Xiuying Ancient Fort

　　Located behind Xiuying Village on the north side of Haixiu Road in Haikou City. The fort consists of five batteries: Gongbei, Zhendong, Dingshi, Zhenwu, and Zhenwei, built in a straight line along a two-hundred-meter-long coastal hill. The gun embrasures face north toward the sea. Two rows of barracks and ammunition depots stand opposite each other, with a large parade ground in between. Towering ancient trees line both sides of the field, lush and vibrant. The entire fort complex, including auxiliary structures, covers an area of about 10,000 square meters.

　　It was first built in the 17th year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty (1891 AD). Though over a century has passed, it remains largely well-preserved. At the time, this fort was one of the nation’s most renowned coastal fortifications, ranked among the Four Great Forts of China alongside Shanghai’s Wusongkou Fort, Tianjin’s Dagu Fort, and Guangdong’s Humen Fort. It stands as a historical testament to the people of Hainan’s fearless resistance against foreign aggression. In 1985, the Haikou Municipal Government designated the fort as a municipal-level key cultural relic protection unit.

　　In November 1994, Xiuying Fort was listed as a provincial-level key cultural relic protection unit in Hainan Province. After restoration in February 1999, it was opened to the public and briefly enjoyed popularity. However, on March 1, 2006, it closed due to operational difficulties. Shortly after its closure, on May 25, 2006, Xiuying Fort was designated as a national key cultural relic protection unit by the State Council, becoming the sixth such site in Haikou following the Hai Rui Tomb, Qiu Jun Tomb, Qiu Jun Former Residence, Five Officials Shrine, and the former site of the Qiongya First Congress. Yet, more than two years have passed, and Xiuying Fort has yet to reopen to the public. In fact, among Haikou’s six national heritage sites, apart from the Hai Rui Tomb and Five Officials Shrine, few receive many visitors. Reports suggest even those two sites are not faring well, often seeing only a handful of tourists—a likely reflection of the current state of Hainan’s historical and cultural attractions, a challenging reality with no immediate solution.

　　In 1890, to defend against the French invasion, the Qing government ordered all military forces to guard coastal ports strictly. Zhang Zhidong, the Viceroy of Liangguang, inspected Haikou and subsequently ordered the construction of Xiuying Fort. The ancient Xiuying Fort includes five batteries of varying sizes: Gongbei, Zhendong, and Dingshi as the three main batteries, and Zhenwu as the two smaller ones.

　　The five batteries of Xiuying Ancient Fort are aligned in a straight line from east to west, standing abreast and facing north, majestically overlooking the sea. All five cannons were purchased from the German Krupp Arsenal. The southeastern side of the fort houses a command room, with a training ground and barracks at the back. The entire fort area covers 30,000 square meters. Xiuying Fort represents a grand military facility of ancient Hainan and one of the larger military installations in ancient China. Alongside Guangdong’s Humen Fort, Shanghai’s Wusong Fort, and Tianjin’s Dagu Fort, it is known as one of the Four Great Forts of ancient China.