Dagu Fortress Site Museum is located on both sides of the estuary of the Haihe River in the southeast of Tanggu, Binhai New Area, Tianjin. It is a national key cultural relics protection unit, a national 4A-level tourist attraction, and also a national patriotism education demonstration base and a national youth education base. With the Dagu Fortress site as its core, the scenic area carries important historical memories of modern China's resistance to foreign aggression, and has profound historical and cultural value and significance in patriotism education. The total area of the scenic area is about 93.8 hectares, among which the main building of the museum covers an area of about 8,000 square meters with a construction area of about 5,000 square meters. The overall architectural style is solemn and solemn, echoing the historical atmosphere of the fortress site. Through various means such as physical displays, scene restorations, and multimedia interactions, it comprehensively shows the historical changes of Dagu Fortress and the history of modern China's struggle.
Historical Culture
Dagu Fortress was first built in the late Ming Dynasty, initially to resist Japanese pirates. By the Qing Dynasty, it gradually developed into an important coastal defense barrier for defending the capital. Its strategic position is extremely important, as it is the key passage of the estuary of the Haihe River, and is known as the "Screen of Tianjin".
In modern history, Dagu Fortress experienced many important battles, among which the most famous are the four Battles of Dagu (1858, 1859, 1860, 1900). In the 1859 Battle of Dagu, the Qing soldiers fought bravely against the Anglo-French allied forces here and achieved an important victory in modern China's anti-aggression wars. However, due to the corruption and backwardness of the Qing government, Dagu Fortress was eventually captured in subsequent wars.
In 1988, the Dagu Fortress site was announced by the State Council as the third batch of national key cultural relics protection units. Today, as an important coastal defense site in modern Chinese history, the Dagu Fortress site has witnessed the course of the Chinese nation from humiliation to resistance. It is an important material for studying modern Chinese military history, diplomatic history and national resistance history, and plays an irreplaceable role in inheriting and promoting the spirit of patriotism.
Main Attractions
Dagu Fortress Site
The Dagu Fortress site is the core part of the scenic area. There are five existing fortress sites named "Wei", "Zhen", "Hai", "Men" and "Gao", all built in the Qing Dynasty. Among them, the "Wei" character fortress is the best-preserved one, covering an area of about 2,000 square meters. The fortress faces the sea, with remains such as gun emplacements, ammunition depots, and soldiers' barracks. Visitors can observe the structure of the fortress at close range and feel the layout of military defense in those days. These fortress sites are not only witnesses of history but also show the architectural technology and military strategic thinking of coastal defense projects in the Qing Dynasty.
Exhibition Halls of Dagu Fortress Site Museum
The museum's exhibition halls are divided into several parts, which systematically display the historical evolution of Dagu Fortress, important battles, and the coastal defense situation of modern China through rich cultural relics, pictures, text materials, and multimedia means. The exhibition halls display cultural relics such as artillery, ammunition, and soldiers' daily necessities used in those days, some of which were unearthed from the fortress site and have high historical value. Through these exhibits and displays, visitors can deeply understand the important position and role of Dagu Fortress in modern Chinese history.
Sculpture Square
The Sculpture Square is located between the museum and the fortress site. There are many sculptures on the square reflecting the Chinese people's resistance against foreign aggression in modern times. With vivid shapes and full emotions, these sculptures reproduce historical scenes such as soldiers fighting bravely against the enemy and people supporting the front line, allowing visitors to more intuitively feel the indomitable spirit of resistance of the Chinese nation.
Food
Guobacai (Rice Crust Dish)
Guobacai is a characteristic snack of Tianjin and one of the common foods around the Dagu Fortress Site Museum. It uses rice crust made of mung bean flour as the main ingredient. The rice crust is cut into willow leaf shapes, blanched in boiling marinade, fished out, and then added with sesame paste, fermented bean curd juice, coriander and other seasonings. The marinade has a strong flavor, and the rice crust is soft but not mushy, with a unique taste. It is a favorite breakfast choice of local residents.
Goubuli Baozi (Steamed Stuffed Buns)
Goubuli Baozi is a famous food in Tianjin and can be tasted in some restaurants around the scenic area. It mainly uses pork filling, mixed with soy sauce, sesame oil and other seasonings. The bun skin is white and soft, with uniform and beautiful folds, up to 18. The filling is fresh, tender and juicy, with a mellow taste, which is loved by the public.
Erduoyan Fried Cakes
Erduoyan Fried Cakes are also traditional snacks in Tianjin, which are more common in snack bars around the scenic area. They use glutinous rice flour as the skin, filled with red bean paste, and are golden yellow after frying. The outer skin is crispy, the inner part is soft and glutinous, and the red bean paste filling is sweet and delicious, making it a sweet and tasty characteristic snack.
Tickets
The ticket price is 25 yuan per person.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "大沽口炮台遗址博物馆官微" to get the latest news or buy tickets online.
Opening Hours
The opening hours are from 9:00 to 16:30 (admission stops at 16:00) from Tuesday to Sunday every week, and it is closed on Mondays (except legal holidays).
Tour Route
After entering the scenic area, visitors can first go to the exhibition halls of Dagu Fortress Site Museum to learn about the historical background and overall overview of Dagu Fortress through visiting the exhibitions, which takes about 1 hour. Then, go to the Sculpture Square to appreciate the sculptures and feel the historical atmosphere, which takes about 30 minutes. Next, go to the Dagu Fortress site and visit the five fortress sites named "Wei", "Zhen", "Hai", "Men" and "Gao" in turn to deeply understand the structure and history of the fortress, which takes about 1.5 hours. The entire tour route takes about 3 hours, allowing visitors to have a relatively comprehensive experience of the main contents of the scenic area.
Transportation
- Bus: You can take Tianjin Bus No. 936 or 627 to Dagu Fortress Site Station, and then walk for about 5 minutes to reach the entrance of the scenic area.
- Self-driving: Starting from the center of Tianjin, drive along Jinbin Expressway, get off at Tanggu Exit, and then follow the navigation instructions to Dagu Fortress Site Museum. The whole journey is about 50 kilometers, and the driving time is about 1 hour. There is a parking lot in the scenic area for visitors to park, and the parking fee is 5 yuan per hour.
Must-visit Attractions
- "Wei" character fortress site: It is the best-preserved fortress site, covering an area of about 2,000 square meters, with remains such as gun emplacements and ammunition depots, allowing visitors to intuitively feel the structure of coastal defense facilities in the Qing Dynasty.
- Museum exhibition halls: They display a large number of historical relics and materials, systematically showing the history of Dagu Fortress, including precious cultural relics such as artillery unearthed from the site, and are important windows to understand history.
Tour Suggestions
- It is recommended to spend about 3 hours on the tour to have enough time to visit the exhibition halls and the fortress site and deeply understand the history.
- You can check relevant historical materials before visiting, so that you can better understand the historical significance carried by the exhibits and the site during the tour.
- There are rest areas in the scenic area, and visitors can take appropriate rest during the tour to relieve fatigue.
- When visiting in summer, it is recommended to take sun protection measures, such as bringing sun hats and sunscreen; in winter, keep warm.
Matters Needing Attention
- Smoking and littering are prohibited in the scenic area. Visitors must protect the environment and cultural relics, and are not allowed to touch or carve exhibits and sites at will.
- When visiting the exhibition halls, you must abide by the order, keep quiet, and do not affect other visitors.
- Some areas of the fortress site have uneven terrain. Visitors must pay attention to safety and wear comfortable shoes when visiting.
- The opening hours of the scenic area are limited. It is recommended to plan the trip in advance to avoid missing the admission time.