Ancient fortress welcomes incursions
By Erik Nilsson (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-07-08 10:22
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Built six centuries ago to repel invading armies, the ancient fortress of Longli is today poised to attract legions of outsiders with its legacy as a Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) castle.
The problem, however, with designing Longli solely to ward off attacks has been that it has really thrown off the feng shui, residents say.
Consequently, the reason wooden houses in the castle's northeast corner conspicuously tilt southward is not shoddy construction but rather an attempt to rebalance its lopsided energy flow.
The imperial soldiers' descendents swapped their armor and weapons for civilian attire and farming implements generations ago. But the aesthetic essence and distinctive culture of the village of about 3,000 in Guizhou province have changed little since.
Longli is still the kind of place where residents never lock their doors and can enter a home at any time without violating local etiquette.
However, changes may be on the way, as the old citadel is now reincarnating itself as a travel destination. Rebuilding is under way that is meant to preserve, rather than destroy, the fort's defensive structures.
The city wall, for instance, was recently reconstructed but is still sheathed by the original bulwark, which in turn is wrapped within the original moat. Tiny flowers and clovers peek out of the cracks of the ancient barricade.
Getting on top of the wall means climbing up a series of stubby rock pegs, an ascent purposefully made precarious for defense purposes. This is just one of myriad specimens showing how Longli's military legacy quite literally shaped the village from the outside in.
The entry to every household has two sets of doors, between which huge wooden braces can be propped. Rooms are arranged around courtyards designed so that the gates easily close, trapping the enemy within.
The intersections of the strategically designed J-shaped streets - called "ding" because of the Chinese character whose shape they resemble - have become town meeting places, where villagers deal with skirmishes among themselves rather than with those from outside their walls.
The biggest intersection is named Wugong, meaning "centipede", a play on the name of the "traitor" Wu Sangui, who ushered in the era of Manchu rule by surrendering to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
The most important strategic location, the north gate, has taken on new significance as the starting point for festival dragon dances.
And the bell tower, once used to signal the arrival of invaders, instead heralds joyous events. Residents claim the local weatherman can forecast with perfect accuracy by listening to the bell's tone.
And the tradition of relaying military messages also means local people speak very loudly, a custom cultivated by hundreds of years of shouting during drills and attacks in previous generations, villagers say. But despite their propensity for high-decibel chitchat, residents claim Longli is the "quietest city in Southwest China".
Certainly, life in Longli has historically been anything but quiet. While it's unknown exactly how many times the fortress was besieged since the first Ming emperor Zhu Yuanzhang ordered its construction, there have been at least seven bloody battles.
The bulwark was built, and Han soldiers dispatched there, to quash unrest in the furthest-flung frontiers of Ming control, as the fledgling dynasty sought to subdue ethnic uprisings while gobbling up land.
It was only after New China's founding that the Han, who make up 90 percent of Longli's population, and the local Miao and Dong began to intermarry, creating a fusion of ethnic traditions.
Weddings in Longli start at midnight because of the symbolism associated with the beginning of a new day. After the sun rises, the bride's possessions are paraded through town to publicly show off her wealth and dispel any whispers about gold-digging intentions.
As long as anyone can remember, such traditions have persisted in this defensive outpost.
The question now is how they can withstand the new incursions from outside - tourism, development and an improving quality of life - in the same way they have fended off soldiers from beyond their borders for hundreds of years.