Qishan Stockade

Qishan Stockade

Qishan Stockade is located 4 kilometers north of Qintang Township and served as a military stronghold for Huang Dingfeng’s anti-Qing activities in Guoxili, Guixian. Built in the third year of the Xianfeng reign during the Qing Dynasty (1853), the stockade stands majestically near Huanglian Gorge in present-day Guigang City, flanked by towering cliffs on both sides, making for a highly strategic and perilous location. Huang Dingfeng dug a pond in the open area at the front of Qishan, which later generations called Huang Santang, covering an area of about 60 mu. Approximately 200 meters from Huang Santang, he built a dam on the Fulong River and dug a channel to divert water into the pond. At the southern end of Huang Santang, a battery was constructed, standing over 3 meters high with an area of 15 square meters in a square shape. The battery was built with lime-sand concrete stone walls and featured gates on the east, west, south, and north sides, with gun ports along the walls. This battery faced two other batteries atop the main peak of Qishan across the water. The forward battery at the main peak of Qishan covered an area of about 7 square meters, with protective walls approximately 1.3 meters high, situated halfway up the mountain.

The battery at the main peak was built atop the summit of Qishan, which has a cap-like top and cliffs on all four sides. There was no path between the front and rear batteries, so access was via rope and basket. Below the main peak of Qishan lies Huang Sanbi, the former base camp of Huang Dingfeng’s anti-Qing rebel army, covering an area of over 20 mu, serving as the troops’ training ground; in the past, there were also gatehouses and barracks. Today, only ruins remain.

Huang Dingfeng (1830–1864), of the Zhuang ethnicity. His childhood name was Te Pang San, also known as Huang San. A native of Guixian (now Guigang), he joined the Triad Society in the 29th year of the Daoguang reign (1849) and participated in the peasant uprising led by Triad leader Zhang Jiaxiang. In the 30th year, he followed Zhang Jiaxiang in surrendering to the Qing army. In the summer of the 3rd year of the Xianfeng reign (1853), he fled from Wuhan back to Guixian, later setting up a Heroes' Hall in Qintang Township and the Hongshun Hall in Huanglian Township, recruiting many volunteers to rise against the Qing and restore the Ming. He established a mountain stronghold in Huanglian Gorge. In the summer of the 5th year, Chen Kai captured Xunzhou (now Guiping) and established the Da Cheng Kingdom, to which he pledged allegiance. He coordinated with Li Wenmao’s forces of the Da Cheng Kingdom to defeat the local militia... More details about Huang Dingfeng++