City Wall of Nanjing

Welcome to Nanjing, a city whose very soul is intertwined with the massive stone and brick fortifications that surround it. As a scholar of Chinese urban history, I invite you to contemplate the sheer scale of the Nanjing City…

We begin our exploration at Shen-che Gate, located southeast of the Jiong-yang-min overpass. This specific site is of immense strategic importance and has witnessed some of the most harrowing battles in the city's history. …

As we continue along the northern section of the wall, the landscape opens up to reveal the magnificent Xuan-wu Lake. This area provides a perfect illustration of the 'dual barrier' defense system. …

One of the most fascinating aspects of the Nanjing City Wall lies not in its overall scale, but in the individual bricks that compose it. If you look closely at the weathered surfaces of the bricks as you walk, you will notice…

While the Nanjing City Wall was built for medieval warfare, its greatest test came in the modern era during the twentieth century. In 1937, during the Second Sino-Japanese War, the wall was once again called upon to serve its…

The fact that so much of the Nanjing City Wall still stands is due in large part to the passionate advocacy of local citizens. In the mid-twentieth century, as the People's Republic of China began a period of rapid urban…

As we reach the conclusion of this specific section of the wall, I encourage you to look out over the city one last time. From this elevation, the 'ancient greatness' of Nanjing is palpable. …

Our journey along the Nanjing City Wall concludes where it began, but hopefully with a deeper understanding of this structure's profound significance. We have explored its origins as a grand imperial project, its role as a silent…