The Taikou Ancient Fort

The Taikou Ancient Fort

The Taikou Ancient Fort is a cultural tourism attraction.

Located about 3 kilometers from the Xianzi Pool in Shanjian Town, Hua’an County — known as the “Mystery of the Ages” and a “Unique Wonder of Southern China” — at the foot of a small hill along the lower reaches of the Taixi Stream on the northern branch of the Jiulong River, nestled among towering ancient trees stands an ancient military fortification: the Taikou Fort. Although it has withstood over six or seven hundred years of wind and rain, it still preserves the original architectural style of a military fort, showing no traces of modern construction, forming a striking contrast with the modern residences that have sprung up at the foot of the mountain in recent years. Here, not only is the natural scenery beautiful, but it also boasts a long history of fort construction and rich cultural heritage. This is the ancient and mystical Taikou Fort.

The Taikou Fort was historically known as the “Taoyuan Kou Ancient Fort,” and is also called the “Quanbao Tower.” Strolling through the ancient fort, one is greeted by numerous large trees with lush foliage, which shroud the old and mysterious fort in partial concealment, adding an air of mystery to this small stronghold. At such moments, you might involuntarily think of the enchanting idyllic scenery depicted by the poet Tao Yuanming in his “Peach Blossom Spring,” for it has witnessed the historical upheavals of six or seven centuries.

The magical charm of the ancient fort first lies in its unique geographical location and military architectural style. It is situated on a turtle-shaped hill, surrounded by mountains on three sides and facing a stream on the fourth. It measures approximately 84 meters in length, 46 meters in width, and covers a construction area of over 3,800 square meters. Above the main gate of the fort is boldly inscribed the name “Quanbao Tower,” while the back gate bears no inscription, and the side gate is marked with the four characters “Baigu Chaizong” (meaning “All Grains Pay Homage to the Ancestor”). Entering through the main gate, you’ll find a pebble-paved corridor-style courtyard, commonly referred to as the “Sky Street,” flanked by two rows of houses on each side — 20 symmetrical single-story rooms on the inner side, and two-story buildings with 22 rooms on each of the upper and lower levels on the outer side, forming a well-arranged architectural layout. The outer periphery features symmetrical two-story buildings, also with 22 rooms on each of the upper and lower levels, encircling the ancient fort. The entire structure consists of “three lanes and four rows of houses,” referred to as the “Earth Lanes.”

This architectural structure served as a reference “model” for the later construction of the Er Yi Building in Dadi Village, Xiandu Town. It is said that when the builder of the Er Yi Building, Jiang Shixiong, was constructing it, he visited the Qiyun Tower in Daishan Village, Shajian Town, and the Taikou Fort. As the entire building resembles a large “seal” placed atop a giant turtle, forming a unique “Golden Turtle Carrying a Seal,” it carries auspicious meanings of good fortune, longevity, and peace. This type of military fortification allowed villagers to move freely and respond effectively to enemy attacks, playing a crucial role in defense — truly a case of “one man at the fort, ten thousand cannot breach it.”

Inside the building, ancient stone windows carved with qilin and kylin motifs, old stone mortars, and smoking farmhouse stoves exude an air of antiquity and vicissitude. The entire structure is surrounded by nearly a thousand towering ancient trees, including camphor, white lotus, pine, and banyan trees, forming a unique windbreak forest. Over the past decade, it has attracted thousands of egrets that have made it their long-term habitat, helping the ancient fort withstand the test of time and various natural disasters over the years. According to local elder Zhuang Ruizhen, during an 8-magnitude typhoon in the 1960s, only some roof tiles were blown off, while the rest of the structure remained intact.

