The Ximenkou barbican in Guangzhou, which once served as a defense against foreign invasions, is located at the barbican site of the Ming Dynasty’s west gate at Ximenkou, Zhongshan 7th Road. It is one of the relatively early city tower foundations discovered so far in Guangzhou and is relatively well-preserved. It is also one of the important historical physical evidences for the development of Guangzhou city and an important part of the protection of Guangzhou as a famous historical and cultural city.
The city wall is edged with red sandstone strips, and the wall core is compacted with yellowish-brown soil. The remaining east-west length is 18.45 meters, the north-south width is 18.15 meters, and the remaining height of the foundation is 3.7 meters. According to historical records, after Zhu Yuanzhang destroyed the Yuan Dynasty, he sent Zhu Zuliang to Guangzhou to demolish the three cities of the Song Dynasty and expand it into the current pattern of the old urban area of Guangzhou. Place names such as today’s Dadongmen, Ximenkou, Dabei Men, and Xiaobei Men started from then on. The city wall of the Ming Dynasty was used throughout the Qing Dynasty. Later, Sun Ke carried out destructive construction on the old city, leveling the city wall and city gates, and building roads along the city wall at some locations. Nowadays, signs of the Ming Dynasty city wall being pressed under the road surface can still be seen on sections such as Yuexiu Middle Road.Opening hours: Open all year round from 09:00 to 21:00.
