Help | Sitemap | Archive | Advanced Search | Mirror in USA   
  CHINA
  BUSINESS
  OPINION
  WORLD
  SCI-EDU
  SPORTS
  LIFE
  FEATURES
  PHOTO GALLERY

Message Board
Feedback
Voice of Readers
China Quiz
 China At a Glance
 Constitution of the PRC
 State Organs of the PRC
 CPC and State Leaders
 Chinese President Jiang Zemin
 White Papers of Chinese Government
 Selected Works of Deng Xiaoping
 English Websites in China
Help
About Us
SiteMap
Employment

U.S. Mirror
Japan Mirror
Tech-Net Mirror
Edu-Net Mirror
 
Saturday, August 12, 2000, updated at 09:53(GMT+8)
Life  

Ancient Chinese Built High Walls to Control Fire

Evidence from documents and tombstones in east China's Anhui Province shows that during the Ming Dynasty people knew how to control fires.

In areas near picturesque Mount Huangshan in southern Anhui, there are a number of well-preserved, ancient buildings - many with high walls.

Archaeologists say the major function of such walls was to control the spread of fires.

During the Ming dynasty, from the 14th to 17th century, Huangshan was known as Huizhou.

According to one of the tombstones, fires used to break out frequently in Huizhou.

So a local governer ordered the people to build courtyard walls higher than the building roofs to prevent fires spreading.

The tombstone also says the official ordered courtyards to be shared by no more than five households to diminish losses caused by fires.




In This Section
 

Evidence from documents and tombstones in east China's Anhui Province shows that during the Ming Dynasty people knew how to control fires.

Advanced Search


 


 


Copyright by People's Daily Online, all rights reserved