Beitang Fort Ruins

Beiting Fort Ruins

The Beiting Fort Ruins are a protected cultural heritage site of Tianjin.

Beiting Fort Ruins

Era: Late Qing Dynasty

Location: Beitang Town, Tanggu District, Tianjin

Category: Important modern historical sites and representative buildings

The Beiting Fort Ruins are located on the southern and northern banks of the mouth of the Jiyun River in Beitang Town, Tanggu District, as well as the surrounding coastal areas. Originally built during the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty and renovated in the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty. After the Anglo-French allied forces captured the forts in 1860, they launched attacks from here on the Dagu Fort, and then proceeded to attack Beijing. Emperor Xianfeng was forced to flee, and the Old Summer Palace was burned down.

Between 1862 and 1899 (during the Tongzhi and Guangxu reigns), the Qing government carried out multiple renovations. By the time of the “Gengzi Incident,” there were already five barracks and three major artillery forts. On June 17, 1900, the Dagu Fort was captured by the Eight-Nation Alliance, followed by the fall of Tianjin. The Qing troops stationed at Beitang Fort fought valiantly against the enemy, repeatedly repelling attacks primarily led by Russian forces from the Eight-Nation Alliance, before retreating under orders from Li Hongzhang. The mouth of the Jiyun River at Beitang has been a strategic military location since the Song, Liao, and Jin dynasties. As the northern wing of the Dagu defense system, the Beitang Fort played a significant role in resisting foreign invasions. The existing ruins are what remain after being damaged by the Eight-Nation Alliance and subsequently dismantled according to the terms of the Boxer Protocol.

The Beiting Fort Ruins have been listed as a key cultural heritage protection site in Tanggu District.

Beiting Fort has a long history, and many significant events in modern history took place here. Especially during the Second Opium War, as the northern wing of the Dagu defense system, it played a crucial role in resisting foreign aggression, making it a valuable physical resource for studying China’s modern history and for patriotic education.

The Right Camp Fort Ruins are located on Sanhe Island, featuring open space and beautiful surroundings; the Renzheng Camp Fort Ruins have abundant remains and convenient transportation. These fort ruins, situated along the coast, have unique surrounding environments and local customs, offering high potential for tourism development.

Beiting Fort is an important part of the Dagu Fort defense system. The remaining structures include:

(1) Yisheng Camp Fort Ruins: Located on the west side of Hanbei Highway, between the northern bank of the Beitang River mouth and Chengtougou. The site is approximately 350 meters long from north to south and 180 meters wide from east to west, with multiple remnants of rammed earth construction. The site area is now covered by modern graves.

(2) Renfu Camp Fort Ruins: Located in the backyard of the headquarters of the Bayi Salt Field, between the northern bank of the Beitang River mouth and the Yisheng Camp Fort Ruins. Only a section of rammed earth wall remains, measuring 16 meters in length (north–south), 4 meters in width (east–west), and 2.3 meters in height.

(3) Right Camp Fort Ruins: Located on Sanhe Island at the mouth of the Beitang River. The area covers about 40,000 square meters, with multiple remnants of rammed earth structures still visible.

(4) Left Camp Fort Ruins: Located in front of the Sixth Engineering Team in Beitang Town. Only a section of rammed earth wall remains, measuring 15 meters in length (east–west), 3 meters in width (north–south), and 1.2 meters in height.

(5) Renzheng Camp Fort Ruins: Located in front of the “Beijing Military Region Tanggu Shipbreaking Factory” in the southern part of Beitang Town. Remains include the fort and its base. The turret is made of poured concrete, circular and roofless, with an inner diameter of about 15 meters, walls 2.5 meters high and 1.65 meters thick. There are staircases on both sides of the entrance leading directly to the top of the turret, and the inner walls feature storage grooves for both large and small artillery shells. Although heavily damaged, this fort has abundant remains.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Tianjin Cultural Heritage Protection Units