Jiaomen Beacon Tower

Jiaomen Beacon Tower

The Jiaomen Beacon Tower is located on Jiaomen Mountain in Jiaomen Village, Huangge Town, Panyu. In ancient times, Jiaomen Mountain was bordered by the Humen Waterway to the east and the Jiaomen Waterway to the west, with Jiaomenjiao (a water channel) running east–west. Situated right in the middle of the north bank of the channel and at a strategic point along the water route, a beacon tower was established here. The tower stands 4 meters tall, with a base width of 10 meters and a top diameter of 2.50 meters, shaped like a cone and built from yellow mud and crushed stone. There are no written records indicating when the tower was built, so the exact date remains undetermined. According to local legend, the tower was first constructed in the early Qing Dynasty as an alarm system to guard against attacks from Zheng Chenggong’s forces, who were attempting to reclaim the Ming Dynasty by advancing along the coast. The beacon tower is about 100 meters from Jiaomen Fort Hill and also served as a signaling tower for the Jiaomen Fort. It lies approximately 1 kilometer north of Huangge’s Danan Mountain. There used to be a beacon tower at the top of Danan Mountain, but it has now been completely destroyed. When the Jiaomen Beacon Tower raised an alarm, the one on Danan Mountain would also light a fire, which could be seen from afar due to the latter’s higher elevation. The ruins of the Jiaomen Beacon Tower still remain today.

Jiaomen Village: Located southeast of Huangge Town at the foot of Danan Mountain, Jiaomen Village is surrounded by mountains on three sides and faces the Jiaomen River. It is an ancient village with a history of over 800 years. The village not only houses the nationally protected Jiaomen Fort but also features the Deshengli Gate Tower, which commemorates victories against pirates during the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, as well as the ancient Leijian Temple and Huaguang Temple, both built during the Ming Dynasty. These make Jiaomen Village one of the oldest settlements in Huangge and even the wider Nansha area. The village covers an area of approximately 2.5 square kilometers, including 220 acres of arable land. It consists of 2 villager groups, with over 260 households, a permanent population of 920, and a labor force of 5… More details about Jiaomen Village++