In the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 B.C.) the city was the capital of Kingdom of Chu. Its earth-structure walls were firstly built in the third century ordered by Guan Yu, a hero of the Three Kingdoms era. Later in the Ming Dynasty, it was reconstructed with bricks and stones. The existing one is extended in the Qing Dynasty and known as the best preserved.

The solid rampart surrounded by moats boast as a iron-case with slab basements and bricks walls. Sticky rice poured into the crevice to reinforce solidity. Having been the capital of over twenty kingdoms, it has rich excavations of Chu Culture.