resting against the hills that enclose it on the S and SE, even almost on the E. The town is intersected by the river Lo ho, the valley of which divides the hills in two. At this time of year there was only a little water in the bed of the river, which was a few dozen feet in width. The wall of the fortress is about 49 feet high, built of baked bricks, but without a moat or outer protected area. A continuation of this wall, but of pounded clay, encloses the crest of the nearest hills. The wall facing the river is built in a semicircle. To the S, W and N (?) there are brick towers of four storeys with 8 embrasures for guns towards the plain and 2 towards either side in each storey. There are many small clay houses on the ramparts. The gates are double and of the usual construction and size. The river, which makes a slight curve just before it reaches the town, is about a mile wide, but narrows down to about 2/3 of a mile just before the wall. At this spot a ferry carries travellers across, when they take the highway to Tai-yuan-fu. The opposite bank has a steep fall that slopes away to the west. Further off in the NE the grey hills of Shansi can be seen.
The town of Tung Kwang is said to have been built in the days of Shih Hwang Ti (the builder of the Great Wall). It was probably subsequently destroyed by wars and floods, for there is nothing to be seen to indicate such a remote period. The temples and monuments are not more than a few centuries old and there is no mention of ancient ruins. — A Taotai, a Tinguan and a Hsietai reside in the town. It is of importance owing to its
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