An ancient city in Shanxi has a "honeycomb wall" that has not been afraid of floods for 400 years, just because of the addition of a kind of production waste

There is such an ancient city wall in Shanxi. It is said that this wall is invulnerable, cannons cannot blast it, and it is not even afraid of floods.

Many people came here to see it, and they praised it repeatedly after watching it, and never wanted to leave.

Even experts say that this city wall is not like jewelry but more valuable than jewelry.

So what was such a "mysterious" ancient city built with?

What kind of waste is added to it?

What is attractive?

The "Honeycomb Wall" is located in the northwest corner of Runcheng Town, Yangcheng County, Jincheng City, Shanxi Province, North China. This is the location of this wonderful ancient city wall. This ancient city is called Dijie City.

Diji City was built during the Chongzhen period of the Ming Dynasty and has a history of more than 300 years.

Diji City is as beautiful as a myth in the eyes of every household here. It has been considered a geomantic treasure land since ancient times.

It is built on a hill, close to the Qin River in the north, surrounded by water on three sides, and is shaped like a peninsula.

Ancient Chinese design pays attention to Feng Shui, which means "hiding the wind and avoiding water", but this Diji City is the opposite.

It was built on a big stone in the middle of the Qinhe River. From a distance, it looks like a general guarding the city.

Why is this city called Diji City? Di, the original meaning refers to a whetstone, and by extension it means grinding, a backbone force or person who acts as a pillar. Ji, from water, from the sound, the original meaning is to add water to the pot, it also means to infiltrate and reach.

According to the place where Dijie City was built, there are rock-solid pillars standing in the middle of the city from a distance. In addition, the Qinhe River was named Jiishui in ancient times, so it was named Dijie. city.

Diji City is oval-shaped, covering a total area of ​​37,000 square meters, and the average height of the city wall is about 12 meters.

The three large characters "Dijie City" carved directly above the city gate are very conspicuous and serve as the passage for residents to enter and exit the city. There is a stone staircase built along the city wall in the north of the city. From the stone staircase, you can pass through the water gate and then take a boat. travel.

The roads in the city are winding and maze-like. A ring road is built around the city, and the rest are residential lanes with all kinds of facilities.

You can imagine the scenes of people's life in the past. From ships to land, various traders flowed here endlessly, creating a wonderful and prosperous scene.

In addition to being a geomantic treasure, this place was also a battleground during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.

According to relevant historical records, this place has been attacked by rogue bandits many times, and it was also the place where Zhao and South Korea fought.

There is a little story about this Diji city.

In the spring of 1941, a war took place in Dijie City to resist the Japanese invading army.

At that time, the medical team of the Eighth Route Army and some of the injured were all hiding here. The Japanese invading troops surrounded the place and wanted to attack the city.

At first, they only used some small weapons to attack. They felt that this small city did not need any important weapons and it could be easily broken. But this is not the case. Those small weapons are as harmful to this city wall as a cow's hair.

There was no other way. The Japanese army used all the heavy equipment and new weapons. This time they celebrated happily, but the scene in front of them shocked them. The city stood there steadily, without any damage. Uninjured, motionless.

These invaders had no choice but to look at the city and sigh, and had no choice but to retreat.

Tourists were amazed when they heard this story. They looked at the dense "honeycombs" on the city wall and couldn't imagine how such a wall could be used for defense. There were even some dense honeycombs. People with phobias will get goosebumps when they see this wall.

So why is the wall of this ancient city called the honeycomb wall?

Walking into Dijie City, there are some differences on the city walls.

There are round holes on these city walls, which are dark brown all over. The round holes look neither big nor small, and the inside of the hole is very shallow. There are some residues left, and there is a U at the other end. Shaped closed bottom.

They are also very hard when knocked. These round holes are densely arranged and combined on the city wall. Viewed from the wall, they are densely packed and look like a "honeycomb". Therefore, this is also the reason why it is called "honeycomb wall".

This "honeycomb wall" is very famous in Dijie City. Some tourists come here just to take a look at this so-called honeycomb.

Of course, the huge Diji City is not only a feature of the "honeycomb wall", Diji City's diverse culture is also a feature here.

Zhang Shenyan, a minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs in the southern part of the Ming Dynasty and whose ancestral home was Runcheng, wrote a poem about the houses in his hometown. He said: "But if there are windows, they will reflect bamboos. You need to teach that there are no thresholds without flowers." .

It can also be seen from this that this city is not only useful in military defense, but also has a lot of history in culture.

The literary style flourished here, and there were many people who took the imperial examination. It was also the hometown of celebrities such as Wang Guangguang and Yan Junshou.

There are also many cultural relics here, including Wangchuan Kaiming Temple built in the Sui Dynasty, Dongyue Temple in Runcheng Village, and Haihui Temple. It also created the Temple of Heaven, a holy land of Buddhism, and was once the exchange center for Chinese economy, culture and folk customs.

