Zhenhai Seaport Coastal Defense Historical Memorial Hall is located in the foothill of Zhaobao Mount, the original battle field in history, covering an area of 2000 square meters and total floor space of 3200 square meters with an investment of 21,000,000 yuan in total. Its overall design was achieved by Professor Qi Kang, the modern Architect and Academician of the China Scientific Academy and the internal exhibition style and layout was schemed by Professor Fei Qinsheng, deputy director of Committee of Memorial Museums of Chinese Society of Museums. President Jiang Zemin inscribed the Epigraph for the Memorial Hall.

The Preface Hall

Outside the Preface Hall stand three sets of artillery triangularly left from the periods of anti-English and anti-French wars, among which the biggest one is the muzzle-loaded artillery produced in Britain with total weight of around 2500 kg. All these precious cultural relics symbolize indomitable spirit of Zhenhai people’s resistance of foreign invasion.

The exhibition hall of Anti-Japanese pirates battles

The exhibition hall of Anti-Japanese pirates battles features various historical records of pictures and ancient books. The battle dresses of Japanese pirates and their more than 2-meter-long swords vividly displayed the situation of 200 years of Harassment by Japanese Pirates. Since the 14th century, the warlords defeated in the civil war of Japan colluded with the coastal smuggling groups in the Southeast area of China to commit countless crimes, causing the people plunged into an abyss of misery while having no means to live. The incessant harassments by the Japanese pirates stimulated the rage of Chinese people. The people in the eastern area of Zhejiang, in particular, were involving themselves in active combats against the enemy. All the materials including the drawings of anti-Japanese pirates’ battles and the flames of war along the batteries, the photos of anti-Japanese pirates’ relics and the weapons of various types used in the wars are presenting us the historical deeds of Zhenhai people’s resistance against foreign aggression. As one of the fiercest weapons, the mud-eel ship is unique for its fast sliding on the bottomland along the sea. In the center of the exhibition hall, three warships of anti-Japanese pirates are displayed. The biggest one is called the ship of blessing, highly presented as a tall building with accommodation for 100 persons. The cabin is divided into 4 floors with nacelle hung at the top of mast for looking out. The ship with both ends turning up is called two-head ship, which can flexibly sail to both directions of the bow and tail. The smallest one is called the circular boat divided into two parts, the front part of which is for the preservation of gunpowder. The bow is equipped with bamboo trap. The rear part will automatically be out of the hook and leave if the bow hit on the enemy ship, causing the lighting of the wick.

Zhenhai was once the battle field for many national heroes who were famous for their resistance against foreign invasion such as Qi Jiguang, Yu Dayou, Lu Tang and Tan Lun. At present, the story of Qi Jiguang’s three Arrows defeating the Japanese pirates is still widely spread.

The Exhibition Hall of Anti-English Wars

From the shocking figures listed in the Contrasting Table of Opium’s dumping in China and the Drain of Chinese’s Silver in Qing Dynasty, we can have a glimpse of the bloody plunders of China by English invaders in the 19th century, which caused great disaster to China. The opium guns and the viewing box of opium’s poisoning fully revealed the physical and mental harm of opium to the people. A lot of families went bankruptcy and fell apart because of opium. All the relics reminded us the harsh and deadly battle lasting 6 days and nights. They are namely the proposal of invading Zhoushan, submitted by Sir Charles Elliot, the Chief Superintendent of the Trade of British Subjects in China, the weapons used by English invaders to kill Chinese, the photos of twice invasions of Zhoushan by Britain, the picture of Dinghai chief commander, who died martyr at Zhoushan Batteries, the battle gown of Ge Yunfei, the Chief Governor of Dinghai After the second occupation of Zhoushan by English army forces, the enemies went to attack Zhenhai seaport without suspension. On October 10, 1841, the English army went into Zhenhai. Xie En, the captain of Lanshan Town’s Guard, led his army to defend Golden Rooster Mount to the last and died hard in the end. Among those officials who died martyr at the post, Yu Qian, the commander of Zhejiang and Jiangsu province and imperial envoy, held the highest official position. Pan Pool, where Yu Qian committed suicide, is located now in Zhenhai Middle School. After the lost of the counties to enemies in east Zhejiang, the anti-English war of the folks didn’t stop for many years. We can see the Zhenhai people’s petition of anti-English invasion, the flag literally headlined with “Commanding the Numerous Righteousness” and the sandalwood artillery for resistance of English army in the Exhibition Hall. During the period of Anti-English War, Lin Zexu, the outstanding national hero spent 34 days and nights in Zhenhai, leaving us many precious cultural relics as an indication of his patriotism not moved by personal gains and losses or by the blessing or disasters of the outside. His diaries of the war, poetries, inscriptions, memorials to the throne four-wheel millstone camion model and the steles in Jiao Chuan Academy can give us a glimpse of his dedication to the national safety during his stay in Jiao Chuan Academy in the foothill of Li Mount after being dismissed from his post.

During his short stay in Zhenhai of 34 days, Lin Zexu went to Zhaobao Mount four times and Golden Rooster Mount five times to conduct field reviews and inspect the fortification. Together with Gong Zhenlin and other people, Lin Zexu made steel artillery of 4000 kg and the flexible four-wheel millstone camion.