Qianlong (1788 AD), about 2,400 meters of bricks were built on the earth city wall on the north side of the Yellow River, the south and north water gates were built, and major buildings were restored. There are still six gates. The names of the east and west gates are still the same. The east gate has five main buildings, three arrow towers, and the west gate has seven main towers and seven arrow towers. The Great North Gate was renamed "Zhenhe", the Xiaobei Gate was renamed "Gongji", the Lower South Gate was renamed "Feng", and the Upper South Gate was renamed "Linyou". There are seven gate towers in Nanshui Pass and nine gate towers in Beishui Pass. The scale is magnificent, reflecting mountains and rivers and passing through Tongshui. The stone bridge spanning east and west is like a changhong, which is fascinating. Later, bricks were built for the earthen city walls on both sides of the east and west, more perfect and majestic.
A corner of the ancient city of Tongguan
Tongguan has a long history, and the ancient Tongguan is the second place according to the name of China. Ma Chao Robinia. The Twelve Liancheng, Yangshao Cultural Sites and other places of interest are dotted with sights, Fengling Xiaodu, Jiaolou Evening Photos, Qinling Yunping and other eight scenic spots in Tongguan are fascinating.
Tongguan Ancient Town South Street, East Street, Xiaobeimen
During the Anti-Japanese War, Japanese aircraft shelled across the riverDuring the aircraft bombing, the Kuomintang demolished a large number of buildings on the occasion of the fortifications, and the west gate and arrow tower were burned. After liberation, the party and government allocated special funds to repair some buildings in the county. However, in the late 1950s, the central government decided to build the Sanmenxia Reservoir. The buildings in Tongguan County were demolished and an ancient city disappeared! (This photo was remade when the author traveled to Tongguan).
