Pengjia Ancient Fortress

Pengjia Ancient Fortress

Pengjia Ancient Fortress is located on Luoshan Mountain in Mingjingkengba Village, Huanghua Town, southwest of Yingde City, standing approximately 33 meters high. The most astonishing feature is that dozens of large and small halls and rooms are built along the mountain’s contours on a hill shaped like a snail, with structures spiraling up from the foot to the top of the mountain across nine levels, blending seamlessly with Luoshan Mountain, showing no traces of artificial carving — a phenomenon extremely rare in Chinese architecture. It faces southwest and is backed by steep cliffs to the northeast, with a small river lying in front.

The entire structure is enclosed and self-contained. There is only one stone stairway path leading from the foot to the top of the mountain, consisting of 360 steps, creating an effect akin to “one man guarding the pass makes it impenetrable to ten thousand.” Originally built in the mid-Qing Dynasty, it served both as a defensive fortress constructed by the local Peng clan to guard against bandit raids, and as a ancestral hall. Locally known as “Zhaisan Ancient Fortress,” it still preserves well-maintained wall carvings, ancient window grilles, and a plaque inscribed with “Mingyi Zhifang” bestowed during the Xianfeng era (1851–1861) of the Qing Dynasty. In December 1995, it was listed as a county-level cultural relics protection unit. Because its architectural style resembles that of Tibet’s Potala Palace, it is also nicknamed the “Little Potala Palace.”

Address: Mingjingkengba Village, Huanghua Town, Yingde City, Qingyuan City

Type: Historical Site

Recommended Visit Duration: About 2 hours

Phone: 0763-2751406

Opening Hours:

9:00–17:00. Note: Tiger Valley Underground River Rafting: 13:00–15:00 (rafting must be booked at least one day in advance, and ticket collection time cannot exceed 14:00)

Huanghua Town: Yingde City is located in central Guangdong, along the middle reaches of the Beijiang River, serving as a junction between the Pearl River Delta region and northern Guangdong. It lies 138 kilometers south of Guangzhou, 108 kilometers from Guangzhou’s new international airport, and 90 kilometers north of Shaoguan City, covering an area of 5,671 square kilometers — making it the largest county-level administrative division in Guangdong by land area. It governs 30 towns and 1 tourism and culture district, with a total population of about 1 million. Yingde has a long and rich history. As early as the sixth year of the Yuanding era during Emperor Wu of Han’s reign (111 BC), the two counties of Zhenyang and Hankuang were established within the current territory of Yingde. In the first year of the Qingyuan era during the Southern Song Dynasty (11… More details about Huanghua Town ++