Wenzhou Watchtowers

Wenling Watchtowers

The Wenling Watchtowers are listed as cultural heritage conservation units of Zhejiang Province.

The Twin Watchtowers in Cushatou Village are located south of the village committee building in Cushatou Village, Shitang Town, Wenling City, Zhejiang Province. According to local residents, the site where the twin watchtowers stand was originally a courtyard-style building constructed during the Republican era by a local landlord named Lin Bancen. The twin watchtowers were built on either side of the east and west wing rooms and connected to the back gate. During the War of Resistance Against Japan, the courtyard was burned down in the war, leaving only the twin watchtowers. The western watchtower faces east and is a three-story wooden and stone structure. It measures 9.6 meters in length from north to south and 4.5 meters in width from east to west, with a height of about 9 meters, covering an area of 43.2 square meters. The walls are built with regularly stacked block stones, making them thick and sturdy, at 0.6 meters thick. The walls have square windows and long slit-like gun ports. It has a hip-and-gable roof covered with small green tiles. The eastern watchtower is symmetrical to the western one, sharing the same design, but slightly wider from east to west at 4.65 meters, covering an area of 44.64 square meters. Most residential buildings with watchtowers in Wenling have only a single watchtower, and those with two are rare. The Twin Watchtowers in Cushatou Village are currently the only known surviving pair, thus holding certain historical value.

Cushatou Village: Located along the northern coastal area of Shitang Town, Cushatou Village lies west of the Linsi Highway, adjacent to the Cheshi Tunnel and docks, enjoying highly convenient water and land transportation as well as prime regional advantages. The village covers an area of 0.090 square kilometers, with 522 households and a population of 1,467. It owns 34 steel fishing boats and hosts eight enterprises including aquatic product freezing and processing. The village has 42 party members and a nine-member village committee. With fixed collective assets and available funds totaling 600,000 yuan, the village’s collective economic income in 2015 was 380,000 yuan, mainly derived from fishing boats. The annual per capita income of villagers is 15,800 yuan, primarily from fishing activities... For more detailed information on Cushatou Village ++

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Cultural Heritage Conservation Units of Zhejiang Province