Baotou characters: Ma Sheng, the general soldier of Datong in the Qing Dynasty, was ordered to garrison Baotou and build the city walls and the West Pavilion

Ma Sheng ,字級之, Sichuan people, the general soldier of Datong in the late Qing Dynasty, was later stationed in Baotou Town. The year of birth and death is unknown.

In the fifth year of Qing Tongzhi (1866 AD), in order to defend against the Ma Hualong Huimin rebel army and the twist army in Gansu to advance north, Ma Sheng was ordered to lead an army to garrison Baotou and take charge of defense. The following year, in order to strengthen the military facilities of the city defense, two camps in the east and west were built in the north beam of Baotou Town, with infantry in the east camp and cavalry in the west camp. In the seventh year of Tongzhi (1868 AD), Ma Sheng was ordered to build the Baotou City Wall. Merchants in Baotou Town worked with Qing soldiers to dig ditches and transport soil to build walls. By the end of the year, a city wall stood tall outside the camp and was the northern wall. In the winter of that year, Ma Zhenghe led the Huimin army to attack Baotou Town, Zhaojun Tomb, Shili Long Beach and other places, and Ma Sheng led his army to meet the attack, forcing the Hui army to retreat. In the twelfth year of Tongzhi (1873 AD), the city wall of Baotou Town was completed.

Baotou city wall, all made of earth, the city wall is 1 zhang 5 feet high, the base base is 2 zhang wide, the top of the wall is 1 zhang wide, the pheasant wall is 6 feet high and 1.5 feet thick. There are five gates in the west, south (the new and old second south gate), east, northeast and northwest, and the circumference of the city wall is 14 miles. Ma Sheng also used the remaining materials from the construction of the city to build a west loft on the west street of the city. In the west attic there is a horse rising iron halberd, which is about 2 zhang long and weighs more than 200 pounds. The inscription on the halberd reads "Recorded Name JianFang Admiral junmen town shou shanxi da equal local control of Yanmen Sanguan general town governor's mansion Guanyong Batuluma (Baturu, Manchu for warrior, bestowed on officials who have made meritorious achievements in battle, Guanyong is the Chinese character yong number)". The halberd is facing west to show the instrument of the town's west. Since then, Baotou has taken the rudiments of the county town.

At the beginning of Ma Sheng's garrison in Bao, the four wild thieves were rampant, and the former town guards Han Gang and Xiao Ming colluded with the bandits. The Northwest Hui rebel army advanced into Baotou, and Han Gang and Xiao Ming planned to surrender. Ma Sheng instructed the general Shi Shaoyuan to capture and execute Xiao Han.

During Ma Sheng's stay in Bao, he raised funds to build the Daxiong Treasure Hall of the Lü zu hall of the Miaofa Temple, and buried the warhorse with his warhorses for many years next to the Lü Zu Hall and erected a monument to commemorate it.

In the fourth year of qing guangxu (1878 AD), Ma Sheng left office.

Source: Baotou City Chronicle, Volume 1, June 2007. Huang Xiang (Yin Shan Worm) finished in December 2021