Dapeng Ancient City, Shenzhen: Echoes of a 600-Year-Old Coastal Fortress

Dapeng Ancient City, officially named “Dapeng Garrison Thousand-Household City”, is located in Pengcheng Community, Dapeng New District, Shenzhen. Constructed in 1394 during the 27th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty, covering an area of about 110,000 square meters, it is one of the best-preserved Ming-Qing Coastal defense military castles in China. As a crucial barrier for southern coastal defense in the Ming and Qing dynasties, it once resisted Japanese pirates and British invaders, witnessing 600 years of national defense. It also nurtured national heroes such as Lai Enjue and Liu Qilong, with the legendary story of the Lai family’s “three generations and five generals” widely celebrated, known as “Yang Family Generals in the Song Dynasty, Lai Family Gang in the Qing Dynasty”.

As a national key cultural relic protection unit and a Chinese historical and cultural village, Dapeng Ancient City maintains its overall layout intact, with three remaining city gates (East, South, West) and parts of the Ancient City wall foundation. Bluestone streets crisscross the city, and among ancient streets like South Gate Street and East Gate Street, there are more than a dozen Qing Dynasty mansion-style buildings such as Zhenwei General’s Mansion and Liu Qilong General’s Mansion, showcasing the beauty of ancient architecture with carved beams and painted columns. Temples like Houwang Ancient Temple and Tianhou Palace carry folk beliefs, while sites such as the Garrison Commander’s Office and Gunpowder Bureau tell stories of military past. Inside Dapeng New District Museum (formerly Dapeng Ancient City Museum), sand table exhibitions and historical displays comprehensively present the city’s Coastal defense Culture and human history, with collected cultural relics such as Ming-Qing weapons and porcelain adding a sense of history.

During the visit, don’t miss local specialties like General’s Duck, Laifenzi (rice noodle soup), and fried pork, which are full of the local flavor of Pengcheng. For transportation, take bus E11 or 833 to Dapeng Central Station, then transfer to bus M471 to Dapeng Ancient City Station. Self-driving visitors can navigate directly to the scenic area. The scenic spot is open 24 hours a day with no admission fee, suitable for families, couples, and history and Culture lovers to wander and explore, experiencing the cultural roots of Shenzhen in the interweaving of ancient and modern times.