Former Site of the Command Post for Resisting the British in Yantian

Former Site of the Command Post for Resisting the British in Yantian

The former site of the command post for resisting the British in Yantian is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Guangdong Province.

The former site of the resistance against the British in Yantian is located in Yantian Village, Fenggang Town, and includes the Deng Clan Ancestral Hall and the remains of the anti-British artillery battery. The Deng Clan Ancestral Hall was built during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty to commemorate Zhao, the imperial princess of the Southern Song Dynasty, by the Deng clan of Yantian. The hall faces south and is a three-bay, three-courtyard structure with a flush gable roof and a hybrid raised-beam and through-tenon construction. It is 15 meters wide and 34 meters deep, with a three-bay, three-story memorial archway in the second courtyard. The remains of the anti-British artillery battery are located on Wanghui Ridge to the south of Yantian Village. It was an earthen fortification, with the battery and trenches surrounding the entire ridge top. In 1899, under the leadership of the martial arts scholar Deng Fuliang, the people of Yantian organized volunteer troops, acquired weapons, and used Dongluo Xinting as the command post for resisting the British. They built fortifications and artillery positions on Wanghui Ridge to the south of Yantian to block the northward advance of British forces. The battery has now collapsed, but remnants of the fortification and trenches remain.

Located in the southeastern part of Dongguan in Fenggang Town, it is less than twenty kilometers from Yantian Port in Shenzhen to the south. The terrain mainly consists of hills, mountains, and alluvial fields. The area has a southern subtropical climate and is characterized by a maritime monsoon climate, which is humid and rainy. Yantian Village is surrounded by mountains on all sides, with a flat central area where the Yantian River and Shuibei River converge at Shaling, providing convenient irrigation and making it suitable for rice cultivation and fishpond development. The hills are mostly small and gently sloped, with thick soil layers and a long history of lychee cultivation.

Yantian Village in Fenggang Town, where it is located, lies at the southeastern tip of Dongguan. Human settlement in the area began during the Yuan Dynasty. All villagers are Cantonese-speaking “locals,” with the Deng family being the largest clan, having migrated here from Qilang in Qishi during the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty. Residential buildings surround the ancestral hall. At the foot of Wanghui Ridge, where the artillery battery remains are located, lies the Yantian Reservoir.

Yantian Village: Introduction to Yantian Village

Yantian Village has a long history. Since Deng Zhentian established the village during the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty, it has stood for nearly six hundred years. It is located at the southernmost tip of Dongguan, bordering Shenzhen to the east, south, and west, covering a total area of 24 square kilometers. It currently has a resident population of over 3,000 and a migrant population of nearly 100,000.

Yantian enjoys a uniquely advantageous geographical location with a well-connected transportation network. It is only 21 kilometers from Luohu Customs and less than 40 kilometers from Shenzhen Airport. The Boshen Expressway, Longping Highway, and Fengshen Highway run across the area, while the Dongshen Quasi-Expressway runs vertically through it... More detailed information about Yantian Village++

Further Reading:

·Seventh Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units