Pumei Fort

Pumei Fort

Pumei Fort is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Fujian Province.

Pumei Fort is located in Pudong Village, Punan Village, Pubei Village, and Puding Village, Pumei Town, Yunxiao County, dating back to the Ming Dynasty.

Description: Built in the 18th year of the Hongzhi reign of the Ming Dynasty (1505) to guard against Japanese pirate invasions, the fort follows the mountain’s contour. It features an irregular elliptical shape, with a foundation of rough stones and walls constructed from a lime-soil mixture, standing 4 meters tall. The inside of the fort walls includes a patrol path, with a circumference of approximately 1.5 kilometers and covering an area of 20 hectares. Four main gateways—east, west, south, and north—and four smaller water gates still remain. The fort also has two-story watchtowers for observation and defense, surrounded by a moat for protection. Inside the fort, streets and residential houses are laid out in an orderly fashion. On the northern side is the Yingji Palace, dedicated to the Goddess Yingji, who is worshipped for her role in aiding Qi Jiguang in repelling the pirates. On the eastern side, there are four well-preserved Ming Dynasty ancestral halls: Yiyitang, Zhisitang, Yigutang, and Shize Tang. This large-scale fort has a rational layout and successfully defended against numerous attacks throughout history, making it an important physical relic for studying the maritime defense history of the Ming and Qing dynasties in the province.

In 2013, Pumei Fort was designated as part of the eighth batch of provincial-level cultural heritage sites by the Fujian Provincial People's Government.

Protected area: The area extends 5 meters beyond the eight gateways including the remnants of the city walls, and includes the main structures of the four Zhang family ancestral halls and Yingji Palace within the fort.

Pudong Village: Pudong Village is located to the south of Pumei Town, adjacent to National Highway 324, enjoying a superior geographical location. The village has 612 households and a total population of 2,525, with a village committee consisting of 7 members and 64 Party members. The main sources of income are fruit cultivation and wage labor, with over 1,000 acres of loquat orchards in the village. Pudong Village boasts several cultural relics and historic sites, including the provincial-level protected Pumei Fort, as well as the county-level protected Nanshan Temple and Yingji Palace. During the third national cultural relics survey, the cluster of Zhang family ancestral halls in Pudong Village was recognized as one of the significant findings of the Zhangzhou survey and listed as a key cultural relic for preservation... Detailed information on Pudong Village++

Further reading:

· Eighth Batch of Cultural Heritage Sites Protected at the Provincial Level in Fujian Province