Yongle Castle Ruins in Ming Dynasty

Yongle Castle Ruins [Photo provided to guiyang.gov.cn]

Situated in the eastern suburbs of Yongle township, Guiyang, the ancient castle was built by troops during Emperor Yongle's reign in the Ming Dynasty (1403-1424). In the plane layout of Eight Diagrams (Bagua), it had east, south, west and north gates, covering an area of 16,800 square meters. 

The existing remnants of the west gate and the lower walls are 1,650 meters long, 3 meters high, and 2 meters thick. The castle is divided into inner and the outer parts with splendid buildings and walls. 

The former was founded around the top of Yongle Mountain and enclosed by inner-city walls; its main structures like the Jade Emperor Palace, the Prince Ma Temple, and Wuxian Building were destroyed during the "cultural revolution". The outer-castle wall was built along the mountainsides of the east, west, south and north front, connecting the respective gates with the outside of the castle. 

In the area between the outer and the inner wall lived the privileged class while the outer castle was mostly occupied by ordinary people. This layout is in line with the characteristics of traditional Chinese cities and also mirrors defensive and security requirements.

Yongle Castle Ruins [Photo provided to guiyang.gov.cn]

Ticket: Free

Address: Yongle Village, Yongle Township

Tel: 83991036