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Huli hill fort ¨C china¡¯s doorstep
Huli Fortress is virtually impregnable, thanks to its construction of sand, clay, camphor tree juice, lime and glutinous rice (during a prolonged siege defenders could eat their fort!)
Huli Fort boasts The World of Exotic Stones, and an exhibition of ancient armaments. But its real claim to fame is the 60 ton German - made coastal defense gun installed by some big shot back in 1896.
During the Opium Wars, China had over 100 cannons, but Huli Hill¡¯s behemoth is the only well preserved coastal cannon left. With a range of 16,640 meters, it could easily lay into Tai wan - occupied Jinmen island, a mere two miles offshore. Though since we`ve lived here, it has been Xiamen, not Taiwan, taking the shelling.
When Chiang Kai Shek fled to Taiwan in 1949, he left a sizeable force behind on Jinmen Island, which lies but a couple of miles off Xiamen¡¯s shore. Jinmen is so close that with binoculars we can read Taiwan¡¯s propaganda billboards, and watch patrolling KMT soldiers.
During the 1950s, Taiwan loosed hundreds of thousands of shells on Xianmen Island and her neighbors (especially Da Deng Island, which has a marvelous museum now). After the PLA in Fujian announced a ceasefire and cessation of all hostilities, Taiwan¡¯s bombing gradually decreased. But the calm was deceptive.
Xiamen folk were still rebuilding homes and lives when, on January 24, 1984, Jinmen pounded Jiaoyu Island with 120 shells. "A soft answer turneth away wrath." In spite of civilian casualties, the PLA refused to retaliate, and Taiwan abandoned its bombing - until 1994.
Our family was in our hillside XiaDa apartment on November 14, 1994 when we heard a "kaboon!" reverberate across campus. "Dynamiting or war games?" we wondered. But no games this time.
Two bombs from Jinmen pounded Xiamen¡¯s Huangcuo village, wounding 4 workers. Western media shrugged it off as an accident, but when the PLA fired missiles into the open sea near Taiwan, what an uproar that created! It seemed like the entire world bemoaned China¡¯s militancy, and politicians seeking re-election votes demanded U.S. Naval intervention.
Ironic, to say the least. Taiwan bombs our home and the world shrugs. China bombs open ocean-and the hawks don war paint.
But things are changing¡
When we arrived in 1988, Amoy¡¯s perimeter was studded with granite tank traps and concrete bunkers, but over the past decade Xiamen has turned her swords into plows-and roads.
Our shoreline facing Jinmen is now garlanded with a beautifully landscaped ring road. The tank traps have been replaced by lawns and gardens, and paths for hikers, bicyclists and roller bladers.
Take a bus or taxi to one of the picnic areas, and have lunch on the broad grassy lawns that front the miles of beaches. Enjoy the sand and surf, and the backdrop of islands and freighters, and majestic two- masted mahogany Chinese junks gliding gracefully though the channel, or fishermen¡¯s sampans bobbing like corks in a giant basin. And if you¡¯re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of the rare white dolphins that frequently frolic in our bay.
Or skip the
picnic and have tea or a meal by the beach, where you can rent beach
umbrellas, floats, mats, rubber boats, etc. After your swim, rinse
off in one of the many modern public facilities, and then get high-on
a rental hot air balloon or motorized glider.
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Huli
Hill fort, located strategically on the beach behind Xiamen University,
has always been considered the door to Xiamen. And given that Xiamen
is "china¡¯s gateway," that makes Huli Hill Fort China¡¯s
doorstep.
