XingchengcityXingchengancientcityislocatedinthexingchengcity,itisoneofthe4bestpreservedancientcityofMingdynasty.Itwasfoundedin1430,atthattimeitiscalledningyuanacropolis,inqingdynastyitisrenamedningyuanzhoucity.Thiscitywasdestroyedinanearthquakein1568.in1623,thiscitywasrebuildagainbyaofficernamedyuanchonghuanwholivedhere.Apartfromwhatweseenow,therearealotofbunkers,defensivewall,andsomesmallsizedbesiegedcitiestogetherwithsomeothermilitaryequipments,alloftheseformedabigandcompletemilitarydefensivesystem,inthelatemingdynasty,ithasdevelopedintoanimportantcityoutsideshanhaiguan.Asithasexperiencedalongtime,somesmallcitiesarounditdonotexistnow,thereareonlysomerelicsforpeopletoreadthehistoryofit.Theinnercitywererepairedseveraltimesandnowitremainsbasicallyunchanged.theancientcityusedtobeanimportantacropoliscity,ithasseenthedevelopmentanddeclineofQingdynasty,with580yearswentby,nowitcometolifeagain.Itistitledasthenationalheritageconservationunits,thenationalsceneryspot,the4-Aclasstouristattraction.ItnowhasdevelopedintoaimportanttouristresortinnorthernChina.now,we’llgoandvisitit.Thisancientcityisasquarecity,whichisquiterareinourcountry.Thecircumferenceofthecityis3348m,844mfromnorthtosouth,830mfromwesttoeast,8.5mhigh,andthebottomis6.65mwideandthetopis4.5mwide.Thesurfaceofthewallispiledbygreenbrickswithbigstoneinside.Atthebottomtherelays3layersstoneasthebaseandspreadgreenbrickonit.Onthefoursidesofthewallthereisasimilargate.Andonthegatethereisatwolayersarchonit,outsidethegatethereisahalfroundedbarbican.Onthe4cornersofthecity,therebuiltasquareemplacementwhichisusedtoputthecannon.Thecannonweseenow,isjusttheduplicationoftherealone.Intheningyuancampaignin1626,yuanchonghuanleadthemingarmytodefendtheattackofqingarmy,thecannonhitnuerhachiandhewasseriouslywounded,theqingarmythenleft,ontheirwaybacktoshengjing,hewasdead.Now,walkinthiscity,youmaystillexperiencetheatmosphereofthewarabout300yearsago.Thecrossroadinthecitydividedthiscityinto4parts,inthecenterofthecityitstandsthebellanddrumtower.Thereusedtobemanytempleshere,nowthebestpreservedistheConfuciantempleinthesoutheast,thecitygodtempleinthenorthwest,andthetempleoftheancestors.However,thegeneralresidenceofyuanchonghuanisnotwhatitlooklikeintheancienttime.Thisisthesouthgateofthecity,itisnamedtheyanhuigate.Onbothsideofthegatethereisabarbican.Thisiseasytogetinbutdifficulttogetout,itisusedtoprotectthecity.Oncetherehasadoorontheleftsideofthebarbican,nowitisopenedsoitwouldmakethetransportheremoreconvenient.Onthesoutheastofthecity,thereisadippertower.Ithasoncebedestroyedinawarandlateritisrebuildagain.Thedipperisoneofthe28starsinthesky,andthisstarcancommandtheknowledge,oncethedippergodpointsomeone’sname,heorshewoulddoquitewellinhisorherstudy.Thistowerhas2layers,with8sidesand8corners,insidethetowertherebuildascultureofthedippergod.Oneofhisfootwasraised,onehandhandlethedipperanotherhandleapen,justasifheispointingsomeone’sname.Thisstreetistheyanhuistreet,onbothsidesofthestreetaretheshopsdealingwithkindsofarticles,thearchitecturehereisnothigh,themajorityofthemareonlyoneortwolayers.The2stonegatewaystandinthisstreetwerejustlike2beautifulmelodythattheybringyoutheatmosphereoftheancienttime.Bothofthemweremadeofwood,thecolumnsishighwhilethegatewayissmall.Thesouthoneisthe忠贞胆智towerof祖大寿,thistowerwasbuiltin1631,thelocalcalleditasthefirsttowerhere.Zudashouuseittoboosthisloyaltytotheemperor,itismadeofgreygranite,itis9mhighand12.9mwide.Onthetopofthesouth,thereisagranitesculptureoftheelephant,aselephantcanbringluckytopeople.Inthemiddleofthetower,thereisaplaque,whichmeanstheemperoradmitsit.Itissaidthatzudashouhasbetrayedmingbuthestillcheattheminggovernment,asheisreallypowerfulatthattime,theemperorhadnoideabutadmithim.Belowtheplaquethereisa3layerscoffin,thetoponecarvedzhongzhenzhidanwhichmeanszudashouisquitehonestandbrave.Thesecondonecaredhistitle,itsuggestthathisfamilywouldallbeverypromising,thebottomonecarvedgaozeng,meansthatthisisgivenbytheemperor,onthenorthsideofthetowertherearealsothesamedecorationthere,theonlydifferentisthefirstcoffininthenorthwascarved郭清只列,thisispraisezudashou’sachievementinthewar.Onthecolumntherecarvedreliefsculpture,itusethewarasthetheme,andtellpeoplesomestorieshappenedinthewar,therearealsosomeanimalsandplantscarvedthere.Thisisthezudayuestonegateway,heisthecousinofzudashou,thisgatewayiscalledthesecondgetewayhere.Itisfoundedin1638,11.5mhighand13mwide.Herealsoset3layerscoffinshere,thetoplayercaved登坛骏烈,meansthathewillenterthegovernmentandachievealot.Themiddlelayercarvedhistitle.Onthecolumntherewriteacoupletwhichmeansthehonorhegotbytheemperorisquitehigh.Onthenorthsideofthegateway,thetoplayercoffincarved元勋初次,meansthisisonlythebeginningofhisluck.Thecoupletonthecolumnmeanstheirfamily’sgoodluckisduetothekindnessoftheirancestors.Theirachievementwillpraisedbythelaterpeople.Althoughthesegatewayhaveexperiencedmorethan300years,itisstillpreservedquitwell.Inthemiddleofthecitythereisadrumandbelltower,thistowerwasfoundedin1454,17.6mhigh,decoratewithgreenbricks.Thetower’sshapeisinsquare,oneachsidether