A premier cultural and national historic site, the Hulishan Fortress is located on the south of Xiamen Island in the People’s Republic of China. Having served as an important defensive mechanism during the war against Japanese belligerence, the fortress has been included in the list of the Guinness World Records for the year 2000. Consisting of a tunnel, a magazine, barracks and other fortified buildings, it was built during Emperor Guangxu’s reign. Displaying numerous cannons and cannon balls, the impressive fortress has over 100 years of an eventful history.
The fortress’ base is made of a mixture of clay, glutinous rice, sand, liquid brown sugar, and camphor tree sap, making it quite solid. The barracks are seen at the exit of the tunnel whilst in the entirety you will see a castle, a trench, an ammunition depot, a sentry platform, a commanding tower, and various other structures. The castle made from granite rocks is rectangular and sprawls across nearly 13,000 square metres.
The fortress’ two main cannons as well as the west and east emplacements were purchased by the Krupp Company of Germany. Cannons weighing 50 tonnes have a length of 13.13 metres and calibre of 280 mm; over 50 such iron cannons from the Qing and Min dynasties can be found in the fortress. These were unearthed from the construction’s building site and the Xiamen waters. A tunnel connects the west and east emplacements whilst at the tunnel’s exit are military camps. The fortress’ patrolling path on the inside and the trench on the outside bear testimony to its role as a coastal defence structure back in its day.
Many poets and scholars have written several poems and articles about the fortress appreciating its architectural distinctiveness and grandeur. Showcasing a wide range of ancient weaponry and artillery including swords and firecrackers is a special museum within the fortress.
Travellers exploring the attraction can confidently choose a Xiamen hotel such as the ideally located Millennium Harbourview Hotel Xiamen, to enhance their vacation. Found within a short distance of the Hulishan Fortress, it is the most suitable choice for those in search of Xiamen hotel specials and packages.
