Beijing-Zhangjiakou high speed railway
Crowing Post House (Huailai Station)
Updated: Dec 24, 2019
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Crowing Post House
鸡鸣驿城
Huailai Station
Address: 139 township road, Jimingyi township, Huailai county, Zhangjiakou city, Hebei province
Hours: 8:00-17:00
As the best reserved post structure with the largest scale discovered so far, the Crowing Post House (Jiming Yi) is located at the westernmost part of Huailai county, North China's Hebei province. It is named after the mountain lying to its northwest.
Post house, a special architectural type, used to play an essential role in the postal service and information transmitting in ancient times. Built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Crowing Post House functioned as a transport hub and a military garrison in the region, showing great strategic significance.
Unlike traditional post houses, the Crowing Post House presents a grand scale, in which structures of various functions are located, such as the post stage, military administrative regions, residential housings, shops and temples. Its reasonable layout helps to coordinate the different facilities.
Furthermore, the buildings in the town also display a brilliant architectural culture, where many temples have beautiful murals. The Temple of Mount Tai (Taishan Miao), for example, houses 48 complete pictures of the Sovereign of the Clouds of Dawn (Bixia Yuanjun), one of the most popular Taoist goddesses. With illustrations on each, all the pictures are delicately designed with human figures, flowers, birds and auspicious animals. Murals in the Temple of the God of Wealth (Caishen Miao) presents a different style, where the images are broadly decorated with gold powder or foil to create a splendid effect. Though faded and mottled, people can still appreciate the elegant brushwork and colorful style.
Brick carving, an ancient masonry technique, is widely seen in the buildings of the town. Images from legendary tales and patterns with cultural implications are commonly reflected on the screen walls, roofs and rake angles.
In the east of the walled town is a museum themed on the post system, where you can get a good understanding of the history of ancient Chinese postal culture.
