Shuzi Tower

Shuzi Tower

Shuzi Tower is a cultural heritage site protected by Fujian Province and a classic red tourism attraction.

Shuzi Tower

Era: Qing Dynasty

Location: Yigu Jing Village, Heping Township, Yunxiao County

Introduction: Constructed in 1789 during the 54th year of Emperor Qianlong’s reign in the Qing Dynasty, it was a residence for members of the Gao clan. This circular tulou combines corridor and unit styles, with a single ring, three stories, and a diameter of 50 meters. The outer wall is built with finely cut granite slabs fitted tightly together up to the second floor, while the upper part is rammed earth construction. There is one main gate on the north side. Inside, there are 28 units, each with its own staircase. A connecting corridor runs through the third floor.

On September 2, 1936, after a surprise attack on Yunxiao County by the Minnan Red Resistance Detachment, the troops triumphantly returned to the Wushan Revolutionary Base. Enraged, the Nationalist government urgently dispatched Captain Jin and a company from the 75th Division to Yigu Jing Village at around 8 a.m. on September 4, 1936, intending to engage the Red Army. The enemy advanced aggressively toward the village. All villagers and livestock were moved into Shuzi Tower, which was then immediately locked. Around thirty pre-prepared flagstones were used to block the entrance, and water channels were cleared to store water in case of fire attacks. Upon reaching the village, the enemy saw the locked tower and no one outside, assumed the Red Army was inside, and quickly deployed forces to occupy seven high points around the village—Caima Tomb, Gaochengwei, Mulinpu, Longshen, Linghouping, and Longqiwei—to encircle the tower. They then shouted demands for the tower to open its doors and hand over the Red Army. Seeing no response, they began firing bullets that rained down from rooftops and tower walls, but still there was no reaction from inside. This exchange continued intermittently for two days, with the tower doors remaining shut. On the third day, the frustrated enemy brought in mortars and fired 30 shells, several of which landed inside, killing one woman, injuring two others, and killing many livestock and poultry. Several impact craters remain on the tower walls to this day. Unable to breach the tower, the enemy called upon local gentry Gao Ronggui and Wu Fengting to mediate. By then, the trapped villagers had suffered significant losses in life and property and were uncertain how to continue resisting. After negotiations, both sides agreed to the following terms: 1) The tower guaranteed no Red Army presence—if any were found, they would be handed over (at the time, Red Army staff member Gao Jinshan was hiding among the villagers); 2) The Nationalist troops promised not to arrest civilians and to ensure the safety of lives and property. Gao Ronggui vouched for the absence of Red Army members inside. At 9 a.m. on the 11th, the villagers opened the tower doors. The enemy had pre-positioned two machine guns on either side of the square, prepared to suppress any resistance. As villagers exited one by one for inspection, no Red Army members were found. After a warning speech, they were allowed to return home. The enemy then withdrew to the county town.

Shuzi Tower has a diameter of 50 meters, is three stories tall (12.5 meters), and has walls 2 meters thick. The plan is a front-facing circle with a diameter of 50 meters and a circumference of 157 meters, topped with a sloped roof. Each floor contains halls and rooms, totaling six halls and 78 rooms. Having withstood natural disasters and wartime damage over the years, parts of the outer walls and structure of Shuzi Tower have been damaged.

The former site of Shuzi Tower was designated as a county-level cultural heritage site by the Yunxiao County Government in June 1992, and as a seventh batch provincial-level cultural heritage site by the Provincial Government in December 2009.

Heping Township: Heping Township (Farm) is located in the northwest of Yunxiao, bordered by Jiangjun Mountain to the east (neighboring Pumei Town), separated from Gongtian in Xinhuang Township, Zhao’an County by the Wushan mountain range to the west, connected to the Changshan Economic Development Zone to the south, and adjacent to Xihe Township to the north. Provincial Highway Yun-Tai runs diagonally across the township, linking Yunxiao and Zhao’an. The township (farm) covers an area of 111 square kilometers, governs 13 villages and 12 work areas, includes 77 natural villages, has a total population of 28,000, 795 Party members, and is classified as an old revolutionary base and impoverished township in the county.

Heping Township (Farm) has a glorious revolutionary history. As early as 1935... More details about Heping Township ++

Further reading:

· Seventh Batch of Fujian Provincial Cultural Heritage Sites