Hulishan Fort Scenic Area is located at Zengcuo Road No. 2, Siming District, Xiamen City, Fujian Province. It is a national 4A-level tourist attraction, a national key cultural relic protection unit and a national patriotic education demonstration base. The scenic area features a well-preserved ancient coastal defense fort complex of the Qing Dynasty and houses the world's largest existing coastal cannon, the Krupp Cannon. It serves as an important physical witness to modern Chinese military and coastal defense history. Covering a total area of over 70,000 square meters, the scenic area includes a 13,000-square-meter fortress. It consists of barracks, tunnels, command buildings, observation towers, retaining walls, ammunition depots and other facilities, with a total building area of 2,333 square meters. Built against mountains and facing the sea, it integrates military defense functions and coastal scenery, forming a coastal defense cultural scenic area that combines cultural relic protection, popular science education and tourism.
Historical Culture
Hulishan Fort was first built in 1891, the 17th year of the Guangxu Period of the Qing Dynasty, and completed in 1896 after five years of construction. It was an important product of the late Qing Dynasty Westernization Movement. Constructed under the leadership of Peng Chuhan, Admiral of the Fujian Navy, it was the core defense facility of Xiamen's coastal defense system. Situated on Hulishan Hill with a commanding coastal position, the fort guarded Xiamen Port and defended against maritime invasion, serving as a crucial coastal defense stronghold in southeastern China.
The core equipment of the fort is a 280-millimeter coastal cannon manufactured by Krupp Factory in Germany. Purchased in 1893, the cannon has a total length of 13.96 meters, a weight of about 87 tons and an effective range of 19,760 meters. It was an advanced coastal defense artillery at that time and remains the largest and most well-preserved original coastal cannon in the world. It was included in the Guinness World Records in 2000.
Hulishan Fort witnessed the development of modern Chinese coastal defense and played a vital defensive role through major historical periods such as the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. It is a tangible representation of modern Chinese military technology and coastal defense construction, embodying the spirit of resisting foreign aggression and safeguarding the nation. It also provides valuable historical materials for the research of modern military history, coastal defense history and the Westernization Movement.
Main Attractions
Krupp Cannon
The Krupp Cannon is the core landmark of Hulishan Fort. It is a 280-millimeter breech-loading coastal cannon manufactured by Krupp of Germany and installed in 1893. With a total length of 13.96 meters, a bore diameter of 280 millimeters, a weight of about 87 tons and an effective range of 19,760 meters, it can rotate 360 degrees for shooting. As the largest and most intact original coastal cannon in the world, it retains the complete mechanical structure and combat functions of Qing Dynasty artillery and stands as the most iconic cultural relic of the scenic area.
Fortress Castle
The Fortress Castle is the main building of the scenic area, covering an area of 13,000 square meters. Constructed with granite and lime soil, it adopts a semi-underground and semi-walled structure, divided into battlefield area, barracks area and mountain rear area. Equipped with command buildings, official halls, soldier quarters, ammunition depots, tunnels, retaining walls and observation towers, the castle features rigorous layout and comprehensive defense design. It is a typical representative of Qing Dynasty coastal defense fort architecture and fully preserves the architectural style of ancient military fortifications.
Qing Soldiers Training Ground
Located on the east side of the fortress castle, the Qing Soldiers Training Ground is a scenic area restoring the training scenes of Qing Dynasty garrisons, covering an area of about 800 square meters. It is equipped with ancient military training facilities, weapon exhibition areas and training grounds. Through scene restoration and sculpture displays, it reproduces the daily training, duty and combat scenes of Qing Dynasty coastal defense soldiers, allowing visitors to understand the military life of ancient coastal troops intuitively.
Cultural Relics Exhibition Hall
Situated in the central area of the scenic spot, the Cultural Relics Exhibition Hall has a building area of about 500 square meters. It displays more than 200 cultural relics related to Hulishan Fort, including ancient weapons, military documents, coastal defense historical materials, old photos and artillery parts. It comprehensively introduces the construction history, combat experience and cultural value of the fort, serving as an important place to learn about coastal defense culture and historical knowledge.
Observation Platform
The Observation Platform is located on the coastal side of the fortress castle. With a total length of about 150 meters and a width of 8 meters, it is the core coastal viewing spot of the scenic area. Standing on the high coastal terrain, visitors can overlook Xiamen Port, Jinmen Islands and the coastal scenery of Xiamen. It also offers a panoramic view of the overall coastal defense layout of the fort, combining natural sightseeing and historical appreciation.
Eight Coastal Cannons
The Eight Coastal Cannons are distributed in the outer battlefield area of the fortress castle. They are ancient iron coastal defense cannons of different calibers, serving as auxiliary defense equipment. Cooperating with the Krupp Cannon, they form a multi-level coastal defense system. These well-preserved ancient artillery pieces fully demonstrate the military configuration of Qing Dynasty coastal forts and possess important historical research value.
Tour Route
Scenic Area Gate → Cultural Relics Exhibition Hall → Qing Soldiers Training Ground → Fortress Castle → Krupp Cannon → Eight Coastal Cannons → Observation Platform → Scenic Area Exit
Tour Suggestions
- The recommended visiting time is 1.5 to 2 hours, which is sufficient to explore all core attractions and understand the historical culture.
- Visit the Cultural Relics Exhibition Hall first to learn about the fort's historical background and enhance the sightseeing experience.
- Visit from 9:00 to 11:00 in the morning or 15:00 to 17:00 in the afternoon for comfortable lighting and better photography, avoiding high temperature.
- Follow the free guided tour provided by the scenic area to learn detailed information about the Krupp Cannon and the fort's history.
- Stay at the Observation Platform to enjoy the coastal scenery and experience the strategic advantages of the coastal defense fortress.
- Visitors with children can visit the Qing Soldiers Training Ground to learn about ancient military culture in an intuitive way.
Notes
- All cultural relics in the scenic area are national key protected relics; touching, climbing or carving on cultural relics is prohibited.
- Passages inside the fortress castle are narrow; avoid running and pushing to ensure safe sightseeing.
- Do not climb over the guardrails at the coastal viewing area to ensure personal safety.
- Carrying flammable and explosive items and smoking are prohibited in the scenic area.
- Pets are not allowed in the core visiting areas of the scenic spot.
- Keep quiet during the visit and maintain civilized sightseeing etiquette.
- Protect the scenic environment and avoid damaging plants and public facilities.
Transportation
- Bus: Take bus No.2, 22, 29, 47, 87, 92, 135, 310, B2 or B3 to Hulishan Station, then walk 50 meters to reach the scenic area.
- Subway: Take Metro Line 3 to Xiamen Railway Station and transfer to local buses to Hulishan Station.
- Self-driving: Navigate to the designated parking lot of Hulishan Fort; parking fees are charged according to local standards.
- Shared vehicles: Park shared vehicles at designated areas and walk into the scenic area.
- Taxi: Take a taxi directly to Hulishan Fort, Zengcuo Road No.2, Siming District, Xiamen.
Opening Hours
The scenic area opens all year round. Summer opening hours (May 1 to September 30) are from 8:00 to 18:00, and winter opening hours (October 1 to April 30) are from 8:00 to 17:30. Admission stops 30 minutes before closing time. The scenic area remains open on public holidays with no adjustment to opening hours.
Ticket Information
The adult ticket price is 25 RMB per person. Visitors can search for the official WeChat account "厦门胡里山炮台" to get the latest updates and information.
Online Booking
Click here to jump to the Trip.com ticketing platform for ticket purchase.