Nantou — An Ancient Defense Town Ages in Grace in Shenzhen

The area of Nantou in Shenzhen is known for ancient settlement. As one of the 24 defense outposts set up for maritime defense during the Ming and Qing dynasties, Nantou Ancient Town has a decorated past that is very much present today. The artefacts excavated in Nantou suggests the existence of settlement as far back as the Three Kingdoms period, some 1800 years ago. The city that has continued to this day was built in the 27th year of the Hongwu reign (1394) in Ming dynasty. The Nantou Ancient City was part of the efforts by China’s imperial government to ramp up maritime defense in Shenzhen during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Nantou served as one of the 24 defense outposts along the mountain ridges of Lingnan (southern China), and the Dapeng Fortress was another one of the 24. Of these defense outposts, only Nantou and Dapeng have survived the passage of time. During the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty, Nantou was the seat of administration of the Xinan County. There is significance in this fact because Hong Kong itself was considered part of Xinan County during much of the imperial times. Therefore Hong Kong is featured in quite a number of historical exhibits in Nantou. During the early Qing dynasty, many Hakka people settled down in this part of Shenzhen. Due to its coastal location, Nantou’s people engaged in all sorts of maritime trade, including fishing, oyster harvesting and salt drying. When Canton became the only trading port with foreigners in China during the Qing dynasty, Nantou experienced a flourishing development of trade, owing to the rise of the Thirteen Factories in Guangzhou. The South Gate (Old Gate) of Nantou was built during the early Ming dynasty and it did undergo restoration during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Lying at its foundation are granite slabs. There are brick layers covering the granite base. A brick structure on the second story served as the watchtower. Lying next to the wall is a ruins. #nantouancienttown #nantou #shenzhen #china #guangdong #ancienttown #historicallandmarks #chinesehistory #mingdynast #qingdynasty #hakkapeople #历史古迹 #militaryhistory #southgate