Fortress of Fonglin Introduction
The area was originally the settlement of the Daguanzi people, known as the Fangli community of the Pongsan Eight Villages. In the third year of the Xianfeng era, the people from Quanzhou built a street north of Fangli Village. At its peak, the salt store produced two thousand shih annually, and the dyeing industry was also very prosperous. Residents of Fangli found it inconvenient to engage in commercial activities, so the main streets were paved with stone slabs, and houses were built with awnings, creating a bustling scene known as “the street under the awning.” In the fifth year of the Xianfeng era, gentry Chen Zhihong and Cai Xichou initiated donations to build a city. The perimeter of Fangli City was about three li, with walls constructed of earth and stone and four city gates facing east, west, south, and north. Above the outer walls, thorny bamboo was planted, and outside the bamboo was a moat filled with wooden stakes, showcasing an ambitious development plan. However, such good fortune did not last long. In the second year of the Guangxu era, the city suffered from natural disasters, leading to the market's abandonment. With the establishment of a railway station on Yuanli Street, commercial activities shifted, and Fangli Street gradually fell into decline. Today, the city walls have completely vanished, with only the remnants of the large canal to suggest the former glory of Fangli City. Although Fangli City has become a part of history, the village still retains a wealth of historical artifacts, such as Shuntian Temple, the Fangli Creek Memorial Stone, and the Cai Family Ancient Residence, all of which are well worth exploring for visitors.
