Shou County, a lesser-known ancient city under the administration of Huainan, is worth a visit

The ancient city wall of Shou County was built during the Xining period of the Northern Song Dynasty (1068-1077), and it has been repaired multiple times during the Ming and Qing dynasties, with a history of over 900 years. The ancient city wall is roughly square in shape, with a chessboard-style layout, a perimeter of 7147 meters, a height of 9.7 meters, a base width of 18-20 meters, and a top width of 6-10 meters. The area within the city is 3.65 square kilometers. The foundation of the city wall is built with large stones, and the middle of the wall is compacted with clay. Interestingly, the outer wall is covered with extra-large blue bricks, while the inner wall is not covered with bricks but is a dirt slope. It is said that the seams between bricks and stones are filled with a mixture of tung oil, glutinous rice juice, and lime paste. The city wall is equipped with 'enemy towers' and 'alarm towers', and the top of the wall is lined with 'crenellations', which are low walls with battlements. The city has four gates, each inscribed with its name: Bin Yang in the east, Tong Fei in the south, Ding Hu in the west, and Jing Huai in the north, each with a barbican except for the south gate. According to local residents, the east and north gates are the old city gates, while the south and west gates have been rebuilt in recent years. There is a moat outside the city. The uniqueness of the ancient city wall of Shou County lies in its unique water level regulation system! In the first year of the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty (1573), Shou County saw the emergence of 'moon dams'. The so-called moon dam is a cylindrical dam wall built of brick and stone structures, with the corner of the inner city's conduit as the center, rising above the city wall. It is surrounded by a thick embankment, and from a distance, it looks like a small hill. Inside the moon dam, there are stone steps that lead down, and at the bottom of the dam, there are brick spirals with several gates. The moon dam has four functions: first, it protects the sluice overall, isolating it from the outside and avoiding the inundation of internal river water; second, it allows the gates to be opened and closed at any time, controlling the flow at will; third, it enables timely comparison of internal and external water levels; fourth, it completely eliminates the hidden danger of external water backflow causing disasters. During the reconstruction in the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, the east and west moon dams were respectively honored with the titles 'Chong Yong Zha Liu' and 'Jin Tang Gong Gu'. There were originally three moon dams, one each in the northeast, northwest, and southwest of the city, but only the northeast and northwest ones remain. Overall, Shou County ancient city is not crowded with tourists. The main roads within the city are spacious, with many parking spaces and parking lots along the road. There is a ring road inside the city wall, making it very convenient for self-driving tours. It is important to note that only the south gate allows vehicle entry and exit. In addition to the four city gates and the east and west moon dams, there are many cultural relics and historical sites within the city, such as the Confucian Temple, the Mosque, the Bao'en Temple, the Zhou Shu Qiao Tower, and the Shouzhou General Military Office, all of which are worth a visit, and the key point is that they are all free!