Dapeng Fort, A Trip Back in Time

As covered in one of my previous articles about Chiwan, there is history in Shenzhen if you know where to go. It is well known that most of Shenzhen itself is a new modern mega city that has almost sprung up overnight, but there are remnants of it’s ancient past still dotted around. Another one of these that is most certainly worth visiting is Dapeng Fortress.

Located around 60km from the city centre this requires some toil on your part to get there, but it is most certainly worth it. First built in 1394, these are some of the oldest structures in Shenzhen. Originally built for defense against Japanese pirates, with thick granite walls covering a huge area, this is an iconic landmark of Shenzhen. As far as historical sites go, this is extremely well preserved, that’s another hint to its almost revered like status, the locals have often contributed large sums of money to maintain and rebuild this towering cultural icon. It will seem like you’ve stepping into a time machine and have gone back to Ming Dynasty, except for the fact there are hundreds ( if not more) of modern day residents living there. Dapeng Fortress is both an open tourist spot and a local community.

If you’ve been to these sorts of ‘walled villages’ before then this sort of layout will be familiar to you, if you haven’t then this will be a good change to release your inner explorer. There are numerous little alleyways and side streets all of which link back to the main street, so if you go walking and exploring down these lanes (and I suggest you do) you’ll end up back where you started eventually. Along these lanes there are ‘generals houses’, these were the former homes of notable generals from the past, each one has a plaque with bilingual information for you to read should you wish.