Gàizhōu

Gaizhou's Ming guard town stood on the old site of Chenzhou, controlling the north–south road through southern Liaodong. Commander Wu Yu began its construction in 1372. In 1376 the southern side was enlarged and faced with brick; the town had three gates, opening east, south and west, each with a gate tower. During the Jiajing reign, commander Lu Pei added defensive platforms at the four corners.

The road carried military grain and supplies between Liaoyang and the southern peninsula. Merchants also reached Gaizhou by sailing up the Daqing River to the landing outside its southern suburb. Under Qing rule, the route linking Shengjing with Lüshun continued through the town, combining official postal traffic with commerce. The walls were repaired in 1778. Gaizhou's fortified centre thus served both the provisioning of frontier government and the movement of goods between river landings and inland roads.