Gao'gang Fort

Gao'gang Fort

Gao'gang Fort, also known as Gao'gang Temple or Zhongshan Park, was historically called Gao'gang Fortress. Originally a 6-meter-high earthen mound, it was later developed into a fortified settlement with a total area of 12,492.5 square meters. In the 7th year of the Qianlong reign (1742), the 13th-generation descendant of the Liu family from Changjiang, Chubai, generously donated a thousand gold pieces to quarry stone and build the fortress. With only one entrance, the site features steep cliffs and served as a vital stronghold for local defense. The fort is divided into three levels, with a flat summit. The second gate, an ancient structure, is named "Weixian Fang" (Pillar of Virtue). During the stone wall construction, an outer stone gate was built, measuring 2 meters thick, 1.4 meters wide, and 2.9 meters high. The surrounding stone wall is 369.25 meters in circumference, 4.7 meters high, and 1 meter thick, all constructed from granite slabs, inscribed with the words "Jinjiang Screen."

The fort once housed a Gao'gang Temple and over a hundred camphor trees. The original temple was spacious and grand, with a central courtyard entirely built from fired bricks. The upper hall featured an altar where the "Gao'gang Patron Deity," dressed in a yellow dragon robe, was enshrined. Above the altar hung a wooden plaque with the four characters "Four-State Lords" carved in relief. On either side stood a smaller deity. Around the temple were over two hundred watchtowers. A single temple keeper managed the incense offerings. On the 6th day of the 6th lunar month, pilgrims from all around would gather in Changjiang, drumming, dancing with lions and dragons, and welcoming the "Patron Deity." Sometimes performances were held to pray for favorable weather and bountiful harvests.

In 1930, during the Republic of China era, the Third Battalion of the Guangdong Independent Brigade stationed in Changjiang converted the site into "Zhongshan Park." The original stone gate was redesigned into a mountain-shaped archway inscribed with the four large characters "Zhongshan Park." The park also included a memorial stele, a circular pond with a 4-meter diameter, flower stands, and granite benches. On February 7, 1931, the Red Army passed through Changjiang and spent the night at Gao'gang Temple. During the Anti-Japanese War, a "Monument to Fallen Soldiers of the War of Resistance" was erected on the fort. Most of the surrounding watchtowers and other structures were later dismantled.

In 1954, to commemorate martyrs who died in the Liberation War and early counter-bandit campaigns, the government gathered the remains of 24 martyrs within the Changjiang area (marked with tombstones) and buried them inside the fort. In May 1967, a "Revolutionary Martyrs Monument" was erected, symbolizing the eternal memory and reverence for these heroes. In the early autumn of 1956, when Changjiang Middle School was first established, its classrooms were temporarily set up in Gao'gang Temple. The school relocated in 1958. The temple was demolished in 1964.

In 1999, a massive neem tree king in Gao'gang Fort—with a trunk circumference of 6.8 meters and thick enough for four people to hug—drew the attention of Dr. Laurence J.C. Ma, a Harvard University scholar and researcher at the École Française d'Extrême-Orient, along with Song, Deputy Director of the Provincial Greening Committee, who all claimed they had never seen such a huge neem tree. In 2001, the ashes of Ye Chang, former deputy commander and regimental commander of the Second Detachment of the Guangdong–Jiangxi–Hunan Border Column, were buried in Gao'gang Fort according to his will, and two camphor trees were planted in his memory.

Today, Gao'gang Fort is home to dozens of ancient camphor, neem, and Chinese tallow trees, providing year-round shade, fresh air, and a tranquil environment. From its vantage point, visitors can enjoy an unobstructed view of the Changjiang area.