Shitangshan Beacon Tower

Shitangshan Beacon Tower

Shitangshan Beacon Tower is a cultural heritage site protected by Cixi City.

Looking east from Fulong Mountain, you can see the remains of an ancient beacon tower atop the nearby Shitangshan Mountain. This is the Shitangshan Beacon Tower, which was designated as part of the fifth batch of cultural heritage protection units by the Cixi Municipal People's Government in 2003. The Shitangshan Beacon Tower is one of the better-preserved anti-Wokou defensive structures from the Ming Dynasty in Cixi.

The Shitangshan Beacon Tower is located at the summit of Shitangshan Mountain. The tower stands 4 meters tall, has a trapezoidal vertical profile, with base sides each measuring 11 meters and upper sides each 6.8 meters. There is a groove that is 3 meters long from east to west, 2.5 meters wide from north to south, and 0.6 meters deep. On the western side of the groove, there is an opening serving as the entrance and exit for the soldiers guarding the beacon. The tower is surrounded by steep terrain and dense vegetation, and when viewed from below, its towering base is clearly visible.

In the 17th year of the Hongwu reign during the Ming Dynasty, Wokou pirates frequently raided the coastal areas of eastern Zhejiang, committing murders and robberies wherever they went, bringing immense suffering to the local populace. The History of Ming · Japan Annals records: “At that time, both regions of Zhejiang were plagued by the Wokou, but Cixi suffered the most severe burning and slaughtering, followed by Yuyao.” To rescue the people from this misery, in the 20th year of Hongwu, the Duke of Xin Guo, Tang He, was ordered to establish guard posts and defense commanderies along the coasts of Ningbo, Wenzhou, and Taizhou. He oversaw the construction of military installations such as Guanhai Guard, Sanshan Post, Longshan Post, and the patrol inspection offices of Sanshan, Xiangtou, and Songpu in the Sanbei region, increasing the garrison to over 8,000 troops. Subsequently, more than ten beacon towers and seawalls were built between Longshan Post and Sanshan Post, greatly strengthening the coastal defense infrastructure.

The Shitangshan Beacon Tower is located on the summit of Shitangshan Mountain, between the eastern gate of Longshan Town and Qiuwang Village in Cixi City. According to the Zhenhai County Annals, by the sixth year of the Baoyou era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1258), multiple beacon towers had already been established in the Longshan area. During the Ming Dynasty, the Shitangshan Beacon Tower was under the jurisdiction of the Longshan Garrison and, together with the beacon towers on Fulong Mountain, Longtouchang, and Shigongshan, was responsible for maritime defense and vigilance. In the 32nd year of the Jiajing reign, the Wokou launched a massive invasion, simultaneously sending out urgent distress signals across thousands of miles of Zhejiang’s coastline. In the 35th year, over 3,000 Wokou attacked Guanhai Guard and Longshan Post but failed, then retreated to Yamen Ridge and the area around Shitangshan. To suppress the Wokou’s arrogance, Hu Zongxian, Vice Guardian of the Heir Apparent, led generals Qi Jiguang, Yu Dayou, and Lu Tang, among others, with a large army to this region. With the support of local residents, they led troops to fight fiercely against the Wokou at Pujiliang, engaging in bloody battle and completely annihilating the invading pirates. Owing to its unique geographical location, the Shitangshan Beacon Tower played a crucial role in the “Battle of Longshan.”