Maofeng Park

Maofeng Park

Maofeng, originally named Bifeng Mountain, stands majestically in the northern part of the city at an elevation of 200 meters. Flanked by the Zhen River on the left and the Wu River on the right, it offers a commanding view of the entire city from above. Since ancient times, the success or failure of military campaigns in Shaoguan hinged on the control of Maofeng.

Spanning 200 hectares, Maofeng Park mainly comprises Maofeng and its secondary peak. On these two peaks, inscriptions by Chairman Li Hanhun of the provincial government during the War of Resistance still remain, serving as historical testimonies.

Maofeng Park is a public recreational garden designed for both sightseeing and leisure activities. It is currently divided into four scenic areas. The park boasts lush vegetation with a green coverage and vegetation rate of 100%. Especially noteworthy are the tens of thousands of azaleas (the city flower of Shaoguan) planted on the hillside at the entrance, which bloom vibrantly every spring, attracting numerous visitors — a highlight of the park. Known as the "Yuexiu Mountain of Shaoguan," Maofeng Park has become an important destination for locals to hike, exercise, and for tourists to sightsee.

Originally called Bifeng Mountain due to its rounded, hat-like shape, it later became commonly known as Maofeng and is a significant natural geographical feature of Shaoguan. Historically referred to as "Bifeng Writing Clouds," it has long been a popular spot for climbing and overlooking the city. In more recent history, it earned the reputation of "Fortresses Guarding Shaoguan." In the early 1930s, Li Hanhun, then commander of the Independent Third Division of Guangdong, constructed a series of military fortifications on and around Maofeng. In October 1938, Guangzhou fell. By the end of that year, the Seventh War Zone Headquarters was established in Shaoguan, followed by the relocation of the Guangdong Provincial Government. Authorities expanded the existing fortress network into a defensive system centered on protecting Shaoguan and supporting troops along the Guangzhou-Hankou Railway, with the Seventh War Zone Command Center set up halfway up Maofeng.

Today, although more than half a century has passed, the relatively well-preserved fortress complex still stands as a solemn reminder of a war that recorded a nation’s humiliation, disaster, resilience, and triumph.

There are eight existing fortresses on Maofeng: Dingshaobao, Gongbeibao, Zhilingbao, Wubao, Qiaotoubao, two L-shaped bunkers, and one linear concealed bunker. Including surrounding cliff bunkers and dock bunkers, there are a total of thirteen. All are built with reinforced concrete. The largest is Dingshaobao, located at the summit of the eastern peak of Maofeng. Above the gate, the three characters “Ding Shaobao” (Dingshaobao Fortress) are inscribed horizontally from right to left in Wei stele script, traditionally attributed to Li Hanhun. The fortress is cylindrical, nearly 30 meters in diameter, with a roof 0.8 meters thick, walls 0.6 meters thick, and an interior height of nearly 3 meters. It has nine square pillars and thirty-two gun ports, capable of housing a company and storing enough food and water for a week. Its primary role was to control the Guangzhou-Hankou Railway Bridge over the Zhen River and the river surface downstream.

The only fortress truly bearing Li Hanhun’s signature and date is Gongbeibao, located at the base of the eastern peak’s northern slope near the railway line. This oval-cylindrical bunker, hidden among trees, could house a platoon. It has two square supports, with roof and wall thickness both 0.6 meters. The walls feature twenty-eight firing holes, including four machine gun fan-shaped apertures, coordinating with Dingshaobao on the mountaintop to guard the railway line. Above the entrance are large Wei stele-style characters reading “Gong Bei Bao,” and smaller inscriptions: “February, 23rd Year of the Republic” and “Li Hanhun.”

Around Maofeng, multi-layered trenches and communication ditches leading to various fortresses can still be seen. The fortress complex first saw action in early 1945 when Japanese forces attacked Shaoguan, becoming a fiercely contested stronghold during the battle to defend the city. At the time, the Seventh War Zone’s forces in Shaoguan were sufficient to repel an attack by less than two Japanese divisions. However, just as victory seemed possible, the Seventh War Zone made the strategic decision to “abandon Shaoguan and retreat east to Jiangxi,” resulting in the city’s fall and the capture of the fortress defenses by the Japanese. Currently, most of Maofeng’s fortresses lie abandoned, except for Dingshaobao, Zhilingbao, and Wubao. Dingshaobao has served as the base for Shaoguan TV Station’s transmission tower for the past twenty years. Zhilingbao and Wubao have been modestly renovated into observation decks and rest areas within Maofeng Park.