Fort Hill Customs Ruins

Fort Hill Customs Ruins

The Fort Hill Customs Ruins is a cultural tourism attraction.

Located on Fort Hill in Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai City, it faces the South China Sea to the east and borders Macau to the south. It serves as both a customs site and a fortification site. The structures include an eight-meter-tall four-story watchtower, a customs building, and stone walls surrounding the fort. The fort was originally built during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1736–1795), with 17 gunports and seven cannons weighing between 2,000 and 3,000 jin. The remaining walls are 59.5 meters long and 1.42 meters high, with 12 gunports. The watchtower was constructed in the 21st year of the Daoguang reign (1841), with a reinforced concrete structure built upon a massive upright Latashi rock foundation. On the northeast side of the huge rock is the inscription “Southern Pillar of Heaven,” carved by Macau’s intendant Ji Tai; the back bears the inscription “Lock and Key of Phoenix Mountain,” engraved by Qian Shan intendant Cai Guozhen, reflecting the fort’s significant military role. The customs building was built in the 13th year of the Guangxu reign (1887), also in reinforced concrete, initially located near Shuntang in Macau before being relocated to Fort Hill (formerly known as Lion Mountain). For over 100 years, the Fort Hill Customs has been a vital gateway of the nation, repelling countless invaders and still standing proudly by the surging waves of the South China Sea.