Fonglin Old Castle Introduction
The area originally served as the location of the Dakas tribe's Pangshan Bashan - Fangli settlement. In the third year of the Xianfeng era, local residents built a street north of Fangli Village. At its peak, the salt manufacturing facility produced 2,000 stone units annually, and the dyeing industry thrived. The residents of Fangli had difficulty conducting commercial activities, as the main street was paved with stone slabs, and houses were built with rain covers, creating a bustling scene often referred to as "the street that does not see the sky." In the fifth year of the Xianfeng era, gentry Chen Zhidong and Cai Xichou initiated a fundraising campaign to build the city. The surrounding area of Fangli City spans about three miles, with walls made of earth and stone, featuring four city gates to the east, west, south, and north. Outside the city, thorny bamboo was planted, complemented by a moat with spikes, demonstrating significant developmental ambition. However, good times did not last; in the second year of the Guangxu era, the area was struck by disaster, leading to the abandonment of the marketplace. Additionally, with the introduction of a railway station on Yuanli Street, commercial activities shifted, causing Fangli Street to gradually decline. Today, the city walls have completely vanished, with only the remnants of the large canal to the north faintly revealing the once-thriving Fangli City. Although Fangli City has now become part of history, the village retains a wealth of historical artifacts, such as Shuntian Temple, Fangli River Memorial Stone, and the Cai family's ancient residence, all of which are well worth exploring for visitors.
