Tianhua Fort

Tianhua Fort

Tianhua Fort is located on the back hill behind the village office of Xiqian Village, Yangmei Township. This mountain is tall and steep, with a summit that resembles a flower. Because its peak rises high into the clouds, people originally called it Tianhua Peak, which was the earliest name for the mountain. Later, local residents built a small earthen mound at the center of the mountaintop and erected an immortal pavilion there to enshrine deities. As a result, the mountain came to be known as “Tianhua Pavilion.” In the first year of the Republic of China (1911), the rebel army of Su Yi established its headquarters at Tianhua Pavilion. At the same time, they began constructing a fortified stronghold. The fort walls were built along the edge of the mountaintop, constructed from rough stones, with heights ranging from 5 to 10 meters. Cliff areas were left without walls due to the challenging terrain. The area where the original Tianhua Pavilion stood was expanded into the command center of the rebel headquarters, known as the Central Camp. Barracks were also built in the east, west, south, and north, named East Camp, West Camp, South Camp, and North Camp respectively. Each camp had its own commander, referred to as the Central Camp Commander, East Camp Commander, and so on. The entire stronghold could accommodate over a thousand people. A well was dug within the fort, and a fortress gate was placed at a location in the southwest direction, taking advantage of the natural steepness, serving as the only entry and exit point. Hence, Tianhua Pavilion came to be called Tianhua Fort. In the first month of the second year of the Republic of China (1913), Su Yi, the overall commander of the rebel forces, was unfortunately shot twice during the battle at Guilin and subsequently retreated to the headquarters at Tianhua Fort to hold their ground. The fort was surrounded by cliffs, with only a narrow path in front of the gate wide enough for a single person to pass through. Beyond the path lay a bottomless abyss of cliffs. The Beiyang warlords, specifically the Fujian Governor, dispatched Jia Wenxiang to lead the Northern Army in an attack on Tianhua Fort. The Northern troops were pinned down by the rebels at the perilous spots and suffered heavy casualties. The Northern Army used machine guns to fire at the fort gate, but they had to set up their firing positions 500 meters away. Despite firing countless bullets, the gate remained unharmed. Whenever the machine gun fire ceased, the Northern soldiers would charge toward the gate, only to be met with the rebels’ steady aim. As the Northern troops approached the bend outside the gate leading toward it, the rebels picked them off one by one, causing them to fall down the abyss. The gate, shielded by a natural small hill, proved impervious even to a thousand machine guns. The rebels stationed sharpshooters at strategic points while others trained and continued building the fortifications. Several months later, after suffering hundreds of casualties, the Northern Army still couldn’t get close to the gate. They then sought reinforcements from the provincial governor’s office, which dispatched several cannons to Jia Wenxiang. Under the bombardment of the Beiyang warlords’ artillery, the rebel barracks were severely damaged, and some personnel were injured or killed. In October of the same year, the rebels evacuated the fort overnight, slipping away through the cliffs on the northeast side. The next day, the Northern Army continued to shell Tianhua Fort with cannons while sending a suicide squad to sneak in through the thick morning fog, charging through the gate and into the fort—only to find it completely empty. The ruthless Northern Army burned all the barracks to ashes and declared victory in suppressing the bandits, claiming credit and seeking rewards. Today, the walls of Tianhua Fort remain intact, and the area surrounding the fort, as well as the interior, is covered with dense, lush trees.