The Haiyan Chihai Temple Section and Haining Section of the Qiantang River Seawall

The Haiyan Chihai Temple Section and Haining Section of the Qiantang River Seawall

The Haiyan Chihai Temple Section and Haining Section of the Qiantang River Seawall are listed as Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level.

The Haiyan Chihai Temple Section of the Qiantang River Seawall, also known as the "Fish-Scale Seawall," is situated along the Hangzhou Bay area in the eastern part of Wuyuan Subdistrict, Haiyan County, Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province. This segment extends from the north side of the Nantaitou Sluice in the south to Chengbei Road in the north, covering a length of about 2,300 meters, and is a key component of the Qiantang River Seawall. The Fish-Scale Seawall was initially constructed in the 21st year of the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty (1542), designed by Huang Guangsheng, the Water Conservancy Commissioner of Zhejiang, to defend against seawater intrusion. Huang Guangsheng’s Fish-Scale Seawall employed a method of stacking stones in a five-vertical-and-five-horizontal pattern. The base was grooved and pile-driven, with the first and second layers arranged in staggered “ding”-shaped formations, while the third and fourth layers reduced to a five-vertical-and-four-horizontal pattern, overlapping layer by layer up to eighteen tiers. It connects to Haining in the south and Pinghu in the north. Over the dynasties, the structure was expanded and maintained, with repairs carried out during the Qianlong and Daoguang eras of the Qing Dynasty. The current seawall is a gravity-type fish-scale stone wall, mostly featuring double-layered fish-scale construction, with wooden piles beneath. On the seaward side, there are slope protections and “ding”-shaped spur dikes, along with a wave barrier atop the wall. The Fish-Scale Seawall serves as a tangible testament to the history, culture, economy, military affairs, and water conservancy infrastructure of Haiyan County, holding significant historical value. It remains well-preserved and in active use, having been designated as a Provincial-Level Cultural Relics Protection Unit of Zhejiang Province in 2017.

On October 7, 2019, the Haiyan Chihai Temple Section and Haining Section of the Qiantang River Seawall were included in the eighth batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level.

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level