The gate fell, there’s no door The people here are no more; Seven steps in, Seven steps out, Seventy two barrels of pickles in a store. This famous Fangshan District ballad is a clue to finding a hidden treasure. The seventy-two barrels of pickles actually refer to seventy two barrels of gold buried by the abbot for the reconstruction of a once magnificent temple. Do you want to join us, put on your Indiana Jones hat, and embark on a treasure hunt?
In order to better safeguard the Imperial Palace and Beijing, an impregnable defensive project known today as the Great Wall was proposed. The emperor’s father in law and trusted general Xu Da was put in charge of its construction. He started by completing a model Great Wall section for others to copy, based on experiences and lessons drawn from Great Wall projects in previous dynasties. That copy completed in the early 14th century, called the Yangbian Great Wall (or model wall on the border), still stands.