← Explore on the interactive map

Ming Coastal Fortresses

Type Object Region China Time 1368–1644

Early Ming coastal defense works along the southeast: guard garrisons, beacon towers, alarm platforms, castles and stockades;…

Timeline

  1. 1368–1380Fujian coast · FujianEarly Ming promulgated a maritime ban, set up guard posts such as Andong and Dinghai along the coast, built beacon towers and stockades, dispatched naval patrols, and restricted private sea trade to cut off contacts between late-Yuan remnants and armed groups at sea.
  2. 1381–1390Coasts from Zhejiang to Liaodong · East ChinaIn mid-to-late Hongwu, castles, beacon towers, and watch beacons were added in eastern Zhejiang, Fujian-Guangdong, and Liaodong, forming an interlinked 'beacon tower-fortress-naval station' defense line; around 1387 Liaodong coasts also built forts and garrisons, coordinating with Dengzhou and Laizhou naval forces, completing the sea defense network.
  3. 1550–1567Zhejiang coast (Qi Jiguang's defense sector) · TaizhouDuring the Jiajing wokou troubles, Qi Jiguang and others reorganized sea defense in Taizhou and Fujian, added hollow enemy towers, trained the Qi family army, and combined them with the existing fortress system to form a more mature coastal anti-wokou model.

Sources