Baili Seawall

Baili Seawall

Baili Seawall is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Zhejiang Province.

Baili Seawall is located in Shangyu District, Shaoxing City, dating back to the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Baili Seawall is situated in Shangyu District, Shaoxing City, and dates back to the Ming and Qing dynasties. It lies within the current boundaries of Shangyu City, starting from Longshantou in Baiguan in the south, extending north to Zhongli Village in Ejiao Township, then turning northwest to Lvjiabu in Sanlian Township, heading north again to Houni Village in Lihai Town, and finally turning east to end at the western foot of Xiagai Mountain. It is composed of three sections: the Qianjiang Seawall (from Longshantou in Baiguan to Zhangjiabu, i.e., 0+000 to 20+876); the Houhai Seawall of Kuaiji County (from Zhangjiatang to the east of Jiangshao Village, i.e., 20+876 to 29+514); and the Houhai Seawall of Shangyu (from the east of Jiangshao Village to Xiagai Mountain, i.e., 29+514 to 39+729), with a total length of 39.73 kilometers. It protects a population of 267,300 and 159,400 mu of farmland in Shangyu.

Since the Song Dynasty, the alignment of the Baili Seawall has remained largely unchanged. In the 22nd year of the Zhi Zheng era of the Yuan Dynasty (1362), Shi Wangyong of Shaoxing Route supervised its repair, laying 1,944 zhang of stone slab facing. Through the Ming and Qing dynasties, the seawall underwent multiple reconstructions, gradually expanding in scale. By the 13th year of the Republic of China (1924), concrete sections totaling 1,554.5 meters were built at Tancun and Tangwan. In 1949, the Baili Seawall was only 2 to 3 meters high, with multiple sections posing safety risks.

Starting in 1950, through a combination of state investment and farmer labor, three phases of construction were carried out on the Baili Seawall: emergency repairs and reinforcement, unified strengthening and embankment enhancement, and phased reinforcement of water-facing sections. Among these, the section from the east of Zhaojiacun to the Zhongli Fork Seawall featured a two-tier vertical stone-faced revetment on the water-facing side; a standard 1.72-kilometer section was constructed from Baiguan Overpass to Yutangxia; the Wanggongsha Seawall was built beyond the Zhongli Fork Seawall to Lvjiabu; the Baojiang Seawall was constructed from Huagong to Qianni; and from then on, the Baili Seawall gradually transitioned into a secondary line. Starting in 1969, the area outside the Baili Seawall saw land reclamation in the Liujiu Qiu tidal flats, with various embankments built from Houni to Xiagai Mountain, placing the Baili Seawall as a secondary or tertiary reserve seawall.

On January 13, 2017, it was announced by the People’s Government of Zhejiang Province as part of the seventh batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units