China News Service, Taizhou, April 5 (Reporter Fan Yubin) Bluestone paved streets, weather-beaten old houses, moss-covered city walls... During the Ching Ming holiday, it is located on the coast of the East China Sea, China’s national historical and cultural city, Linhai Taozhu, Taizhou, Zhejiang In the ancient city, many tourists come to find ancient charm.

Photo by Fan Yubin, Dongmen Wengcheng, Taozhu Ancient City

  Taozhu was a thousand households specially set up to fight against the Japanese in the Ming Dynasty. It was once an important coastal defense outpost and garrison base of Taizhou Prefecture.

Taozhu City was first built in the 20th year of Hongwu in Ming Dynasty (1387), and after two relocations, in the 7th year of Ming Dynasty (1443), Taozhusuo City was built on the current site.

Photo by Fan Yubin, Guandi Temple, Taozhu Ancient City

  After more than 500 years of wind and rain, Taozhu City is now the most well-preserved city of the Ming Dynasty Anti-Japanese Guards in China. It has become an important example of city defense for the study of the Ming Dynasty guards system and coastal anti-Japanese defense system, and is listed as " National key units".

  Walking on the city wall of Taozhu City, which is 4.5 meters high and 1366 meters in circumference, touches the bricks of the stone ramparts, feeling the vicissitudes of life spontaneously.

There are three city gates in the east, west, and south, and there are 12 enemy platforms around the city.

On the mountain in the north of the city, the Ming Dynasty cliff stone inscriptions "Taiwan", "Zhenhai" and the beacon tower, Dianjiangtai, etc. quietly narrate the history of this place.

The woodcarving corbel made by Zheng Gongxi, a woodcarver in Linhai, Zhejiang. Photographed by Fan Yubin

  Stepping into the city, the pattern of the ancient military city of the Ming Dynasty has survived. The east-west main street crosses the north-south lanes, and the upper drum tower rises above the intersection.

A clear Hualong Canal connects row upon row of ancient residential buildings.

The Huangya Well, which is adjacent to Hualong Canal in the north, has sweet water and inexhaustible water.

  "During the Qing Dynasty, Taozhu City was very prosperous. There are now 13 well-preserved ancient courtyard houses. Among them are the Lang Family, Lang Defeng, Jin Family, Wu House, Gaoyan Xie’s House, Liu’s House in Flagstall, and Guan Di. Temples are the most representative.” said Wang Jianping, chairman of the Taozhu Town People’s Congress. With the approval of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, Taozhu Town has been carrying out salvage repairs on key cultural relics and traditional historical buildings in recent years.

Photo by Fan Yubin at Qi Jiguang Memorial Hall in Taozhu

  In a courtyard, Linhai woodcarver Zheng Gongxi is carving an ancient building component.

He said: "I carved a pomegranate pattern on both sides in accordance with the original corbel pattern of the old house, which means that many children are more blessed."

  Liu Minghua, a 79-year-old villager from Chengli Village in Taozhu Town, watched closely. He lamented that the villagers have always loved Taozhu City. With the joint efforts of generations, Taozhu City has stood upright.

  Due to its proximity to the East China Sea, Taozhu City is often hit by typhoons. Liu Minghua has participated in the construction of the city wall more than 10 times.

"You can't let the city wall fall, the villagers all have a consensus." He said.

"Cui Pu Pavilion" in Taozhu Ancient City, China-Korea People-to-People Friendship Monument Photographed by Fan Yubin

  Linhai is the place where the national hero Qi Jiguang trained, built a city and became famous.

Taozhu City is known for its anti-Japanese warfare. During the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, Qi Jiguang led the Qi family army and Taozhu soldiers and civilians to fight bloody battles against Japanese pirates. It was called "Taozhu Victory" in history.

  "Taozhu is different from the general anti-Japanese ancient city. It is not only a historical evidence of the Japanese invasion of the southeast coast, but also a heroic castle led by Qi Jiguang to resist foreign aggression." Wang Jianping said, Qi Jiguang repaired Taozhu City and created two hollows. Enemy Taiwan, which accumulated experience for the later construction of the Great Wall of Ming Dynasty in the North.

  The anti-Japanese gun smoke dissipated.

The Taozhu People’s Memorial Hall cherished Qi Jiguang, and wrote in the couplet: “Why travel to Chibi in nostalgia, and whoever does not remember Taozhu.”

According to reports, local customs such as the Lantern Festival on the 14th day of the first lunar month and the Mid-Autumn Festival on August 16 are also related to the Qi family’s anti-Japanese war.

  The long years have passed down the multiculturalism in Taozhu City. In the city, a "Cui Pu Pavilion" has witnessed a period of historical friendship between the people of China and South Korea.

Taojiang Shisanzhu scenery photo by Fan Yubin

  In 1488, Cui Pu, a Korean official of the Lee family, drifted off the sea due to a storm, and was finally rescued in Linhai County, Taizhou Prefecture.

After being identified by the Taozhu Thousand Households Office, he was escorted to Linhai, and then returned to China via Hangzhou, Beijing, and the Yalu River, where he wrote the Chinese diary "Drifting in the Sea."

  "Over 20 years ago, the descendants of Cui Pu found Taozhu on a special trip according to the records of "Piaohailu", and then built a pavilion to commemorate this event." Wang Jianping said that this story has been remembered by the people of Taozhu.

  “The story behind it is always more touching.” Linhai tourist Zhang Shenglei was surprised when he heard about Taozhu’s history. He said that this paradise-like military ancient city is the epitome of Taizhou’s thousand-year history and deserves to be savored.

  In fact, the history and scenery of Taozhu City complement each other, and the nearby Taojiang Shisanzhu and Wukeng Peak Forest together dot the beautiful scenery along the southeast coast of Zhejiang.

  Under the background of comprehensively promoting rural revitalization and accelerating the integration of cultural and tourism, the secluded Taozhu City has ushered in opportunities for butterfly change.

  Once upon a time, a wasteland in the square outside the east gate of Taozhu City has been transformed into a tourist center, and a sculpture of Qi Jiguang stands on the square.

With the opening of the lighting project, Taozhu City under the night has become more attractive.

Outside the ancient city, leisure businesses such as farmhouses, homestays, sightseeing and picking agriculture are booming...

  Seeing the dawn of rural revitalization, many villagers re-made special snacks such as glutinous soup, light cakes, and golden balls.

"These delicacies are related to Qi Jiguang's fight against the Japanese. We told the story to the tourists. They were very interested and tasted even more delicious." Liu Minghua said, inheriting the good Taozhu history and culture is their villagers’ obligation, hopefully Many young people are willing to take a walk to Taozhu.

  To protect cultural relics and historical sites and inherit history and culture is to guard the future.

Regarding the future of Taozhu, a famous historical and cultural town in China, Li Haifeng, Secretary of the Party Committee of Taozhu Town, said that industry will be the core, culture as the soul, tourism as the main line, and party building as the guide. It will have potential for rural scenery, red history, and rural culture. Resources, combing and integrating, tapping the characteristic economic value, integrating agriculture and cultural tourism, and continuously empowering rural revitalization.

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