Taizhou: The Simple, Ancient City of Taozhu

Road Trip from Beijing to Linhai, Taizhou Route: Beijing - Handan - Anyang - Xinyang - Liuan - Tiantangzhai - Jiujiang - Nanchang - Jinggangshan - Shaoguan (Danxia Mountain) - Zhaoqing - Guangzhou - Shenzhen - Shantou - Nan'ao Island - Quanzhou - Fuzhou - Taizhou On the way from Fuzhou to Zhoushan, we chose Linhai City in Taizhou for a stopover. Taozhu Ancient City is located 41 km southeast of Linhai City, on the coast of the East China Sea. Originally built in the early Ming Dynasty, the city walls stand approximately 6 meters high and are made entirely of rubble, stretching for about 1 kilometer. During the early Ming Dynasty, Japanese pirates active along China's coast frequently harassed the southeastern coastal areas, posing a serious threat to the safety of coastal residents. To protect the lives and property of the people, Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang ordered the construction of coastal cities. The famous anti-Japanese general Qi Jiguang repeatedly defeated the Japanese pirates here, achieving glorious victories. Today, Taozhu Ancient City has not been affected by excessive commercial development. Its buildings have largely retained their original Ming and Qing Dynasty appearance, a rare sight in today's market economy. Standing on the city walls, large apricot-yellow flags bearing the character "Qi" flutter in the wind. Outside the ancient city, vast fields of rapeseed flowers are in full bloom. The ancient city and the idyllic scenery complement each other, as if comforting the ancestors that today's prosperity is as they wished.