Gaoling

Gaoling is a large town located within a mountain range in the southern Earth Kingdom.

Gaoling is home to both the wealthy Bei Fong family and Earth Rumble VI. An old, well-established city, Gaoling has a broad spectrum of people residing in it, ranging from the very rich to the very poor.

The town has been untouched by the War, due to it not being in a particularly strategic location. This is made evident by the attitude of many of its residents.

History


Aang, Katara and Sokka visited the town in the spring of 100 ASC and attended an Earth Rumble Tournament in hopes of finding an Earthbending master for Aang. The search was successful and Toph Bei Fong joined the group to teach the Avatar Earthbending, defying her father and mother by doing so.

Layout and Description
Gaoling lies in a valley with steep rock hillsides surrounding it. Most of the citizens inside the town are middle class people whose families have lived in the town for many generations. On the outskirts of the town are very large, expansive estates where the wealthiest families such as the Bei Fongs live.

Master Yu's Earthbending Academy
Built recently by Master Yu as a school for his students, the Earthbending Academy is a large building with a walled central courtyard. Before each class, Master Yu puts out different sized rocks in the courtyard for the students to practice Earthbending with. This large courtyard is an ideal place for the young Earthbenders to train. Here, they can sling rocks around without accidentally hurting any passersby.

Bei Fong Estate
The Bei Fong Estate is a large home owned by the one of the richest families in the southern Earth Kingdom. The estate has a large garden surrounding it as well as the symbol of a Flying Boar over the front gate. The estate is guarded by at least two guards whose uniforms are similar to an Earthbending soldier's, save that they are colored with white and green instead of the usual green and brown.

Earth Rumble Stadium
A large underground wrestling stadium, known as Earth Rumble VI, is owned by its host, Xin Fu. It consists of a large rectangular stone platform for Earthbenders to battle on. Around this are rows of seats for spectators. The stadium is lit with glowing green gemstones hanging on the ceiling. Residents pay admission to see powerful Earthbending masters battle it out in the ring.

Trivia

 * Gaoling (高陵) meaning "tall hill", is also a name of a county in Shaanxi, a central province in China. In the Avatar World, it is located in the south, which coincidentally goes with Toph's knowledge of Chu Gar, otherwise known as Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu.
 * The clothing and hairstyles in Gaoling are heavily influenced by those from the Tang Dynasty of ancient China.

Notable Figures

 * Toph Bei Fong
 * Lao Bei Fong
 * Poppy Bei Fong
 * Master Yu
 * Xin Fu
 * The Boulder
 * The Gecko
 * Headhunter
 * The Gopher
 * The Hippo