Hengchun Old City Gate Introduction
Kenting Old Town was built in the first year of the Guangxu era of the Qing Dynasty and completed in the fifth year of Guangxu. It is located in the center of the Hengchun Plain, surrounded by mountains such as San Tai Mountain, Huo Tou Mountain, Long Luan Mountain, and Xi Ping Mountain. The well-known civil official "Liu Zhao," who was skilled in geomancy, was invited to assess the site, considering Hou Dong Mountain as the dragon vein. Four city gates were established in the east, west, south, and north, each equipped with a gun platform, and a moat surrounds the city walls, making it one of the few well-preserved ancient city gate monuments in Taiwan. With a history of over a hundred years, Kenting Old Town is an important national historic site in Taiwan. What are the unique features of the city gate structure? Many counties and cities preserve ancient city ruins, fundamentally consisting of walls, gates, gun platforms, gate towers, moats, pathways, and horse paths. Taking the east gate of Kenting Old Town as an example: City Wall: The materials used are "glutinous rice paste, sugar cane syrup, and lime gray," built using the "rammed earth construction method," which is the oldest building technique. Nowadays, horizontal lines can still be seen on the surface of the city wall, remnants of the rammed earth process. City Gate: Kenting has four city gates, which are further divided into city platforms; the upper part is the "gate tower," and the lower part is the "gate opening." The upper half of the city platform is made of bricks, while the lower half is constructed with gravel and mortar, with the bottom paved with granite. Gate Inscription: The size of the gate inscriptions varies among the four gates, made from basalt and adorned with decorative frames. Gun Platform: This is the protruding part of the city wall where cannons can be placed on top. There are four cannons on the gun platform, with two facing forward and the other two tilted forward at a 45-degree angle, made from granite to withstand cannon recoil. Moat: This serves as the defensive moat, primarily to enhance defense, and the soil excavated from the moat was used for castle construction. Currently, the moat has been filled or serves as a drainage ditch. Battlements: These are protrusions on the city wall that give the wall a more sculptural form while also serving a defensive function. There is a small hole in the center, allowing soldiers to take cover while shooting, enhancing both attack and defense. Pathway: Also known as the "footpath," it serves as a convenient road for entering the city. Horse Path: This is the road on top of the city wall for guards to pass through. Parapet: Located on the outer city wall, it functions similarly to a railing.
South Gate of Hengchun Old Town
Kenting Old Town Gate - East Gate
