Living history book opens at Jingzhou city wall

The excavation has traced the wall back to the late Tang Dynasty (618-907). A rammed-earth wall from the Tang period was followed by a brick wall built during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, making it the earliest brick city wall discovered through archaeological excavation in China.

The bricks of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period are quite distinctive. They were salvaged from aristocratic tombs dating from the Han (206 BC-AD 220) to the Tang dynasties and are carved with images of maids and floral patterns. Historical records note that the ruler of the local kingdom at the time ordered nearby tombs to be excavated for their bricks, which were then used to build the city wall.

By the Song Dynasty (960-1279), the wall served both military and flood-control functions. Its exposed interior reveals a well-preserved brick drainage ditch, built with a carefully calculated slope to channel rainwater away quickly and prevent the wall from becoming waterlogged and collapsing.

Above this layer are blackened bricks and earth left by fires during the war-torn Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). The main body of the wall visible today dates from the Ming Dynasty. Its most distinctive feature is the inscribed bricks, each bearing detailed information about its manufacturing date, place of origin, and the officials responsible for its manufacture. If a brick was found to be of poor quality, responsibility could be traced through the inscription.

"These inscribed bricks formed a rigorous quality traceability system in ancient China," Tian says.

Horse-face No 11 is about 14 meters high, roughly the height of a three-story building. Historically, Jingzhou's location along the Yangtze River made it vulnerable to frequent flooding, with historical records indicating water levels rose by as much as 17 meters. To withstand floods, the city wall was repeatedly raised, reaching over 30 meters at its peak. Therefore, the wall was not only a military barrier but also a lifeline that protected people from floods, Tian says.

The exhibition hall is free to the public and, unlike a traditional museum, has no enclosing walls. It connects seamlessly with the surrounding streets through gentle slopes and steps. People can stop by while walking or cycling, taking in the views while exploring the history.

"It perfectly combines excavation, protection, display and utilization. Here, history becomes tangible in an instant. People can see a thousand years at a glance and observe the construction periods, evolution process and building techniques of the city wall," says Yang Kaiyong, director of Jingzhou Museum.