The Prince City Scenic Area consists of the Prince City of Jingjiang of the Ming Dynasty and Solitary Beauty Peak. The Prince City is a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level. The Jingjiang Prince City is also called the Guilin Prince City. It is located in the city center of Guilin, and the famous Solitary Beauty Peak stands right in the middle of the Prince City. Before Emperor Yuan Shun (Toghon Temür) ascended the throne, he once practiced at the Dayuan Temple in front of Solitary Beauty Peak. When Zhu Yuanzhang proclaimed himself emperor and enfeoffed princes, he granted his grandnephew Zhu Shouqian the title of Prince of Jingjiang and sent him to Guilin. The Prince City was the princely residence of the Prince of Jingjiang.
Ancient Architecture of the Prince City
The Prince City was first built in the fifth year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (1372) and was basically completed in the ninth year of Hongwu (1376). It has a history of more than 630 years, so the Guilin Prince City was completed more than 30 years earlier than the Forbidden City in Beijing. The Prince City is 557.5 meters long from north to south and 336 meters wide from east to west, covering an area of 187,000 square meters. The city wall is 7.92 meters high and 5.5 meters thick. It has four gates: Duanli, Guangzhi, Tiren, and Zunyi. On the left was the ancestral temple, and on the right was the altar of soil and grain. The buildings and scenic spots inside the city include the Chengyun Gate, Chengyun Hall, sleeping palace, Crescent Pool, rear garden, and so on. Various buildings such as Baoshan Hall, Qingyue Pavilion, Lingxu Terrace, Kexin Studio, Xuanwu Pavilion, and Sanshen Shrine were also fully equipped. In the imperial garden, one could go boating on the Crescent Pool. In the ninth year of Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty (1652), Kong Youde, Prince of Dingnan, could not resist the attack of the rebel army and set fire to the princely residence, reducing the buildings inside the city to ruins. At present, the city wall and the four gates are still intact. The buildings inside the city were rebuilt in imitation of ancient style on the original foundation after the end of the War of Resistance Against Japan.
Solitary Beauty Peak is located in the Jingjiang Prince City in the city center. It rises abruptly, steep and towering, majestic in momentum, and has long been known as "a pillar of the southern sky." The line "Guilin's scenery is the best under heaven" originates at the foot of this mountain. Therefore, many tourists come here to trace its source. Guilin Jingjiang Prince City is located in the city center of Guilin. It was the princely city built when Zhu Shouqian, grandnephew of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, was enfeoffed as Prince of Jingjiang. To the left of the city wall was the ancestral temple, and to the right was the altar of soil and grain. Inside the city were the Chengyun Gate and Chengyun Hall. Around the main palace buildings, many towers, halls, courtyards, pavilions, and chambers were also built, forming a magnificent architectural complex. "Only after seeing the Prince City can one know Guilin." The Solitary Beauty Peak Prince City Scenic Area, because one can climb high to view the panorama of Guilin and because of its unique historical and cultural heritage of Guilin, has become a spot recommended by many tourists.