Jimingyi Ancient City, a postal museum

Not far from the Yellow Emperor City in Zhuolu, on the west side of Huailai County, at the foot of Jiming Mountain, lies an ancient city with a long history—Jiming Ancient Post Station. This ancient city is not only the largest and best-preserved post station complex in China, but also a precious cultural heritage that has witnessed countless historical changes.

The history of Jiming Ancient Post Station can be traced back to the Yuan Dynasty, when Genghis Khan opened a post station here during his westward campaign. In the Ming Dynasty, Jiming Post Station was expanded into the largest station on the way from Xuanhua Prefecture to the capital. Important facilities such as the postmaster's office, granaries, guesthouses, and stables were established within the city. During the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, there were 250 permanent station soldiers, 45 station workers, and 82 station horses, which shows its large scale and important status. The construction of the city walls began in the eighth year of Chenghua (1472) of the Ming Dynasty and was renovated with bricks in the fourth year of Longqing (1570).

The Jiming Post Station city is roughly square, with rammed earth walls covered with bricks. It is 460 meters long from east to west and 480 meters long from north to south, with a top width of 3-5 meters and a wall height of 11 meters. Four corner towers are evenly distributed on the four walls, with gates on the east and west sides. The gate lintels are respectively inscribed with the large characters "Jiming Mountain Post Station" and "Qi Chong Dou Niu".

The layout of the buildings within the ancient city is rigorous, with a main street running through the east and west gates, lined with shops, indicating a prosperous commercial atmosphere. There are 13 Buddhist and Taoist temples within the city, such as Taishan Temple, Wenchang Pavilion, and Caishen Temple. Among them, the Wenchang Temple is the best preserved, with a stone tablet recording the postmaster's donation to fund schools. The "Guesthouse Courtyard" in the northwest of the city, also known as the post station guesthouse, was a place for officials and postmen to dine and stay, and it is still well-preserved today. In particular, the wooden latch heads in the north room of the three-courtyard house are exquisitely carved, reflecting the superb craftsmanship of ancient artisans.

It is worth mentioning that the He Family Courtyard, located in the middle of the north side of the front street within the city, was the postmaster's office and the most elegant brick-wood structure in the entire city. There is a pair of jade lion statues in front of the gate. Inside, there is a five-courtyard complex, each courtyard with exquisite patterns and openwork brick carvings. In the 26th year of Guangxu (1900) of the Qing Dynasty, when the Eight-Power Allied Forces occupied Beijing, Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu stayed here, leaving behind the engraved brick inscription "Hongxi Jiefu".

With the passage of time, although Jiming Post Station has ended its historical mission as a post station, and most of the city is now residential houses, it still retains its original appearance. The city walls stand neatly, the gate arches are tall, and the ancient buildings and streets within the city tell of past prosperity. Today, it has become a popular filming location for the film and television industry, with many films and television works such as "Blood Battle of Taierzhuang" and "A Chinese Odyssey" having been filmed here.

It is introduced that Jiming Post Station is the largest existing, best-preserved, most complete in function, and most distinctive ancient post station in China, with important historical, artistic, and scientific value. It is called a "living fossil" of cultural relics and cryptography archaeology and enjoys the reputation of "the world's first post office", holding a leading position in the history of Chinese postal service.

Jiming Ancient Post Station is not only a tourist destination but also an important place to learn about and experience the history of China's postal service. Its existence allows us to glimpse a corner of the ancient postal system and feel the rhythm of life and cultural atmosphere of that era. For history enthusiasts and cultural explorers, Jiming Ancient Post Station is undoubtedly a precious and invaluable resource.