North Gate of Sanshan Fort

North Gate of Sanshan Fort

The North Gate of Sanshan Fort is a cultural relic protection unit of Cixi City.

During the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty, the coastal regions of Fujian and Zhejiang suffered frequent raids by Japanese pirates. Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang ordered Shixian, Duke of Xinguo and one of the founding heroes, to establish garrisons and forts along the eastern Zhejiang coast to strengthen maritime defense. Like other military installations in eastern Zhejiang, Sanshan Fort was a product of the military struggles under those specific historical circumstances. Sanshan Fort is today’s Hushan Subdistrict in the urban area of Cixi City.

The Guangxu-era Annals of Yuyao County recorded: “Sanshan Fort is located in Hushan, Meichuan District One. Commonly called Hushan City, it faces the sea to the east and connects to Linshan to the west.” The fort housed 15 officers including a commander (qianhu) and stationed 1,120 banner troops, overseeing seven beacon towers including Lishan, Meishan, Caishan, Wushan, and Danshan, and was under the jurisdiction of Guanhai Guard. Construction of Sanshan Fort began in the 20th year of the Hongwu era (1387) under the supervision of Qianhu Liu Qiaozhu. The walls spanned three li and 110 paces, standing 1.6 zhang high. During the Yongle era, the walls were raised by six chi, with a base thickness of 4.5 zhang and a top width half that. There were four land gates, one water gate, four watchtowers, four corner towers, 635 crenellations, one barracks hall, four drawbridges, four enemy towers, one watchtower, six bunkers, and one lookout platform. The moat was 1.3 zhang deep and 3.8 zhang wide, encircling the fort with a perimeter of 660 zhang, forming a formidable stronghold against the pirates.

In the 34th year of the Jiajing era (1555), pirates captured Shanglin and raided Meichuan, leaving nothing but desolation in their wake. On the 24th of May, pirates invaded Hushan Fort. Led by Battalion Commander Liu Chao’en, the soldiers and civilians of Sanshan Fort fiercely defended the fortress, repelling repeated attacks and forcing the pirates into continuous retreat. The heroic resistance of the Sanshan Fort defenders bought crucial time for the troops in Guancheng and Longshan to prepare for battle, and made an indelible contribution to the complete annihilation of the pirates along the northern Zhejiang coast by anti-pirate generals such as Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou.

Starting from the Qing Dynasty, the military function of Sanshan Fort gradually diminished, later evolving into a residential and commercial hub for locals. After 1954, it became the county seat and the political, economic, and cultural center of Cixi. With the expansion of Hushan’s urban area and accelerated infrastructure development, only the ruins of the North Gate of Sanshan Fort remain today. The wall ruins stand 3.1 meters high, 3.8 meters wide, and extend 5 meters deep, all constructed with staggered stone blocks. The outline of the three-pillar, five-rafter, five-bay fortress tower with a flush-gable roof and the surrounding barbican are still clearly distinguishable. In December 2003, the People’s Government of Cixi City designated the North Gate of Sanshan Fort as a Cultural Relic Protection Unit in its fifth list.