City Wall of Datong

Rem Sapozhnikov / August 2016
The first dirt wall was built here during the state of the Northern Wei (386-534), where Datong was the capital, and was called Pingcheng (平城 - Píng chéng). A thousand years later, in 1372, the construction of the wall which image and outline have survived until nowadays was started by the General Xu Da (徐达 - Xú Dá), a friend of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder and the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Since the mid-19th century, the wall began to decline and collapse. By 2005, the wall came tumbling down; its total length was halved.

In 2008, Geng Yanbo, the Mayor of Datong, decided to restore the wall, by giving it, as they say, a historical appearance of the Ming dynasty period. You can see the result in these pictures.
The wall about 8 km long is nearly completed and will soon close. There is a large-scale improvement along the perimeter of the outer walls. In the picture behind the fence is the Northern section of the wall.
View of the Eastern section of the wall from the vacant lot on the site of the former slums.
↑ Click for detailed view ↑
Newly built Eastern gate.
↑ Click for detailed view ↑
Entrance ticket for 30 yuan (300 roubles / 4.5 USD).
Here I climbed up to the City Wall.
View to the South.
View to the North.
View of the Southern section of the wall from the Eastern section.
10 years ago all these park spaces were densely built-up with primitive dwellings.
Southern gate.
The last unfinished section of the wall.
It is located on the Western section of the wall just South of the Hongqi Square.
The modern "filling" of the wall.
The southern part of the Western section of the wall.
↑ Click for detailed view ↑
And now a few historical pictures. The construction of the wall, April 2011.
Excellent photo-report by the author of this photo Maxim Pakharenko, about what was the City Wall only 5 years ago and how the construction of the new wall began. See the link: http://maximus101.livejournal.com/42772.html
And another photo of 2008, made by Chinese user 低温热情.
It's the same section of the wall, as in the photo above, but taken from the opposite side.
On this satellite map of North-Eastern part of the wall are clearly visible changes that have occurred over the past 8 years. On it also are indicated the points from which the two previous pictures were made in 2008 and 2011.
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Continuation :
«Old Town»




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