The Beijing Municipal Institute of Archaeology announced on 31 October that it had excavated an early Great Wall garrison fort at Dalinggou village in Shisanling town, Changping district, mainly dating from the Northern Qi to the Sui. It is the first time Sui-era Great Wall remains have been identified in the Beijing area.
According to Guangming Online and other Chinese media, the institute released the results at the closing ceremony of the fourth Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei archaeology exchange and the 2026 Beijing Public Archaeology Season, held at the Expo Garden Park in Yanqing district on 31 October. The excavation was carried out on the institute’s own initiative from 16 August to 9 October 2026.
광고 문의 · 300×250The site sits on a commanding height north of the Juyongguan Pass and was built along the mountain slope. Sina reported that the better-preserved wall is about 5.5 metres wide and nearly 5 metres high. A gate, passageway, wall, house remains and a retaining wall have been found, along with house foundations and post holes.
Dating and significance
Finds reported include roof tiles and Sui-dynasty Wuzhu coins. Combining excavated artefacts, historical records and expert review, the researchers judged the site’s main period to be the Northern Qi and Sui, with some continued use in the Jin dynasty. The detailed basis for the dating and the quantity of finds were not set out in the reports checked.
Chinese media say the discovery is important for studying the date, location, route and military defence system of Beijing’s early Great Wall, and also bears on where Sui-era walls ran in Hebei and Shanxi. Archaeologist Shang Heng said the site was chosen for easy access to water and control of the valley, balancing daily life and military defence.
The excavated area, overall layout and a formal excavation report appear not to have been released. As this is an early announcement by the research institute, the dating and the site’s place in the wall system may be refined by further study and peer review.
