Ma'an Fort

Ma'an Fort

Ma'an Fort

Ma'an Fort is located in Changxi Village, Chen Da. It faces west and was built during the Wuxu year of the Xianfeng reign in the Qing Dynasty. Legend has it that the villagers of Changxi, aiming to effectively defend against bandit invasions, mobilized the entire clan to construct it together. “Ma'an Fort” covers an area of 960 square meters. The fortress houses a three-courtyard main building, with 12 rooms per courtyard, plus 3 side rooms, totaling 39 rooms, 2 wells (with external water sources), 9 shooting holes, 45 lookout windows, and could accommodate over 300 people.

Built against a mountain, Ma'an Fort backs onto Golden Rooster Mountain and is surrounded by the Changxi Stream in front, living up to the folk saying, “A horse-drinking pond in front, a horse-running hill behind, ensuring wealth, honor, and peace.” The overall structure of Ma'an Fort is a walled courtyard-style residence, designed to allow the Lin clan to live together as a community, facilitate nearby farming, and integrate living quarters, military defense, and cultural activities into one large earthen fortress building from the late Qing Dynasty.