The Ruins of the Zhailou Courtyard Enclosure Wall

The Ruins of the Zhailou Courtyard Enclosure Wall

The Ruins of the Zhailou Courtyard Enclosure Wall are a cultural heritage site protected by Dongtou County.

The Ruins of the Zhailou Courtyard Enclosure Wall are located in Zhailou Village, Damen Town, Dongtou County. They were built during the Xianfeng reign (1851–1861) of the Qing Dynasty by Zhang Ruigu, a successful scholar who made his fortune through trade. Faced with foreign invasions, he and his three brothers invested heavily to construct warships, recruit and train brave fighters, and valiantly resist pirates to protect their homeland. The Zhailou residences were their former home. Originally facing south and covering an area of approximately 2,000 square meters, the complex was backed by the sea and faced Laiqifeng Peak. Enclosures were built on the east, west, and north sides, with gates on the east and west, and gunports on the northern wall equipped with traditional cannons. Inside the courtyard, there were pavilions, terraces, and towers, as well as a garden, a decorative screen, and a natural stone cave in the back, creating a serene and picturesque environment. During the Guangxu reign (1875–1908), scholar Zhang Hongwen opened the Liuyin Study Hall here. Today, the main courtyard has been destroyed, leaving only the decorative screen and the stone cave.

Source: Wenzhou Museum

Damen Town: As the largest administrative town in terms of land area within Dongtou County — an archipelago known as the “County of a Hundred Islands” — Damen Town comprises islands such as Damei Island, Xiaomen Island, and Beixiaomen Island, covering a total land area of 36.26 square kilometers. Located in the northwest of Dongtou County, at the southern end of Yueqing Bay, Damen Town borders Taizhou and faces Yuhuan County across the sea to the north, looks toward Wenzhou Bay and neighbors Wenzhou’s Lucheng District and Longwan District to the west, is separated from Niyu and Zhuangyuan’ao by waterways to the south, and lies along the East China Sea to the east. Among them, Damei Island spans 28.69 square kilometers, making it the largest island in Wenzhou City; Xiaomen Island lies to the north of Damei Island, covering 4.62 square kilometers, and is home to Asia’s largest... More details about Damen Town++