Lashan Beacon Tower

Lashan Beacon Tower

Lashan Beacon Tower

Lashan Beacon Tower The Lashan Beacon Tower is located on Qianlashan Mountain in Dashiqiao City. It is a beacon tower built during the Ming Dynasty, constructed with rammed earth inside and faced with large blue bricks — known as the Qianlashan Beacon Tower. The base of the tower is laid with three layers of granite slabs, forming a square shape with each side measuring

10.8 meters, with a remaining height of 8 meters. The top narrows slightly, with each side measuring 10 meters. At the southwest corner of the tower, remnants of crenellations remain, standing 0.9 meters high.

Historical records indicate that during the Ming Dynasty, coastal provinces were frequently harassed by Japanese pirates, making life unbearable for local residents.

In response, the imperial court established defensive strongholds along the coast. These coastal defense installations were categorized as wei (garrisons), suo (stations), bao (forts), zhai (stockades), and guan (passes). At that time, from Guangdong in the south to Liaodong in the north, a total of 180 wei and suo were established, overseeing 1,662 subordinate forts, stockades, passes, and beacon towers. In the mid-Ming Dynasty, due to increased pirate invasions, many more strongholds were added. According to historical maps, this beacon tower was manned by three soldiers on duty and was under the jurisdiction of Gaizhou Wei. The Qianlashan Beacon Tower is a municipal-level cultural heritage site and remains largely well-preserved to this day. Visitors to the site can’t help but be struck by its strategically perilous location.