Buzi (fortification)
Buzi are small forts built along the northern frontier of China. They are prevalent in the Loess Plateau of Shaanxi and Gansu province, usually square or oval (as hill forts) and built out of rammed earth walls. The forts are built on hilltops, at strategic locations or within villages. A large number of forts are found in Tianshui (over 500) and Dingxi prefectures, totalling over 1400 forts. One of the densest concentration of forts is Tongwei County, which has the nickname "thousand forts county" (千堡之县). Qin'an County is home to three larger castles.[1]
| Buzi | |
|---|---|
| Tianshui and Dingxi Gansu | |
 Locations of some Buzi in Tianshui and Dingxi prefectures | |
| Type | Defensive line |
| Site information | |
| Condition | varies |
| Site history | |
| Built | Qin dynasty, Dungan Revolt |
| In use | Qin dynasty, Song dynasty, Qing dynasty, Dungan Revolt Sino-Japanese War |
| Materials | Rammed earth, loess earth |
| Buzi | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simplified Chinese | 堡子 | ||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 堡子 | ||||||
| Literal meaning | "Dwarf fort" | ||||||
| |||||||
Although each fort may not be impressive on its own, the combined defense line of forts has been compared to the Great Wall of China.[1]
Usage
Although some of the forts date back to the Qin dynasty, they have been used as late as the Sino-Japanese war. During the Dungan Revolt, villagers sought refuge from the raiding and fighting in these forts, and new forts were even constructed with the same methods.[1] As of now, most of the forts lie abandoned, partly due to the difficulty of reaching the hilltops. The courtyards of some forts have filled by farmhouses or Taoist temples.
The defenders inside the forts varied, with some larger forts being permanently manned by trained military, smaller ones were just refuge places for villagers from nearby.
References
- Zhao, Lingyi (赵凌艺). 天水秦安三大古堡 历经沧桑后的沉默姿态（图） (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2016-01-17. Retrieved 2016-11-06.
- 《远方的家》长城内外 第107集 长城脚下 成纪故地 20160322 ["Inside and Outside the Great Wall" Episode 107 Below the Great Wall A legacy 20160322] (in Chinese and English). CCTV. 22 March 2016.