Hulishan Fortress
» Xiamen, Fu Jian

胡里山炮台

Situated at Hulishan Seacoast on the southern tip of Xiamen Island, it covers a total area of over 70 thousand square meters and over 47 thousand square meters of fortress. In August, 2000, The Fortress was listed in "The Guinness Book World Records."

Have a look

Xiamen had been an ancient battlefield where Xiamen people resisted imperial aggressors in the history. It played an important role in resisting foreign aggressors.

The base of the fortress is made of the mixture of camphor tree sap, liquid brown sugar, glutinous rice, clay and sand. Therefore, it is rather solid. The fortress is composed of the barracks, the secret tunnel, commanding tower, sentry platform, the ammunition depot, the trench, the castle, etc. The rectangular castle made of granite rocks occupies an area of 13,000 square meters.

There are east and west emplacements with two main cannons (only one left now) bought from the Krupp Company of Germany. The whole length of the cannon is 13.13 meters and its weight is 50 tons. The caliber of the cannon is 280 mm and its maximum range of fire is 16,000 meters.

The fortress displays more than 50 iron cannons of the Ming Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty unearthed from the Xiamen waters and the building site of capital construction. The East and West emplacements are connected by a tunnel. There are military camps at the exits of the tunnel. As a coastal defense fortress, there is a trench outside and a patrolling path inside.

Unique style

It was a combination of city walls and bunkers and a combination of western architectural style and that of China's Ming and Qing Dynasties, especially the style of stone arches. In terms of the plane layout, the top and the bottom of the city wall were interlinked. There were patrolling passages on the top of the wall and protection trenches at the bottom. There were inner-walls inside the city wall. The secret passages were interlinked. The open trenches were also linked with each other. It was a good combination of functions and arts.

Surprisingly strong mixture

Western Europe's technique o f building fortresses was combined with using building materials in China's Fujian Province, mainly granite and a mixture of lime, clay and sand, as well as red bricks. Water, liquid brown sugar or glutinous rice and paper pulp were added to the mixture of lime, clay and sand. This kind of materials had very good adhesion and was very strong. It was used on the surface of the platforms, replacing cement and rocks, for fear that when it was hit by the enemy's shells, the cement and rocks might explode and became something like "shell fragments." Instead, when the mixture of materials was hit, the lime, clay and sand would scatter, thus causing less damage.

Cultural relics

Many scholars and poets wrote a number of poems and articles about the fortress and there are some relief sculptures at the Fortress. Besides, there is a museum at the Fortress, displaying thousands of items of ancient weaponry and artillery of the world. The Fortress and its cannons are material objects for the research of China's modern history, the history of coastal defense, the Westernization Movement as well as the history of weaponry and fortresses of China and the world.

Newly built spots

In 1986, platforms of yearning for return are built at the forward position of the fortress. The tourists observe Dadan and Erdan Islands under Jinmen's jurisdiction through telescopes. In recent years, the fortress yard has been cleaned up and large-scale wall carvings "national soul" is newly built, demonstrating the course of warehousing weapons, reviving military forces and resisting strong enemies with a profound artistic conception.

"Rong Spring" is newly built on the left side of wall carvings, which is quite novel. Behind the wall carvings the small garden with evergreen grass has many sculptures and golden ball cactus. A leisure and sightseeing pavilion built in the high place is harmonious and natural with the surroundings. The scenic spot of Moonlight Rock is opened up in the north of the small garden with additionally set "dragon spring waterfalls," "a line sky," and "the poem wall of Hulishan fortress."

When to visit

Opening Hours: 8:00a.m. - 6:00p.m.

Attractions around » Xiamen, Fu Jian

Natural Scene

Natural Scene

Historical Site

Historical Site

Cultural Site

Cultural Site

Historical Relic

Historical Relic

  Weather

  1. When is the best time to go?

  Food

  1. How about the taste of local food in Xiamen & Wuyishan?

  Other Hints

  1. What to note before enjoying the exciting floating along Jiuquxi River?

  • When is the best time to go?

    Xiamen has a subtropical monsoon climate and the weather here is mild and rainy.

    The average temperature for the year is about 21 C, the absolutely highest temperature is 38.4 C and lowest is 2 C. As the average annual rainfall here is 1100mm, it abounds mainly from May to July.

    It is a perfect place for you to visit all year round, but as an island, the sunshine here is very strong, so please be ready to do something to avoid sunstroke and the light. For example, things like sunscreen, sun umbrella, and sunhat are musts.


  • What to note before enjoying the exciting floating along Jiuquxi River?

    Floating along Jiuquxi River is a new-born popular tour, the exciting tour by a bamboo raft to see enchanting sight of exotic peaks and relics along the bank, here are something you need to read.

    1. Before getting on the raft, obey the arrangements of guide on the dock, get on raft in order; after getting on raft, please check whether you have life jacket and read "need-to-know about rafting" to get useful information, as how to keep safety on raft, dial Emergency Hotline and so on. Please don't bring valuables on raft.
    2. During floating, make sure you wear life jacket and obey guidance of raft-rower. Don't take photos on a moving raft, especially around rapids, torrents, sharp bends or curves. Please draw the safety rope to keep your body in balance.
    3. If there is a strong wind or thunder storm during the trip, please obey guidance of raft-rower to stop raft at safety place.

  • How about the taste of local food in Xiamen & Wuyishan?

    The cuisine of Xiamen mainly focuses on seafood. Taste of other dishes is mild; and chili sauce is a little bit sweet. While, the food of Wuyishan taste mainly savoury.


Built in 1894 during the 20th year of Emperor Guangxu's reign, Hulishan Fortress is an internationally recognized historical and cultural site. It fully reserves the ancient military facilities such as the emplacement, the castle, etc. and is an excellent combination of foreign and local styles as well as technology.

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