I Visited a Minor Attraction in Fujian: "Zhao Family Fort"

The place I am introducing this time is a ruin that is minor not only to Japanese tourists but even to Chinese tourists.

It has been six years since I started working in Fujian. I have basically only gone back and forth between the factory and my apartment, so it is fair to say I have been nowhere. The only exception is that I walked around the ancient city of Zhangzhou a little bit. I just checked my photo folder, and I do not even have any photos left.

However, I have continued to search for nearby places on Baidu Maps and Trip.com. That is where I found "Zhao Family Fort." Well, I actually found it about five years ago, but I go back to Shenzhen on weekends, and I do not have any transportation in Fujian, so I never ended up going.

What is Zhao Family Fort?
This is where DEEP SEEK comes in handy. According to it, it is something like this:

Location: Huxi She Ethnic Township, Zhangpu County, Fujian Province

• Construction Period: Ming Dynasty Wanli era (1573–1620)

• Builder: Descendants of Zhao Ruohe, a member of the Southern Song royal family (a descendant of the younger brother of Emperor Taizu, Zhao Kuangyin)

• Features: Designed to imitate the Southern Song capital, Bianjing (modern-day Kaifeng), it is called a "miniature of the Song Dynasty capital."

Historical Background

1. Fall of the Southern Song:

   • After the Southern Song was destroyed by the Yuan Dynasty at the Battle of Yamen in 1279, the royal family member Zhao Ruohe and others escaped and hid in Zhangpu.

2. Construction of the Fort:

   • During the Ming Dynasty Wanli era, Zhao Fan, a descendant of Zhao Ruohe, built Zhao Family Fort after retiring from his official post, with the goal of ensuring the safety of his clan and inheriting Southern Song culture.

   • During the Qing Dynasty, its defensive functions were strengthened, bringing it to its current form.

While I had been thinking "I'll go someday if I can," I happened to have an opportunity to visit the area for work in mid-September, so I decided to stop by since I was there.

A long time ago, when I checked on a map app, I feel like it said "free," but a ticket booth had been set up at the entrance and it was now paid. I believe it was about 10 yuan per person.

As soon as I passed through the entrance, a local lady called out to me, saying, "I'll guide you." Of course, it was for a fee. Since I was on my way home from work, I wanted to take a quick look and leave, so I declined.

When I went inside, parts of it were completely residential, and it had a very lived-in feel. Laundry was hanging out, and they were preparing dinner. According to DeepSeek, descendants of the Zhao family, who are royalty, seem to have lived there the whole time. It is essentially a place where a residential area has become a tourist spot. Though, I doubt whether they are really descendants... (that is my bad habit).

The size itself is apparently about 2.5 times the size of the Tokyo Dome. I went before sunset, so I did not get to walk around the whole thing, but it certainly felt surprisingly large.

Since we were short on time, we did a quick tour: passing the pond, crossing the bridge, walking in front of the government office, and seeing the main Wanbi Building before leaving, but it was still quite worth seeing. Residents lived around the government office, the East Gate, and the Martial Temple. Quite a few places were crumbling and seemed to be awaiting renovation.

Now, I would like to quickly introduce the interior with some photos.

The Fudi, which was the main residential area. It seems it held a dual status, not just as a house, but as a residence for royalty holding official positions.

The main building, Wanbi Lou (Perfect Building), sounds quite formidable just from its name. The main building is square, with no windows on the first floor and a total of 28 stone windows on the second and third floors. By the way, I couldn't go above the second floor. There are also firing holes to prepare for enemy attacks. According to DeepSeek, it was sturdy enough to withstand the firearms and siege weapons of the time to some extent, and it also had wells and food storage, making it possible to hold out under siege for a while. It truly is a 'perfect' building. It also seems to be a play on the ancient Zhao state story 'Returning the Jade Intact' (Wanbi Gui Zhao), famous for the 'He Shi Bi' jade.

I didn't have much time, so I left immediately after seeing Wanbi Lou, but I think there would be many more discoveries if I looked around carefully. If you don't mind, it might be worth hiring a local guide (I often hire such guides when traveling with my wife). You would likely hear more detailed stories and behind-the-scenes information (though whether what they say is true is questionable).

If you have plenty of time after finishing your Tulou sightseeing, you might want to visit this place, but honestly, it's a place you can't reach without a car, so it might not be a tourist spot I can highly recommend.

There are other minor Tulou in this area, so I would like to visit those if I have the chance. However, before that, if I ever come to Fujian by car again, I would like to tour the World Heritage Tulou that appear in guidebooks (like Nanjing Tulou or Yongding Tulou).

All the photos this time were taken with my smartphone, the ONEPLUS 13. I should have brought my camera lol

End