Former Site of Shalu Fort

Former Site of Shalu Fort

The former site of Shalu Fort is a cultural relic protection unit of Guangdong Province.

Shalu Fort is located at Binggang in Beiyuefang, Shating Village, Hualong Town, Panyu District. It consists of several fortifications on Ma’yaogang and Binggang in Beiyuefang of Shating Village. To the north, it faces Huangpu’s Changzhou Island across the river and served as a strategic stronghold and gateway along the Pearl River waterway. As part of the “Pearl River Ancient Fort Heritage Corridor” in modern Chinese history, Shalu Fort witnessed the dramatic social transformations in China, making it of significant value for the study of modern military strategy and science.

Shalu Fort was constructed in the 10th year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty (1884) under the direction of Zhang Zhidong, then Viceroy of Liangguang. At the time, the Sino-French War was underway. To strengthen coastal defenses and prevent surprise attacks on Guangzhou by French forces, Zhang Zhidong oversaw the construction of a series of fortifications at key points controlling access to the Pearl River, particularly around Changzhou Island at the entrance of the provincial river channel. He built five major forts: Changzhou, Shalu, Yuzhu, Niushan, and Pinggang Dongshan, all under the unified command of the Changzhou Fortress. These five forts, especially Shalu, Yuzhu, and Changzhou, formed a strategic “Five Tigers Capturing the Sheep” formation, facing each other across the river and jointly constituting the final line of defense for Guangzhou’s maritime security.

The closest artillery position of Shalu Fort to the Pearl River lies right across from Changzhou Island, just a few kilometers in a straight line from the Whampoa Military Academy. Between Ma’yaogang and Binggang, there is now a vegetable production base covered with white plastic greenhouses, but this area was once a military camp. Historical records indicate that in the 1920s, this same site served as barracks and dormitories for cadets of the Whampoa Military Academy. After the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War, Guangzhou fell to Japanese forces in 1938, and Shalu Fort was also occupied. The cannons were destroyed by the Japanese, and the fort was completely abandoned.

Currently, local authorities are actively applying for further restoration of the fort, with plans to develop it into a theme park centered on ancient forts and a patriotic education base.

Shating Village: Located in the northern part of Hualong Town, Panyu District, Guangzhou, Shating Village is about 3 kilometers from the town center. It borders the Pearl River to the north and covers an area of approximately 6.77 square kilometers. The planned Nanda Trunk Road runs east-west through Shating Village, while the Petrochemical Avenue crosses the village north-south in the central area, though the current transportation infrastructure remains underdeveloped. The village consists of 12 production teams, with a permanent population of 2,640 and a migrant population of about 800. It enjoys a comfortable environment and simple rural customs, and is a typical water town settlement.

The village’s economy is currently agriculture-based, specializing in flower production, with floral products distributed throughout the country. Recently, the village has invested funds... More details about Shating Village ++

Further Reading:

· Ninth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Guangdong Province