|
|
| Attraction-The Stone
City of Chongwu |
|
Just north of Quanzhou on the horn-shaped Chongwu
Peninsula there is an ancient city made almost entirely of
stone. The Position of the peninsula has always made it easily
defensible, and in ancient times it was the location of an
important sentry post along Fujian's southeastern coast.
Chongwu Peninsula began to be heavily guarded during the Northern
Song Dynasty (960-1127), and was called Dousai until the first
Ming emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang, changed the name to Chongwu,
which means
|
|
|
|
|
This
winding city wall has become a popular tourist attraction.
|
"the advocation of armaments". In 1387 the
Ming government, in an effort to fight pirates, built the ancient
city of Chongwu with the material most readily at hand - stone.
Granite blocks make up this ancient city's foundations, which
are about 3.5 metres tall, while the walls, also of granite,
measure over 6.6 metres high and stretch for 2.4 kilometres.
The city's granite battlements, embrasures and city gates all
contributed to its famed impregnability. From Qi Jiguang to
Zheng Chenggong (Koxinga), generations of renowned generals
have stationed their troops here. Gateways topped by sturdy
arches open on all four sides, and beacon towers stand guard
on all but the western wall. |
|
|
|
|
One
often sees Hui'an women on the pier at Chongwu, waiting
for their husbands to return from the sea.
|
This ancient stone city has withstood the
ravages of wars and the elements for almost 600 years, seemingly
little disturbed. When I arrived, l was immediately impressed
by the traditional and colourful attire of the inhabitants.
I watched as a woman with a red cloth belt carrying a bamboo
basket walked by, while a young lady, her head covered in a
scarf and bamboo hat and wearing a blue top that stopped short
above her navel, slowly approached. As she passed by
the hard, cold walls, her sleeves and wide-legged trousers fluttered
lightly in the wind. |
|
|
|
