Yongchang Fortress, a majestic Ming-era stronghold standing proudly in Ruian, Wenzhou, evokes the somber grandeur of the Qi Family Army’s frontier defense era through its weathered stone walls and labyrinthine ancient alleys. Built from local bluestone, the fortress walls have withstood over four centuries of wind and rain, yet remain as resilient as ever; vines now cling to the crevices, as if time itself has frozen here. The winding lanes, laid out in a chessboard pattern, are lined with gray bricks and dark-tiled roofs, bearing delicate architectural motifs from the Ming and Qing dynasties. At certain corners, inscriptions left by Qi Family Army soldiers can still be found—their bold, vigorous characters whispering tales of martial valor and tender humanity.
Within the fortress lie the silent, enigmatic ruins of three beacon towers; their surviving rammed-earth foundations still conjure images of smoke signals rising urgently into the sky during times of invasion.
As a crucial anti-wako (Japanese pirate) stronghold during the Ming dynasty, Yongchang Fortress was jointly constructed by the renowned generals Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou to defend against pirate raids. For thirteen years, it successfully repelled numerous incursions. Today, relics such as the “Wako Inscription Stone” and the “Qi Family Army Barracks Site” within the fortress serve as tangible witnesses to that era of relentless warfare. To the east stands the “Loyal Souls Shrine,” where memorial tablets of fallen soldiers are enshrined—amidst swirling incense, one can almost hear the distant echoes of the Qi Family Army’s bugle calls transcending time. To the west, the flagstone grounds of the former “Drill Field” remain intact, once the training ground for soldiers...
