The Iron Fortress: A Study of the Millennial Evolution of Shaowu's City Walls
Shaowu, Futun Creek, Qiao Creek, Zhaowu, East Gate (Chaoyang), West Gate (Yanbin), South Gate (Gongyang), North Gate (Tongyuan), Qingfeng Gate (Water Gate) Did you know that Shaowu once had a 4,400-meter stone city wall? Five gates, 48 enemy towers, over 1,200 crenellations. The base was 1.5 zhang wide, the top 1 zhang, all built from cut stone blocks. They called it “Iron Shaowu.” Today, almost nothing remains. Less than 500 meters of broken walls scattered near the East and South gates. ...