From hinterland granary fort to frontier mountain fortress: Initiation, construction, and expansion of the Diaoyucheng Fortress, Hechuan, China, in the wars during 1125–1279 by Wen Huang, Jiang Feng

“…This fortress became famous for its 36-year resistance against the Mongols and the death of Möngke Khan in 1259. Based on historical documents and data from re-analysis of archaeological report and field survey, this study explores its initiation, construction and transition, to build a coherent narrative for its transformation from a hinterland transport hub during the Song-Jin War (1125–1234) to a frontier stronghold during the Song-Mongol War (1235–1279), which experiences the establishment of Zhuanban Granary in the 1130s, the construction of Xinyuguan Fort in the 1160s–1170s, the transformation into a refuge in 1240, and the expansion into the Diaoyucheng Fortress in 1243–1279. …”
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