Tónggǔ

Tonggu stands on a drum-shaped terrace surrounded by mountains on three sides in southeastern Guizhou. A Ming military post and its walled town were established here in the Hongwu reign, guarding a route through the Dong country. The walls were repaired repeatedly under the Ming and Qing; an inscription of 1616 commemorated one such rebuilding. In 1727 the Qing replaced Tonggu Guard with Jinping County, giving the old garrison town a new role as a civil seat.