The unique and beautiful natural environment and architectural style have attracted tourists from Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Quanzhou, and other areas, as well as “Zhuang” clan members from other regions who come here to trace their roots and pay homage to their ancestors. “Junhe’s ancestor purchased hundreds of taels of land at Dongkou Taoyuan in the third year of Hongwu, making him the founding ancestor. Strict adherence to the law.” “Shouqi, also known as Dejin, relocated to Longxi Taikou, becoming our ancestral founder.” According to the genealogy of the Zhuang family of Qingyang, the fourth-generation Junhe lineage of the Gongwang Branch of the Taikou Fort, the ancient fort has a history of over 600 years. It was established by descendants of Zhuang Gongwang, the 13th-generation ancestor and General of Huaiyin, Jiangsu, during the late Southern Song Dynasty. After Zhuang Gongwang passed away, a group of nine of his subordinates traveled up the northern branch of the Jiulong River and settled here upon being drawn to the geographical environment, purchasing the land of the Taikou Fort with silver.

Today, the ancient fort consists of a total of 216 rooms, inhabited by around 80 households and over 300 people, most of whom are descendants of the Zhuang family. Most engage in agricultural work, while others work outside or run businesses. Though having endured dozens of generations, the style of the ancient fort remains unchanged. The surrounding area — the back hills — is lush with vegetation and alive with the sounds of insects and birds. The well-preserved architecture and beautiful environment are thanks to the emphasis and protection by ancestors and their descendants. Two ancient stone windows carved with qilin and kylin motifs were once targeted by lawbreakers who attempted to smuggle them out of the fort. The villagers mobilized en masse, searching everywhere, and ultimately recovered them.

Since ancient times, the people of the fort have placed great importance on nurturing talent. Two flagpoles are still preserved in the fort. Zhuang Yougong, a descendant of the Taikou lineage who settled in Huizhou, became the top imperial scholar (in the Jiwu examination year) in the fourth year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty. His younger brother, Zhuang Youxin (in the seventh year), also passed the imperial examination as a Jinshi — both are members of the Taikou branch, marking glory for the clan. These details are recorded in the Zhuang family genealogy of the Taikou Fort. The Zhuang family’s knowledge of their history and heritage is thanks to the importance later generations place on preserving the ancestral records.

“The ancestral genealogy is a record of history, a foundation and basis of truth.”

Zhuang Shuimiao, an 82-year-old elder, said emotionally. In the past, the genealogy was kept by his father, who, being uneducated, didn’t understand its significance and casually placed it on a broken water vat. His more educated son, however, deeply understood its value. When Zhuang Shuimiao saw it, he was heartbroken and immediately ensured its proper preservation. During the “Smash the Four Olds, Establish the Four News” campaign, he risked imprisonment by hiding it at his sister-in-law’s home to prevent any mishap. After the Cultural Revolution, he continued to keep it safe. In recent years, due to its well-preserved condition, descendants of the Zhuang family from Quanzhou, Xiamen, and other areas have come to connect with relatives and verify the genealogy.

The early inhabitants of the fort also valued the environment and erected steles to protect trees. Within the fort is a “Tree Felling Prohibition Stele,” jointly established in the 40th year of the Qianlong reign, in October, by four brothers: Zhuang Wu, Zhuang Cai, Zhuang Zhang, and Zhuang Yin. It explicitly required future generations to protect the woods and forbade tree felling. Later generations adhered to their ancestors’ wishes, thus sparing the forest from destruction. Folklore also says that if the trees were all cut down, children would be born “bald,” so villagers took the matter even more seriously. On one occasion, outsiders came to illegally log trees in this forest, and upon discovery, villagers of all ages quickly organized to stop them, scaring off the illegal loggers. Since then, few have dared to target this woodland, allowing it to grow naturally and continuously, forming a contiguous forest that became the villagers’ “Forest of Longevity.”

Shajian Town: Shajian Town (with its seat in Tainei Village) is located in the southern part of Hua’an County, along the middle section of the northern branch of the Jiulong River, and is known as the “Hometown of Flowers and Fruits.” The town administers 13 administrative villages (Tainei, Lishui, Xiazhang, Baoshan, Ting’an, Daishan, Shangzhang, Dakeng, Jianmei, Rixin, Guangu, Shajian, and Shaximei) and one neighborhood committee (Taikou Neighborhood Committee), with a population of 25,500 and a land area of 225.1 square kilometers.

Main Industries: (1) Industry: In the first quarter of 2005, one new industrial project was put into operation, five were under construction, and two were under negotiation. (2) … More detailed information on Shajian Town++