The Four Forts Printing Workshop Buildings

　　The Four Forts Printing Workshop Buildings cover an area of approximately 82.5 hectares across four administrative villages: Zhongnan, Siqiao, Wuge, and Tiancha. The workshops were the basic sites for woodblock printing and were referred to as halls, towers, attics, houses, shops, or bureaus. To date, over 80 printing workshop buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties remain. Notable examples include the Linlan Hall, built during the Qianlong reign (1736–1795) of the Qing Dynasty; the Linlan Ji Ji, Linlan Yi Ji, and Daguang Book Bureau from the Daoguang reign (1821–1850); and the Ziren House in Wuge Village, which consists of the Tianbao Tower, Wuben Hall, and Hanbao Tower. These workshop buildings are mostly wooden structures in the form of quadrangle courtyards. Along the central axis, there are front, middle, and rear halls. The gables are often made of blue brick firewalls, which served a fire-prevention function and were commonly known as "firewall houses." In front, there are ponds, threshing floors, and gate towers, flanked by one to three rows of side rooms, surrounded by enclosing walls or fences. This layout facilitated both clan-based communal living and served as suitable spaces for family-run workshops. The partition doors and window lattices often feature intricate wood carvings, while the screen walls are decorated with brick carvings. Over 5,000 original woodblocks from that era, as well as book-cutting shelves, cutting knives, ink trays, ink brushes, and ink vats—tools used in woodblock printing—are preserved within these buildings.

　　The woodblock printing industry in Sibao originated in the Song Dynasty, flourished in the Ming Dynasty, and reached its peak in the Qing Dynasty. It was one of the four major woodblock printing centers during the Ming and Qing periods. The surviving cluster of printing workshop buildings represents the most complete ancient woodblock printing heritage in China to date. As a physical manifestation of a highly prosperous printing industry and an era of unprecedented economic and cultural flourishing, it stands as a material representation of Sibao’s glorious history and rich culture. It provides invaluable real-world evidence for the study of China's woodblock printing culture. Moreover, located in western Fujian, a region home to one of the settlements of the Hakka people, these buildings served as dwelling and living spaces at the time and embody many features of traditional Hakka architecture. They thus also offer important insights into the origins, formation, and humanistic spirit of Hakka culture.

　　In 2001, the Four Forts Printing Workshop Buildings were included in the fifth group of Major National Historical and Cultural Sites by the State Council of China.