A river, a sea, and a thousand-year-old city surrounded by a mountain bear the tactful years and the flow of history. This is a small seaside town that cannot be replicated. Time is here to chant three sighs, breathe like orchids……
 

Exploring Houhaitang

Houhaitang is the most well-preserved ancient city wall near Ningbo. Due to the development of the city, the once majestic Zhenhai ancient city wall has been completely lost in the dust of history. Only the northern city wall where the city and pond become one is left ——“Houhaitang” continues to exert the residual heat, quietly telling the vicissitudes of Zhenhai for thousands of years, and it also entrusts us with the thoughts of chasing far away carefully ……

The Houhaitang stretches from the foothills of Jinzi Mountain in the east to Yufan Jiaxie Pavilion in the west. The pond is 4.8 kilometers long, 3 meters wide and 9.9 to 10.6 meters high. From a distance, the stone-built seawall that stretches across it looks like a giant silver dragon pouring down on the shore of the East China Sea, with extraordinary momentum and majestic grandeur.

Houhaitang history

The history of Houhaitang can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty. In the fourth year of Tang Yuanhe (809 years), the imperial court built Wanghai Town at the mouth of the Yongjiang River in Tangdong, which was the beginning of Zhenhai's construction. In the 4th year of Tang Qianning (AD 897), the earthen pond was built to block the tide, but "there is always the risk of conflict". So in Song Chunxi 16th year (1189), the earthen pond was changed to a stone pond, but it still could not withstand the wind. The impact of the waves collapsed many times.

In the thirteenth year of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1748), Wang Mengbi, the magistrate of Zhenhai County, made a statement to resist the invasion of the storm and asked the court to allocate funds to repair the pond. After extensive investigations and extensive discussions, Wang County Order concluded that "single stone and thin soil can last forever", so he rebuilt a mezzanine stone pond of 576.5 meters at Fengtaoding, repaired a stone pond of 396 meters, and built a new stone pond of 51 meters. Zhang, 810 meters in and out of the collapsed city in the north. He went to the construction site to command, and after three years, he converted the old stone pond into a new one, forming a giant barrier in the north of the city.

It has not been overhauled for nearly a hundred years. Until the tenth year of Daoguang in the Qing Dynasty (1830), it was repeatedly hit by hurricanes and waves, and the earth and rocks were broken, and it had to be renovated, rebuilt and reinforced.

Seawall Craft

According to historical records, the reconstruction project is very large. It lasted 4 years and cost more than 80,000 units. All funds were allocated from the national treasury, which is equivalent to a national key defense project. The wood used was harvested in Fujian, the caulking lime was fired in Fuyang, the stone was mined in Yinjiang and Dayin in Yinci, and thousands of craftsmen were recruited in Ningshao and Ningshao provinces. The stone alone is more than 80,000 cubic meters. All arrived from a hundred miles away.

Ancient seawalls have scientific structure, exquisite craftsmanship, and sophisticated materials, which are of great research value in the history of Chinese seawall construction. Its construction process is commonly known as the interlayer stone pond, that is, from the bottom of the pond to the top of the pond, 7 thick stones are buried horizontally and vertically, and each is cut into a belt as a keel. 7 belts are evenly arranged in the Tongtang, and then 6-way mantle slabs paved with large slabs are inserted, and the mantle soil is used as the pond. Between the keel and the keel, between the keel and the mantle, all are embedded with grooves, and a layer of lining board is attached to the bottom.

The thick ash is glued between the stone and the stone, so that the seawater cannot enter the seam and pump the soil. There are rammed rocks at the bottom and also nailed top piles. The piles are tied outside the pond, and the standing stones are buckled at the entrance of the pond. They are embedded into one piece. Its fastness has been tested by history and has not been damaged for a hundred years.

“City and pond in one”

In order to prevent waves from hitting the vital part of the seawall and to prevent Japanese pirates from landing on the seawall, Wang Mengbi organized craftsmen to build a city wall on the stone pond from Jinzishan to Wanghailou, and set up 12 "police shops". There are 25 cannons, which not only prevent the impact of waves and damage to the seawall, but also greatly strengthen the fortifications. "Xiatang and Shangcheng" double swords are combined, so it is called "city and pond in one"!

In an ancient seaside town, life is as peaceful and peaceful as flowing water. Houhaitang is still one of the most popular places for residents of Zhenhai to go for a walk after a meal. After a long and lonely time, the sea under the ancient pond "has changed" into the mulberry field, but the Houhaitang is still like an indestructible guardian of the sea and sky, guarding the Haitian Xiongguan.……