There is also a folk performance here that is similar to the social fire activity, commonly known as iron flower.

After liberation, the ironwork performance here disappeared for a time. After some people’s efforts and communication with relevant local organizations, it will be held at the top of Diji City every year during the Lantern Festival and the 18th day of the fourth lunar month. There were performances nearby for three consecutive days.

Every night, the place is bustling with people, and the golden iron flowers are splashing in all directions. They are brilliant and beautiful, making the days of every household exciting.

There are also family mottos of some celebrities hanging in the center of the city. Here, you can see the essence of Confucian culture everywhere.

Walking through this residential building, you can feel the strong atmosphere of life: there are chili peppers hanging on the wall at the door of this house, and that family made jujube cake today and shared it with their neighbors. , the golden corn on the ground is all attractive.

Few residents in Diji City now make a living from farming. The harvest in autumn is usually used for cooking at home, which is more like some small hobbies of the residents.

The integration of ancient architecture and modern life formed the current Diji City. In addition to the intersection of the present and the past, there is also the gene of red culture.

During the Revolutionary War, some revolutionaries of the older generation left a glorious history here.

In August 1938, leaders held relevant meetings here. All of these have left a lot of red culture in Dijie City.

In 2006, Diji City was approved by the state to become the sixth batch of national key cultural relics protection units.

At the same time, Dijie City vigorously develops the tourism industry and brings surrounding residents together to add glory to the tourism industry.

Gradually more and more people come here to visit, and more and more people understand these cultures and the structure of the city walls.

To understand the structure of the city wall, you must first know what materials it is made of, so some people will wonder, is this "honeycomb wall" really a wall made of honeycombs?

The walls of Diji City are about 12 meters high, and some of the walls facing the water are as high as 20 meters.

Looking at the city wall from the outside, the south wall is made of blue bricks, and the east, west and north walls are made of limestone and cobblestones.

Looking at it this way, it is no different from an ordinary city wall.

But when you walk inside, you will find that the inside of the wall is not only lined with small cylinders one after another, but they will also be sucked in when you approach them with a magnet. What kind of wonderful material is this?

At first, some people guessed that the wall was made of metal, but someone soon shattered this guess.

Where did such a huge amount of metal come from? How could such metal be used to build such an indestructible city wall?

So the related research on this "copper wall and iron wall" began.

In ancient times, the iron smelting industry in Runcheng Town, where Dijie City is located, was very developed, and there were many wealthy merchants. During the Tianshun period, the annual output ranked first in the country, so this place once became the center of Shanxi. The center and important place for coal and iron sales in Southeast China.

Shanxi merchants have traded goods all over the world and have dominated the business world for hundreds of years. They have always been the leader of the merchant gangs in the past, and their large trading volume is still amazing to this day.

The iron smelting industry here is extremely developed, so there is a lot of crucible waste left after iron smelting.

These wastes are difficult to process and there are no vendors to buy and sell them. Throwing them into the river will cause pollution, and putting them in the house will take up space. So what should we do?

At this time, someone hit the abandoned crucible with a hammer and found that it was not harmed in any way. It happened that a city wall to resist invasion was being built at this time, so someone suggested that it would be better to use these waste materials Think of it as the material for building the city wall now.

Many people agree with this approach. These large amounts of discarded crucibles are not wasted but are also useful as building materials. This is not killing two birds with one stone.

So it was finally decided to use these crucibles that were discarded after iron smelting as the main building materials for the city wall.

Now we truly understand that this "honeycomb wall" is not made of bees' nests, nor is it made of metal as some people speculated. The truth of the so-called "honeycomb wall" is this abandoned crucible pot. This abandoned crucible is strong and durable, waterproof and anti-corrosion and the cost is not high. It can be said that the building is impregnable.

The crucible is hollow and plays a very good role in heat preservation and insulation. The house is cool in summer and warm in winter, making it very comfortable.

Now that there are building materials, what to use for walls is also a question.

According to the research of later people who visited this place, it was found that the walls here were made of lime and iron slag, which were mixed in a certain proportion and were even much stronger than today's cement.

The crucible is dark brown all over. Local people used iron smelting waste as building materials to create original iron walls and honeycomb walls. Using local materials is also a pioneering work.

It is no exaggeration to say that it is impregnable and invulnerable.

It is this abandoned crucible that has made it difficult for foreign enemies to conquer for thousands of years. Therefore, Diji City has another name that is not often heard, called "crucible city."

If there is an invasion by bandits, as long as the city gate is closed, no matter how hard you try, you will not be able to get over it. Use cannonballs This place remains immobile despite bombings or stabbings by swords and guns. No wonder it is said that it is not even afraid of floods.

In fact, not only is the outside of the city strong, but the defense inside the city is also extremely clever.

