The Ancient City of Jimingyi Post House in Huailai County, Zhangjiakou

Chinese Name: 张家口市鸡鸣驿
English Name: The Ancient city of Jimingyi Post House in Huailai County, Zhangjiakou
Type: Historical site & Cultural site, Cultural relic
Best Time: Suitable for Summer and Autumn
Recommended Visiting Hours: 3 hours
Opening Hours: 7.00-17.00
Ticket: 40 RMB
Location: Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province

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Location of Jimingyi Post House

The Ancient city of Jimingyi Post House in Huailai County (Jimingyi/张家口怀来县鸡鸣驿城) is located in Jimingyi Township, Huailai County(怀来县), Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province, about 93 miles (150 kilometers) to the northwest of central Beijing.

Highlights

In 2001, the Jiming Post House was listed as a key historical and cultural site under state protection.
It was listed among the one hundred most endangered heritage sites in 2003 and 2005.
It is the largest and most complete ancient post station in the country.
In August 1996, in order to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of China Post, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications issued a set of commemorative stamps “Ancient Post Station”, one of which is the Chiming Post, which was founded in the Yuan Dynasty.

Background of Jimingyi Post House

It got its name from the nearby Jiming Mountain and “Jiming” literally means a crowing rooster. As the largest, best-preserved and most distinctive ancient post house along the north post road in ancient China, it is renowned as a “living fossil” for the archeological researches of post houses and confidential mails.

History of Jimingyi Post House

Jimingyi was built in the Yuan Dynasty. In 1219 AD, Genghis Khan(成吉思汗) led the Western Expedition to open up a post road on the main road leading to the Western Regions and set up post station. By the time of Kublai Khan, 1496 stations had been built in the whole country (excluding Mongolia), which was much larger than that in the Han and Tang Dynasties. In Mongolian, the post station is called” Zhanchi”(站赤).In the third year of the Emperor Qianlong(乾隆)of the Qing Dynasty (1738 A.D.), in order to strengthen the defense of the post city, the city wall was comprehensively repaired and a Kuixing Pavilion(魁星阁) was built on the wall of the southeastern corner of the city. In order to prevent flooding, a moat was built in the east of the city.
The post station once played an important role in the history of China. It can be said that it was the lifeline of a country. In ancient times, fast horses were used to transmit news and release official documents. Later, because the horse’s physical strength and running distance were very limited, it had to change horses halfway to complete the transmission of hundreds of kilometers, so many horse stations were built along the way. Later, such stations were built. The station has evolved into a temporary post for the reception of past officials and businessmen, and at the same time, it also serves as a military castle to transmit information and mail. It can be said that the post station played the role of modern post office and military base in ancient times.

Architectural Layout

Jimingyi Ancient City was a fortified postal relay or staging station, built and used during the Ming Dynasty. The extremely tall and thick walls have a total length of just under two kilometers, and were constructed in the same manner as some of the Great Wall: rammed earth in the middle, with an outer layer of bricks.In the past, this must have been a very important place: as well as the huge walls, other fortifications include large gates topped by towers, towers on each corner of the main walls, and more outside. Inside the walls, there are five main streets that divided the city into planned and orderly sections – administration in the middle, stables and barns at the north, and other areas for accommodation.

Main Attractions of The Ancient City of Jimingyi Post House

Hejia Courtyard(贺家大院)

The most famous “Hejia Grand Courtyard” in the post station was the place where Empress Dowager Cixi (慈禧)and Emperor Guangxu(光绪) fled and stayed when the Allied Forces of the Eight Kingdoms invaded Beijing. Up to now, there are four regular scripts inscribed on the wall of the Second Entrance courtyard, which are inscribed with bricks, “Hongxi Receives Fortune(鸿禧接福)”, as a memorial to the residence of Empress Dowager Cixi.

Taishan Temple(泰山庙)

Taishan Temple, it was built in Emperor Shunzhi(顺治), Qing Dynasty, has a history of more than 300 years. From April 13 to 18 of the lunar calendar, a grand Jiming Mountain Temple Fair was held here. The 15th day was the busiest day. Devote men and women from Beijing, Tianjin, Jin and Mongolia often visited the temple to worship incense and pray for peace.

How to Get to The Ancient City of Jimingyi Post House

Self-driving:
Driving along Badaling(八达岭) Expressway, take Jingzhang(京张) Highway along National Highway 110(110国道)to Jimingshan Crossing. Finally turning left and walk a short way, you will find it.
By bus:
Take bus No. 919 to Yanqing(延庆) and then take the local bus from Yanqing to Shacheng(沙城). After going to Shacheng, transfer to local minibus can go directly to Jimingyi Township, which takes about 30 minutes, and the fare is 5 yuan.
By Train:
You can also take K257 or 4439 trains to Shacheng (anther name of Huailai) at Beijing South Railway Station, and then transfer from the bus station to the public minibus to Jimingyi village after arriving at Shacheng.

Travel Tips

The Time of Selling Ticket
8:00-17:00; non-ticket sales time can find local people to lead into the city, usually charged about 20 yuan per person, but at this time, several residential attractions in the city may be closed.
Best Time to Visit
You can travel to The Ancient City of Jimingyi Post House all year around, but it suitable for travelling in Summer and Autumn.
Tickets
If you want a local guide, the price is 40-50 RMB.
Accommodation
You can stay at Huailai Hotel in the county town. The lowest standard room is 80 yuan per night. You can also lodge at some farm houses in the ancient city. Generally speaking, the standard for lodging in the suburbs of Beijing is 15 yuan a night. You can talk to them specifically. Yicheng Inn(驿城客栈) is also a good farmyard.

Reasons You might Enjoy this Trip

It’s not a hiking trip – mostly sightseeing and a lot of walking around. You can enjoy the passion of local people.
You will be excited when you see The Ancient city of Jimingyi Post House, the buildings are fantastic.