Weishan Beacon Tower

Weishan Beacon Tower

The Weishan Beacon Tower is a cultural relic protection unit of Cixi City.

Weishan is located about one li north of Guanhaiwei Town in Cixi City. According to local county records, it was called Langgang Mountain and also known as Xilong Mountain. The mountain originally faced the sea, where ships sought shelter from storms and rough waves, hence the name Langgang (Wave Harbor). During the Song and Yuan dynasties, military camps were established here, and the site had already been recognized as a strategic stronghold. In the 20th year of the Hongwu reign during the Ming Dynasty, Duke Xinguo Tang He built a fortress and stationed a garrison here. Winding and soaring over several li, Langgang Mountain naturally became a protective barrier for the fortress town, which is why locals commonly refer to it as Weishan (Guardian Mountain).

The Weishan Beacon Tower is situated atop Weishan and served as an important military communication and alarm facility in ancient times. Guanhaiwei governed two sub-stations, Longshan and Sanshan. During the Ming Dynasty, beacon towers were often built at the summits of isolated coastal mountains, and the Weishan Beacon Tower functioned as the main command tower. According to the "Jiajing-era Guanhaiwei Annals," “The main tower is one li north of the fortress, two li west of Xilongwei, and three li east of Xiangtou Watchtower. Ten soldiers from the five sub-stations (divided into front, rear, left, right, and central within the fortress) were assigned to guard it.” The Weishan Beacon Tower stands atop steep terrain, with its earthen body entirely compacted from local soil. Its base is rectangular, tapering upward into a trapezoidal shape. The bottom measures 14 meters in length and 10 meters in width, while the top measures 7 meters in length and 5 meters in width. The tower is 4 meters high. At the top is a smoke pit that is 3 meters long and 2.5 meters wide, with a gap on the western side to facilitate access or ventilation when lighting smoke signals or stacking firewood.

During the 1982 cultural relics survey, authorities conducted a comprehensive investigation and mapping of beacon towers across Cixi. Seven towers were located under the jurisdiction of Sanshan Sub-station: among them, Lishan Tower now belongs to Yuyao, while Meishan, Xujialu, and Cuoyu Towers have been destroyed. Cai Shan Tower no longer exists due to the relocation of the northern section of National Highway 329 near Zhangshu, where the hill was leveled and the beacon removed, leaving only Wushan Tower relatively well-preserved. Six towers were under Guanhaiwei: Xiangtou, Xilongshan (main tower), and Xilongwei Towers are well-preserved, while Guashi and Guyao Towers still show clear traces and can be identified, though Xinpu Tower (located in Yanpu) no longer exists. Six towers were under Longshan Sub-station: Qingxi Tower now belongs to Ningbo, while Longtou Tower has been destroyed. Shigongshan, Longwei, and Miaohoushan Towers still show signs of earthworks, retaining their ancient appearance, and Shitang-Litianji is the best preserved. In the past, these watchtowers kept constant vigils and mutual alerts, forming a tightly-knit military network spanning hundreds of li across the Sanbei region, creating a formidable defensive line. Over time, some beacon towers were mistakenly referred to as artillery forts by locals, such as Cai Shan, Weishan, and Shitangshan, also known as Paotai Mountain (Artillery Mountain).

The beacon towers stand as a testament to the ancestors of Cixi resisting foreign invasions. The Weishan Beacon Tower “lit smoke signals at night and raised flags by day,” spreading alarm signals and coordinating defenses, playing an invaluable role in repelling invasions. It is an eternal historical monument and a vivid educational tool for patriotism. In August 1986, the Cixi County People’s Government designated the Weishan Beacon Tower as a third batch cultural relic protection unit. In 1995, the Cixi Municipal People’s Government named the Weishan Beacon Tower site a patriotic education base, and in 1996, a 64-square-meter antique-style artillery fort was constructed on the site.