The design of this city is somewhat particular. The residential area is roughly divided into ten neighborhoods, and each neighborhood is connected to each other, as tightly as a spider web. These neighborhoods are divided into two. Courtyard and Sanjin Courtyard.

The roads between the neighborhoods are narrow and long, and there are cross-street buildings between the neighborhoods. Each yard can be connected in series with each other, forming a complete defense system.

The tall courtyard walls and tiny windows are in contrast. The overall design is very suitable for guerrilla warfare. The road construction is also wonderful. The lanes are intricate and Dingzi Lane is built.

It is said that the society was in turmoil and robberies occurred frequently. Some thieves and intruders entered the city and wanted to steal. However, these intruders had never been here before and did not understand the pattern here. Not only did they not steal anything I'm still here and I'm lost, like an ant on a hot pot - spinning around.

No matter how the times change, this Dijie City has not fallen and has always been guarding here. No matter how wind blows or rains, it stands firmly here like a guard.

The existing inscription "Mountain City Overview" is a plan of Diji City, which contains detailed descriptions of the buildings and roads in the city.

Because of its long history, the detailed route above is no longer complete, making it difficult to clearly see the roads in the city.

Many people look at this city from the outside like a maze, confusing.

These self-contained exquisite layouts and the construction of "honeycomb walls" all demonstrate the wisdom and wisdom of the ancients.

A famous scholar once said, "Look at the ancient Chinese castles in Shanxi, and look at the ancient castles in Shanxi at Yangcheng."

Diji City is called "China's ancient castle" by many experts who come here to see it. The first ancient castle in the north."

The country has infinite history, and it is not easy to preserve such ancient buildings with a long history.

When many people come here to see the city wall, the first thing they go to is the "honeycomb wall". Some people who don't know better think that this wall is made of metal.

The city wall built with discarded crucibles has also become a unique feature of Dijie City. No matter how many years have passed, the city wall remains indestructible.

China has a vast territory and rich resources, and there are many ancient buildings with their own colors. Although some ancient buildings are far away from the present, such as the mentioned city of Diji, you can learn a variety of things from them All kinds of different cultures.

For example, the floor plan of Diji City mentioned above has been weathered and cannot be seen clearly, but we can still explore some of the wisdom of ancient people from it. On the one hand, this floor plan is difficult to understand. On the other hand, it actually protects the ancient city. If it is looked at by interested people, then the ancient city will not be as mysterious as it is now.

Regarding the construction time of Diji City, many people have different answers. It is said that when the foundations were excavated at that time, someone found that there were some old tiles under some old houses. floor tiles.

Relevant experts came here to explore and found that this monument was left over from the Song and Yuan Dynasties. Therefore, some people speculated that Diji City had already had a small amount of large-scale construction during the Song and Yuan Dynasties.

The names of the people who built the city walls out of discarded cauldrons are also unknown.

Some people say that after entering Dijie City, you will find that the hustle and bustle outside the city suddenly disappears, and your fatigue is swept away. It is winding and winding, as if anything can happen here. Everything can be forgiven. There is a strong scholarly atmosphere and a long history here. It is impossible to tell how many wars the ancient city has experienced. It is like traveling through time and space, and a story can happen at every step.

Walking here, it seems that life has been slowed down. The fast life in big cities no longer exists here. There is no noise, no hustle and bustle, no need to kill everyone in official circles, and no need to interact with people in shopping malls. Intrigue, here, you can enjoy the fun and tranquility of life, with simplicity and elegance everywhere.

Dijie City has experienced both material and spiritual civilization from ancient times to the present, with rapid economic development and prosperous culture.

The emergence of the Crucible City also reflects the development of the iron smelting industry in Runcheng Town in the late Ming Dynasty. It also reflects the wisdom of the city builders in adapting to local conditions and turning waste into treasure, as well as the related concepts of being considerate of the people and being simple and practical. .

China has never lacked outstanding ancient buildings. Understanding the essence and charm of these traditional cultures is the key to preventing ancient buildings from falling into disrepair.

Just like the crucibles used to build the city wall, few people can think of this wonderful method now, and the iron slag used in building the wall is extremely strong. These are our The essence that modern people can learn from.

Some buildings no longer exist, but the waiting and hope in those tiles and the smell of fireworks in the lanes have never been forgotten.

Whether it is the solid city wall built with crucibles discarded after iron smelting in the city or the long history of scholarly culture in Dijie City, here, in Dijie City in Yangcheng County, Jincheng, Shanxi, there is still These hundreds of years of transformation.

The "mysterious" ancient city is not mysterious. These are the crystallization of the wisdom of our predecessors. What we have to do is to constantly explore, constantly absorb the essence, develop through inheritance, and inherit through development. At the same time, we must protect them.

1. CNKI's 2012 "Forging the City/"Honeycomb Wall" Crucible Construction"

2. CNKI's 2019 "Copper and Iron Walls forging the City"