Dalawu Fort

Dalawu Fort

Dalawu Fort is a cultural relic protection unit of Guangdong Province.

In the Qing Dynasty, Chaozhou Prefecture’s Dalawu Fort on Laiwu Island in Batou Town, Chenghai City was established. Construction began in the 56th year of the Kangxi reign (1717) during the early Qing period, serving as a coastal defense outpost. It lies 30 nautical miles east of Wuyu Outpost on Nan’ao Island, 60 nautical miles west of Fangjishan Outpost, 40 nautical miles south of Dahao Outpost, and 30 nautical miles north of the Right Battalion of Zhenbiao Outpost. The fort covers an area of 1,348 square meters and originally had eight cannons (now lost), 27 barracks (with only ruins remaining), and a garrison of 42 naval soldiers. It was part of the Qing military defenses under the Left Battalion of the Chenghai Regiment, defending Nan’ao Town. Today, the fort remains intact, taking a rectangular shape measuring 52 meters in length, 25.9 meters in width, and 5 meters in height. The outer parapet is 0.7 meters thick, the inner parapet 1.8 meters thick, and the battlements 1 meter high. In the southwest corner of the fort is a square gun emplacement, 13 meters per side, with a 2.1-meter-thick parapet and an area of 169 square meters. An entrance is located on the southeast side of the fort, 2.7 meters high and 1.55 meters wide. Historically, Laiwu Island was a key military site for Chaozhou’s coastal defenses. According to the *Chenghai County Annals*, in June of the 3rd year of the Longqing reign (1569) during the Ming Dynasty, Liu Tao, Vice Minister of War in charge of Fujian and Guangdong military affairs, scored a major victory over the pirate Zeng Yiben here. At that time, General Guo Cheng joined the battle and used the fort’s cannons to attack the pirates’ ships, forcing Zeng Yiben to drown. In the 4th year of the Chongzhen reign (1631), the Fujian pirate Li Zhiqi led ten boats and a group of followers through Laiwu into Nangang to raid Chenghai County. Troops from the Laiwu Outpost and inland forces jointly suppressed and eliminated Li Zhiqi and his bandits. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, Zheng Chenggong (1624–1662), on his way to Taiwan, also stationed at this strategic post twice. By the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty, the Right Battalion of the Chaozhou Regional Commander’s Office stationed troops here, leading to the official establishment of Dalawu Fort. It holds significant historical value for the study of Guangdong and Chaozhou’s coastal defense history, as well as Qing military deployments.

In June 1989, the People's Government of Guangdong Province designated it as a cultural relic protection unit.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units