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Yanzhou Village () is a small settlement in 
Dengta
Dengta () is a city in east-central Liaoning province in Northeast China. It is located in between Liaoyang, which oversees Dengta and lies to the southwest, and Shenyang, the provincial capital which lies nearly double that distance to the northe ...
Prefecture of Liaoyang
Liaoyang () is a prefecture-level city of east-central Liaoning province, China, situated on the Taizi River. It is approximately one hour south of Shenyang, the provincial capital, by car. Liaoyang is home to Liaoning University's College of Fo ...
Prefecture in Liaoning
Liaoning () is a coastal province in Northeast China that is the smallest, southernmost, and most populous province in the region. With its capital at Shenyang, it is located on the northern shore of the Yellow Sea, and is the northernmost ...
Province in China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
. The village is the site of the ancient Goguryeo
Goguryeo (37 BC–668 AD) ( ) also called Goryeo (), was a Korean kingdom located in the northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula and the southern and central parts of Northeast China. At its peak of power, Goguryeo controlled most ...
city of Baegam (Hangul :백암성, Hanja :白巖城) in Korea or Baiyan City () in Chinese. The ancient city was the scene a major battle between the Tang
Tang or TANG most often refers to:
* Tang dynasty
* Tang (drink mix)
Tang or TANG may also refer to:
Chinese states and dynasties
* Jin (Chinese state) (11th century – 376 BC), a state during the Spring and Autumn period, called Tang (唐) b ...
dynasty Chinese emperor Taizong
Taizong is the temple name used for several Chinese sovereign, monarchs of China. It may refer to:
* Tai Jia ( 16th-century BC), king of the Shang dynasty
* Emperor Wen of Han, Liu Heng (202 BC–157 BC, reigned 180 BC–157 BC), also known as E ...
and the Goguryeo in 645 AD.
History
The city dates to 403 AD and was built by the Goguryeo people who occupied much of theLiaodong
The Liaodong Peninsula (also Liaotung Peninsula, ) is a peninsula in southern Liaoning province in Northeast China, and makes up the southwestern coastal half of the Liaodong region. It is located between the mouths of the Daliao River (the h ...
Peninsula, modern Jilin
Jilin (; alternately romanized as Kirin or Chilin) is one of the three provinces of Northeast China. Its capital and largest city is Changchun. Jilin borders North Korea (Rasŏn, North Hamgyong, Ryanggang and Chagang) and Russia (Prim ...
province, Northern Korean Peninsula and part of the Primorsky Krai
Primorsky Krai (russian: Приморский край, r=Primorsky kray, p=prʲɪˈmorskʲɪj kraj), informally known as Primorye (, ), is a federal subject (a krai) of Russia, located in the Far East region of the country and is a part of the ...
in modern Russia. Yanzhou was a major city at the frontier between the Goguryeo and Tang dynasty China.
In 642 AD, the Goguryeo had a war with the neighbouring land of Silla
Silla or Shilla (57 BCE – 935 CE) ( , Old Korean: Syera, Old Japanese: Siraki2) was a Korean kingdom located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo, formed the Three Kingdoms of K ...
on the Korean Peninsula. The Silla appealed to the Tang Emperor for assistance and in 645, the Emperor Taizong attacked the Goguryeo.''. Retrieved 10 May 2012''
The Tang first captured nearby Liaodong City. Then in June, they attacked at Yanzhou led by Tang Jun and after fierce fighting and some notable heroics by the Emperor and his generals, won.
Location
The city was built on a ridge on the northern side of theTaizi River
The Taizi River () is a major river in the Liaoning province of Northeastern China. The river was historically also known as Yan River (衍水) or Liang River (梁水). It was originally the third largest tributary of the Liao River, southern ...
. (), approximately 20 km east of Liaoyang and 50 km south of Shenyang
Shenyang (, ; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ), formerly known as Fengtian () or by its Manchu language, Manchu name Mukden, is a major China, Chinese sub-provincial city and the List of capitals in China#Province capitals, provincial capital of Lia ...
().
Construction
As with other Goguryeo forts, Yanzhou village was built on a hill adjacent to a river, with the river forming a natural barrier. Cliffs form the southern side of the city and a high defensive wall formed an arch around the west, north and east sides. The land slopes such that the eastern side of the city is significantly higher than the west. The site is about 480 metres long and 440 metres wide. The city walls, which are still visible today, cover some 1840 metres in length. The walls were 2 to 3 metres thick and between 5 and 8 metres high with towers at regular intervals along its length, and is comparable to the Great Wall of China in its dimensions. At the top of the ridge are the remains of a square tower with a wall enclosed area to its east. The gate to the city was to the west, near the Taizi River. The construction is of rough-cut stone built dry without mortar.
Status
The city walls in Yanzhou are a protected site of Liaoning province. Despite its protected status, some of the western sections of the city walls have been dismantled by the adjacent villagers and stones taken from the wall can be seen in various homes and fences throughout the village. By comparison, the city walls on the northern and eastern sections appear to be in good condition.Accessibility
As of 2014 the site was not developed to encourage tourism and there was no tourist infrastructure present to facilitate tourism related activities within the city walls. Access to the site was neither monitored nor actively controlled. The city can be easily reached by automobile, as paved roads connect it to both Liaoyang and Shenyang.References