Recall a time when Shanghai was defined by its walls. The South Gate once stood as a vital part of Shanghai’s defense. It was a place of bustling activity and strict rules.
The birth of Shanghai is pinned to 1291. It became a county subordinate to Songjiang. For 250 years, Shanghai grew. It remained shapeless until coastal pirates invaded in 1553. This invasion prompted the construction of a defense wall. The South Gate became part of this.
The pirates were contraband traders of various origins. They sailed the coast defying Ming proscription. They attacked rich settlements like Shanghai. Building the wall only took three months. The wall was eight to ten meters high. It was made of tamped earth faced with black bricks. The moat was six meters deep and twenty meters wide. It connected to the Huangpu River. Drawbridges could be lifted anytime.
After the fortifications, no force could surprise Shanghai. Invaders had to cross the moat. They had to cross a drawbridge near one of the six city gates. This would be in full view of armed soldiers. Guards locked the city gates at eight in the evening. They used huge wooden bolts. People lingering in riverside markets had to bribe guards. They could wait outside until sunrise. They would be in the company of bamboo cages. These cages contained decapitated heads of criminals.
Fan Lian sponsored the city wall. In 1556, pirates tried to rob Shanghai again. During the day, the pirates hid at the foot of the wall. They put up ladders to climb over. Yang Tian shouted. A pirate killed Yang Tian. Local troops attacked. They stabbed invaders. The crowd dropped bricks and stones on them. Sixty-seven pirates drowned in the moat. Sacrifices are offered to Yang Tian to this day.
Initially, the city wall had six gates. Four were big and two were small. They allowed passage for pedestrians and boats. In 1860, a north-facing gate was added. This eased access to foreign settlements. These settlements grew to the north. In 1906, inner-city creeks were filled. Three new gates were cut through the wall. In 1912, the wall was torn down. The moat was filled and paved.
Many western travelers found the city wall fascinating. Rev. C. E. Darwent proposed a walking route on top of the city wall. The whole route was about 4 km long. It would take about one hour.
The Big South Gate was the terminus. It was the end of the only wide and straight avenue. This avenue started at the magistrate’s office. The county magistrate could assign cruel punishments. The death penalty required an edict. Officials would parade on horseback. They would leave the walled city through the Big South Gate. They would ride on a drawbridge. The bridge would be lifted behind them.
The city wall was torn down in 1912-1914. Shanghai citizens helped dismantle it. They salvaged bricks to repair their houses. The earth filled the moat. A ring road emerged.
Today, only small sections of the wall remain. The Dajing Ge Pavillon museum is one of the towers. In 2006, a seventy-meter section of the wall was found. It was hidden between houses. Developers rebuilt part of it. It became a ruin in front of an apartment complex.
The South Gate is a reminder. It stands as a testament to Shanghai’s resilience. It recalls a time of pirates, sieges, and eventual transformation.