Humanistic history of Baicheng in Xiamen University

Since the Ming Dynasty, Japanese pirates have been harassing the southeast coast of China. In 1387, in order to prevent the invasion of Japanese pirates, Ming Taizu sent Jiang Xiahou and Zhou Dexiao to Fujian to plan and build fortified castles. Xiamen is the gateway to the southeast of China and an important coastal defense town, and it is under fortification. Xiamen City was built in 1394 (that is, near Zhongshan Park). A checkpoint near Hongshan Temple is called "Town South Gate". Then, a "tower city" was built at the estuary (that is, the tower head of Huangcuo Village), and some earth-rock walls were built on the hillside near the sea (such as the Baicheng area of Xiamen University).

The exact time of the construction of Baicheng is not clear, and neither Xiamen Annals nor Lujiang Annals are recorded. According to legend, Zheng Chenggong, a national hero in the late Ming Dynasty, stationed troops in Xiamen, and had this "Baicheng" when he was practicing legal soldiers in the martial arts field in front of Nanputuo Temple, which became the primary defense line of the martial arts field. Later, it was also an important defensive position to expel the Dutch colonists and recover Taiwan Province. This wall is named "Baicheng" because it is white with lime. In the middle of the wall, there is a tunnel leading to the beach battery outside the city, which is called "Zhenbeiguan" corresponding to "Zhennanguan". The scope of "Baicheng" is said to include the 31st-18th floors of "Baicheng New Village" of Xiamen University, stretching the Physics Museum, Nanyang Research Institute Building, and overseas correspondence building until the Shapo tail of Xiamen Port is connected as a solid white belt. In September 1926, Mr. Lu Xun came from Beiping to teach at Xiamen University. In a letter to Xu Guangping on September 23, he wrote: "I hate natural beauty and am sensitive to it, so I am not very moved even if I greet its beautiful scenery. But for several days, I couldn't forget the remains of Zheng Chenggong. There is a wall not far from my residence, and it is said that he built it. " (Tongling Xiamen Communication). The wall mentioned in the letter is "Baicheng". When Lu Xun first came to Xiamen University, he lived in the Museum of Biology, so he was close to the wall of Baicheng.

during the Daoguang period of the Qing dynasty, the Opium War broke out, and "Baicheng" became the outpost of Xiamen's coastal defense. In mid-August, 184, after British troops invaded China and captured Dinghai, Zhejiang Province, they attempted to attack Xiamen by warships, and were repelled by battery guns located on the beach outside Baicheng. In order to strengthen the military defense and artillery power, the Qing government also specially ordered Yan Botao, governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, and Liu Mingao, governor of Fujian, to deploy troops in Xiamen, build docks, cast artillery, and set up a series of artillery positions from Baishi Fort to Rock Fort in front of Baicheng. On August 25, 1841, when the British invaded again, a fierce artillery battle was launched. Although it was finally broken, it wrote a glorious chapter in the history of the Chinese people's struggle against Britain. The latter battle was also called "Battle of Stone Wall", and the British called these series of batteries "Long Batteries". Some articles describe that "there is a rugged stone mountain behind the fort, and China people built a solid wall on the side of the mountain as the side defense of the fort." The city wall referred to in this article should be "Baicheng".

times are changing, but the name of "Baicheng" is still circulating in the world. During the Kuomintang rule, it was also set up as a prison, and the execution point was near the entrance of the East Gate of Xiamen University today, which was extremely steep and curved, which was similar to the other two related periods and venues at that time. One was that there was a stage called the White Horror Stage from then on; The other is Baigongguan, the former villa of Sichuan warlord Baiju, located in Chongqing. In 1939, it was converted into a prison by the Military Bureau of the Kuomintang, and in 1943, the Sino-American Cooperation Institute was changed into the first prison. And these three words all have the word "white". Isn't it a coincidence?

In the early days of Xiamen University, teachers and their families' houses were built in Zhenbeiguan and "Baicheng" Mountain, which was named "Baicheng" dormitory, where famous professors such as Lin Yutang and Zhou Jianming lived. In 1938, when the Japanese invaded Xiamen, Xiamen University took it as a military camp, and the houses there were also demolished. It was only after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War that they were rebuilt in 1948 (the one near the original "Baicheng" hill in the east was called "Dabaicheng Dormitory", while the one near the hill was called "Xiaobaicheng Dormitory").

In 195s, from 1957 to 1958, Xiaobaicheng Dormitory was rebuilt and expanded into Nanyang Research Institute Building and New Physics Museum. In the 198s, the staff dormitory was built in front of the original "Baicheng Dormitory", which was called "Baicheng New Village" No.1 to No.17. Until the 199s, the original "Dabaicheng Dormitory" was rebuilt and expanded into "Baicheng New" No.18 to No.31 buildings. And build the Superconducting Lu Overseas Correspondence Building next to the Nanyang Research Institute Building. Therefore, Baicheng area has become one of many buildings in Xiamen University campus, and it is also one of the central areas of faculty residence. The original name of Xiamen University Baicheng Bus Station was Xiamen University Swimming Pool, because Mr. Chen Jiageng had built a swimming pool outside Baicheng, but it was demolished for the construction of Baicheng Overpass. After the bus company set up a stop at the intersection of Xincun (Xiamen University Baicheng) and even the completion of Huandao Road, the name gradually became known.

The remains of "Baicheng" and "Zhenbeiguan" are still left, which are located on the right side of the building of Marxism College (formerly Overseas Education College) of Xiamen University, and are little known. On the boulder at the mouth of Zhenbeiguan, there are three characters inscribed by former Chinese Defense Minister General Zhang Aiping, and an inscription written by Chen Guoqiang, a professor in the Department of Anthropology and Ethnology of Xiamen University in 1998: "Zhenbei is related to the site of Baicheng Pass, which was built in the Ming Dynasty to resist Japanese invaders. Zheng Chenggong, a national hero, once trained officers and men here and in the city's martial arts field." There is a stone tablet on the ground near the gate of Jiannan Auditorium of Xiamen University near Baicheng, which records the historical process of the Qing military and civilians working together against foreign invaders to protect large and small Dan (place names), reflecting the history and glory of Baicheng from one side!