Travel notes || Spring exploration of the Ming Dynasty arsenal—Chengziyu

I heard that there is an arsenal from the Ming Dynasty on our small island. It is said that a villager found three copper blunderbuss here, filling the gap in the actual weapons of the Ming Dynasty! This is Chengziyu located in the north of Qinhuangdao.

Along the 374.5 kilometers of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall in Qinhuangdao, the best preserved section is the Chengziyu section in Zhucaoying Town. Historical records show that around 1568 AD, the Jurchen tribe in Manchuria in Northeast China rapidly grew stronger. In order to consolidate the border defense, the imperial court urgently recruited the famous general Qi Jiguang to serve as the commander-in-chief of Jizhen, and asked him to mobilize elite soldiers and generals from Zhejiang, Fujian and other places to conduct inspections on this section of the Great Wall. Completely renovated. Due to the vastness of the project and the arduous task of guarding the border, and in order to stabilize the morale of the military, the Ming court made an exception and allowed family members of officers and soldiers from other places to accompany the army to guard the border. Chengziyu was the "gunpowder depot" for the Ming Dynasty Great Wall garrison at that time.

After getting off the Great Wall Ring Road and walking into Chengzi Valley, the first thing you see is the south gate of the "Chengzi Valley" fort. On the platform outside the south gate, there is an ancient pine called "Friendship Pine". It is said that the "Chengziyu" Fort was the result of the two small villages of Chengziyu and Xijiazhuang being moved into one fort. To commemorate this day, the villagers of the two small villages sent representatives from both sides to plant oil on the platform at the entrance of the village outside the south gate of the fort. A pine tree symbolizes the everlasting friendship between the villagers of the two villages. Later, the two trees were named "Friendship Pines" by Qi Jiguang himself. During the Anti-Japanese War, the Japanese invading army set fire to the pine trees named after Qi Jiguang because they hated Qi Jiguang for resisting the Japanese. One of the pine trees was saved by the villagers and has now become the symbol of Chengzi Valley.

Entering from the south gate, you will see a cottage with tiled roofs that is very characteristic of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is like a paradise. Fruit trees are planted in the courtyard of every household. This season is a good time for flowers to bloom. Children are laughing in the tiled rooms. There were noisy fights, groups of baby geese were walking around the roadside looking for food, and the villagers were sitting on the rocks in front of their houses chatting about their homely affairs. It was a leisurely and peaceful scene.

There is a road up the mountain through the village, which is also the closest road to the Chengziyu Great Wall. On the way up the mountain, looking back at Chengzi Yubao, she was waiting quietly by the canyon. It can be imagined that during the flood season, the streams gathered into a meandering river, zigzagging out of the embrace of the mountains and injecting the mighty soup. On the west side of the river is a concave flat land like a paradise, which must have been an excellent place to station troops.

Looking up, you can see that the Great Wall is built on the rock wall, and the Ming Dynasty watchtower is very close at hand: stepping on this dilapidated Ming Dynasty Great Wall, walking into the watchtower, touching the wall bricks, and climbing to the top of the building, it feels like you have traveled through the galaxy of history. The busy scene of building the Great Wall may appear before your eyes, and you may hear the golden shouts of soldiers practicing in your ears.

Looking east, you can see the Dongjiakou Great Wall winding up; looking west, you can see the Pingdingyu Great Wall disappearing in vast distance. And I, standing between heaven and earth, on the city wall, lamented the majesty and magnificence of the Great Wall, and lamented my own insignificance, but here it seemed that I could be given the courage to guide the country.

Time was short, and the mountain was not high. After climbing the first watchtower, we went down the mountain. Do you still remember the "Friendship Pine"? We turned a corner and came under it, which is the " Great Wall Protection Work Station". Here is Mr. Zhang Heshan, a descendant of the soldiers who guarded the Great Wall in the Ming Dynasty. For decades, as a voluntary protector of the Great Wall, Mr. Zhang persuaded sheepherders to drive away, scared away brick thieves, and made many people anxious and angry in order to protect the Great Wall; he also received many visits to the Great Wall at home and abroad. Enthusiast and sketch artist.

We had an authentic farm meal here: braised pork cooked over firewood, freshly dug wild vegetables from the ground, home-grown spring onions, and the Yuqian cake that even Qianlong was full of praise for.

Xiao Meng feels that this trip is more worthwhile than visiting any man-made scenic spot, because this is the true way to return to nature and listen to history. Perhaps early summer can be even more beautiful, with blue sky, white clouds, green mountains, green water, and countryside. Wear A Ming Great Wall that looks like a giant dragon.

When the epidemic is over and the mountains and forests are full of green, come here. It will definitely make your trip worthwhile.