Source: Haigang District Today
Editor’s comments:
As an important tourist area, Haigang District is surrounded by mountains and sea with beautiful scenery and mild climate all the year round. There are not only natural landscapes such as magnificent peaks and elegant waters, ancient trees and wild flowers, but also cultural landscapes such as the Great Wall, temples, ports, and castles, which are precious heritages that have been past by the nature and our ancestors. In fact, many of the scenery in Haigang District have long been famous in ancient times, which were favored and praised by the literati. Famous landscapes such as “24 Scenic Spots of Linyu” and “8 Scenic Spots of Shimen” have been recorded in the ancient books like Linyu County Annals. What exactly do these ancient beautiful landscapes look like? Where are they hiding? Is there any value in re-development now? In order to find out the answers to these questions, the Publicity Department of the District Party Committee organized media and experts to search for a month. This column Looking for the Beautiful Scenery of Qinhuangdao will show you the beautiful natural scenery and rich cultural heritage of Haigang District.
According to Linyu County Annals during the Republic of China:
There is a platform high above the west gate of Shimen which looks like a huge square seal. It was built in the Ming Dynasty for guarding, and it is a good place for watching the sea.
This is Baiyintai, the high platform in Shimenzhai Town, on which you can watch the sea.
Photo of Baiyintai taken from the distance
Driving off the Qinqing Highway from the Shimenzhai town government, and passing the old town of Shimenzhai along the narrow village road, then we got to the west gate of the ancient city of Shimenzhai. It is something of disappointment looking from the distance. This is such a small square man-made building, how can we watch the sea on it?
West gate of Shimenzhai
We found it is quite different from what we have imagined when we got to the top of it: although only the base of it has remained after ups and downs over the years. It is big enough for dozens of people standing on, which shocked us. How high and big was the building with such a big base? How much manpower and material resources did it take to build such a high platform on a high ground?
The terrain around Baiyintai is low and flat with excellent views. You can see the ancient town of Shimen and its surrounding mountains and forests. It deserves to be the "watching point built in the Ming Dynasty", which is a strategic location that reflects the wisdom of the ancients. Wang Yishi, a poet in the Qing Dynasty, wrote in his poem, " seen from the high platform, beacon fires flame in the distance, and boundless sea roars in the south", which illustrated that it not only played an military role at that time, but also was a famous destination for watching the sea.
Picture of Baiyintai taken closely
According to professor Ji Yang of Northeast University:
The soil slope where Baiyintai is located is called Huanxiling, a name has been recorded in many places throughout the country, including three in Linyu County Annals in ancient times. Huanxiling is also known as Qihuangling, meaning of “being glad to be back, sad to leave” .
In ancient times, people who crossed this mountain from Shimenzhai town either went to guard the Great Wall or to fight against the intruders. They were worried about the uncertain fate, so were their families, who prayed for their safety and victory and felt anxious when looking at the mountain in front of the door. The soldiers returned back to their homeland when the war ended, and they were happily to know that the hometown was near when they saw the mountain. This is what it means.
As a major military town, Shimenzhai has been a strategic place since ancient times. According to historical materials, Shimenzhai must be attacked as long as local fighting occurs. Therefore, in order to protect the people, the ancient city walls of Shimenzhai Town were built solidly with complete defense facilities. The platform on Huanxiling outside the west gate of Shimenzhai was built as part of the defense system of Shimenzhai.
A bird-view picture of Shimenzhai from the Baiyintai
Looking at the old town of Shimenzhai on the platform, you can see the cars driving on the road and people farming and cooking, and you will feel the strong atmosphere of life. Standing on the platform, you can’t help thinking : Is this high building, which has undergone ups and downs, silently watching the ancient city of Shimen to protect the safety of the families, going to guide the soldiers come back with the strong atmosphere of life? Were the soldiers who stood guard here absorbed in the ancient town like us?
Today, only a small section of the city wall and the west gate of the ancient city of Shimenzhai are remained, so does the base of the platform. They stand opposite, like talking to each other and telling us the story of the bustling ancient town of Shimen and the changes of the history, it feels as if one glance is millions of years in this scene.
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