The Golden Frontier Trench

Known as "Kherem" in Mongolian, the Golden Frontier Trench literally means "wall". The sections of the Golden Frontier Trench within Huade County comprise a complete defensive system including trenches, earthen ramparts, moat forts and frontier stockades.

The main trenches measure 8 to 10 meters wide and 4 to 5 meters deep. The ramparts are divided into primary and secondary ones. The primary ramparts stand 6 to 8 meters high and stretch 8 to 10 meters wide. All construction materials were sourced locally: earth excavated from flat ground was tamped to build ramparts, while mountain stones were stacked for construction in hilly zones. Crenellations were built along the top of primary ramparts. A bastion was erected roughly every 150 meters, with small barracks atop for garrison troops to rest. Small gateways were also set on the primary ramparts for access, each fronted by an outer barbican that resembled bastions in appearance, boosting the gate’s concealment and defensive capability. The vertical distance from the trench bottom to the rampart crest reaches 10 to 13 meters, forming a defensive barrier with functions similar to a city wall.

To reinforce the primary ramparts, secondary ramparts and secondary trenches were built between the main ramparts and front trenches. The secondary ramparts stand about 4 meters high and 5 meters wide, while the secondary trenches are 4 to 5 meters in depth, length and width.

Moat forts are square-shaped, with each side of the fort wall around 100 meters long, matching the primary ramparts in height and width. Built on the inner side of the main ramparts, each moat fort contained living quarters and military storehouses to station small garrisons and stockpile weapons. Gates and stairways linked each fort to the primary ramparts. Moat forts were generally spaced 3 to 7 kilometers apart, strategically sited at vantage points with superior terrain for enemy surveillance.

Frontier stockades are larger fortified border towns with complete supporting facilities, constructed at dangerous terrain behind the trenches, ramparts and moat forts. Equipped with full military installations and encircled by outer moats, each stockade functioned as a self-sustaining combat stronghold. Integrated with the entire trench-rampart-fort system, frontier stockades allowed troops to sally forth for attacks or hold their ground when retreating, surpassing moat forts in both scale and defensive robustness. The Jin Dynasty built this frontier trench system to block southern incursions by northern nomadic tribes, which carried notable military value in its era.

Today, as a colossal ancient Chinese military defensive project, the Golden Great Wall serves as vital physical evidence for scholars at home and abroad studying ancient Chinese wall construction and military operations. The People’s Government of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has listed the Golden Great Wall as a Major Protected Cultural Relic, and local tourism authorities have developed featured tourist routes centered on the site. On June 25, 2001, the ruins of the Golden Frontier Trench were designated one of the Fifth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.