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AmoyMagic--Guide to Xiamen & Fujian
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Huli Hill Fort--World's Largest Cannon!

Huli Hill Fort (Húlǐshān Pàotái 湖里山炮台), on the beach behind XMU, has long been considered the door to Xiàmén. Given that Xiamen is “China’s Gateway,” that makes Húlǐ Hill China’s doorstep.

Huli Fort was started in 1891 on a bluff 25 meters above sea level. It took five years to construct the 70,000m2 fort of sand, clay, camphor tree juice, lime and glutinous rice. So not only was it virtually impregnable but during a prolonged siege defenders could eat their fort.

The World’s Largest Cannon is Húlǐ Fort’s real claim to fame (check Guinness!). The German-made 280mm Krupp coastal defense gun, installed by some big shot back in 1896, weighs 60 tons, is 13.96 meters long, and cost 60,000 taels of silver. The two 120 mm auxiliary cannons and 12 smaller steel cannons were also from Germany.

Húlǐ Fort originally had two Krupp cannon, but one was destroyed in the 1950s. The Krupp had a range of 16,000 meters, and it was recorded that it was so loud that nearby houses collapsed and frightened cows jumped one meter high—hence the origin of the “cow jumps over the moon”.

Húlǐ Fort’s cannon did see some action, most notably on September 3rd, 1937, when three Japanese warships entered Xiàmén port and shelled Bǎishí Fortress and Húlǐ Fort. The Japanese destroyer “Wakatake Maru” sank, and the other two retreated under the cover of Japanese bombers.
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Rongguang Cultural Relics and Treasures Exhibition (荣光宝藏展览馆). Built on the site of Huli Fort’s barracks, this is a joint venture between Xiàmén government and Singapore’s Yizhao Gem Company (新加坡亿兆宝石私人有限公司) Mr. Zhāng Róngguāng (张荣光), a 7th generation collec-tor, provided the items on display in five exhibits, including 455 guns, swords, and cannon.

World’s Ancient Cannons (Shìjiè Gǔdài Zhànpào Chénlièguǎn 世界古代战炮陈列馆) Includes a 12th century cannon said to be the world’s oldest.

World’s Ancient Firelocks (Shìjie Gǔdài Huǒqiāng Chénliè Guǎn 世界古代火枪陈列馆 (Chinese also invented firelocks)

World’s Ancient Swords (Shìjiè Gǔdài Bǎojiàn Chénlià Guǎn 世界古代宝剑陈列馆) (Chinese swords did have an edge)

Open-Air Petrified Tree Exhibit (Gǔshù Huàshí Zhǎnshì 古树化石展示)

World’s Exotic Stones (Shìjiè Qíshí Chénliè Guǎn 世界奇石陈列馆). Includes 3,850 exotic stones, including Emperor Qianlong’s “pet rock”, and an 8m2 chunk of yellow jade from Burma (a favorite stone of Emperor Kangxi). Another stone from France looks just like a piece of bacon. There was another one, eight times larger, but Chiang Kai shek absconded with it to Táiwān (his wife had warned him it was time to start bringing home the ba-con).
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A Tale of Taels and Mus
An English guidebook said the cannon cost 60,000 taels of silver. Big help! Even if you know that a tael was about an ounce, what was silver worth in 1896?

China’s English guidebooks also wield mu on us. A Xiàmén park, for exam-ple, has 1,400 mu. The only entry in an English dictionary for Mu is, “The 12th letter of the Greek Alphabet.” Maybe the park 1,400 cows crying moo?

The Xiàmén #1 Dept. Store spent a pretty penny on a beautiful new English sign that boasts, “Xiàmén 1st Yibai Store.” Do they think Yìbái is English, or are they claiming Chinese invented E-bay? Or are they deliberately befuddling us barbarians? Well… back to my gushi..

Click for Xiamen Boardwalk!
Click for Ring Road's Music Square (solve the Music Square Challenge!)
Click for Trish Boman's Bushwalking Guide!
Click for Xiamen Botanical Garden
Click for List of Key Parks