Chongwu Ancient Town

Chongwu Ancient Town

Chongwu Ancient Town is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a cultural heritage site.

Chongwu Ancient Town: China’s best-preserved granite coastal stone fortress—Chongwu Ancient Town—is located on the Chongwu Peninsula in Hui’an. It was a renowned anti-pirate stronghold along China’s southeastern maritime frontier in ancient times. Designated as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Chongwu Peninsula played a crucial role in China’s ancient maritime defense. In the 20th year of the Hongwu reign (1387 AD), to guard against pirates and Japanese invaders, Marquis of Jiangxia Zhou Dexing built the fortress in Chongwu. Initially constructed, during the 37th year of the Jiajing reign (1558 AD), the town was besieged by pirates for six days and nights before falling, resulting in severe losses of life and property. Learning from this lesson, a major restoration was initiated. In the first month of the first year of the Longqing reign (1567 AD), Qi Jiguang, the anti-pirate national hero and Fujian regional commander, stationed his troops here. He fortified the defenses, drilled soldiers, and established a comprehensive military system and defensive infrastructure. During the Qing Dynasty, further large-scale renovations were carried out. At that time, the town wall measured 2,567 meters in circumference, 500 meters in north-south length, and 300 meters in east-west width, with a foundation 5 meters wide, walls 7 meters high, 26 watchtowers, 1,304 battlements, and 1,300 arrow slits. There were gates on all four sides, with moon-shaped walls at the east and west gates. The walls featured beacon towers, watchtowers, and gun emplacements. The fortifications included two- to three-tiered horse-running paths. Each side of the wall had a pond, a well, and drainage culverts leading outside the town. Inside the town, there were originally defensive stockades, signal towers, post stations, barracks, and a military drill ground, forming a relatively complete military defense system.

Later, as the defensive role of the fortress diminished and due to long-term neglect, the walls fell into disrepair and collapsed. In 1983, the national government allocated funds for a full restoration. The ancient town, which had made immortal contributions to the nation, was restored to stand proudly once again on the Chongwu Peninsula. In 1987, the “600th Anniversary Commemoration of Chongwu Ancient Town’s Founding” and an academic symposium were held, attracting great interest from scholars both in China and abroad. It stands as a source of national pride and a historical monument.

Address: Chongwu Town, Hui’an County, Quanzhou City

Type: Seaside / Beach / Historic Site / Ancient Town / Ancient Village

Rating: AAAA

Recommended Visit Duration: 1–2 days

Phone: 0595-87683297

Opening Hours:

Winter: 7:00–17:30; Summer: 7:00–18:30

Admission:

45 RMB

Transportation:

Take a bus to Quanzhou Passenger Transport Center or Hui’an Bus Station, where you can find direct buses to Chongwu. When purchasing your ticket, choose the route that takes the Coastal Expressway (offering sea views along the way). Alternatively, you can fly to Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport or Jinjiang Airport. Upon arriving in Xiamen, take a taxi to Fanghu Long-Distance Bus Station or Hubin Long-Distance Bus Station, then catch a bus from Xiamen to Chongwu. After reaching Chongwu Bus Station, continue straight ahead to the end, then turn right to see the archway inscribed with “Chongwu Ancient Town.” After passing through the archway, turn left at the nearby T-junction near the parking lot to head to Chongwu Ancient Town, or turn right to go to the Stone Carving Park.

Take a bus to Quanzhou Passenger Transport Center or Hui’an Bus Station, where you can find direct buses to Chongwu. When purchasing your ticket, choose the route that takes the Coastal Expressway (offering sea views along the way). Alternatively, you can fly to Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport or Jinjiang Airport. Upon arriving in Xiamen, take a taxi to Fanghu Long-Distance Bus Station or Hubin Long-Distance Bus Station, then catch a bus from Xiamen to Chongwu. After reaching Chongwu Bus Station, continue straight ahead to the end, then turn right to see the archway inscribed with “Chongwu Ancient Town.” After passing through the archway, turn left at the nearby T-junction near the parking lot to head to Chongwu Ancient Town, or turn right to go to the Stone Carving Park.

Chongwu Town: A town under the jurisdiction of Hui’an County. Established as Chongwu Town in 1939, it was part of Feiyue Commune in 1958, became Chongwu Commune in 1961, and was re-established as a town in 1984. Located on the prominent southeastern coastal area of the county, it lies just 97 nautical miles from Taiwan—the closest point across the strait—and is about 23 kilometers from the county seat. Covering an area of 196 square kilometers with a population of 680,000, it is traversed by the Huizhong Highway. The town administers 12 village committees: Dama, Gangqian, Jingjiang, Lianxi, Haimen, Chaole, Xihua, Wufeng, Xiaxi, Qian’an, Longxi, and Xidi. Local industries include marine fishing, aquaculture, stone carving and stonework crafts, and fishing vessel and gear manufacturing... More detailed information on Chongwu Town ++