Badalouz is a castle-style concrete watchtower monument in Xizhai, Lieyu Township, Kinmen, built in 1966 and topped with statues of seven soldiers. It commemorates Republic of China soldiers who died defending the Badaling Pass on the Great Wall during the 1933 Defense of the Great Wall campaign, with its name borrowed from the Great Wall's Badaling site — it is not, as sometimes described, a Qing dynasty Minnan residence.
Badalouz was built in 1966 by the "Great Wall Unit" stationed on Lieyu, modeled on the watchtower form at Badaling and Gubeikou on the Great Wall near Beijing. Its rooftop bears statues of seven soldiers memorializing infantrymen of the Republic of China Army's 25th Division, 145th Regiment, who died defending Gubeikou during the 1933 Defense of the Great Wall — it has no connection to the oyster-shell-lime construction technique of traditional Minnan houses (source: Chinese Wikipedia, "Badalouz").
Highlights of Badalouz
Traditional Kinmen architecture commonly uses oyster-shell lime as the primary binding material: oyster shells are fired and ground into quicklime, then blended with glutinous rice paste and fine sand to produce a high-strength wall plaster. This technique was widely used along the Minnan coast during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Because Kinmen is an island, oyster shells were in plentiful supply, making this a distinctly local building tradition. The walls of Badalouz are a classic example of this method, and the surface remains dense and hard to this day.
The fenghuolou ("fire-gable tower") is a product of the Minnan tradition of fire-resistant building design: the gable walls rise above the roofline to create firebreak walls that prevent flames from spreading between buildings. The form is tall and visually striking. The swallowtail ridges of Badalouz curve upward at both ends in clean, flowing lines that contrast with the heaviness of the thick walls, creating a balance of lightness and solidity. During the artillery battles that struck Lieyu, the structural strength of the oyster-shell lime walls played a part in the building's survival.
How to make the most of your visit
Practical information
Getting there and timing
- To reach Lieyu, take the Little Kinmen ferry from Shueitou Pier to Jiugong Pier. Check the latest schedules and fares with the Kinmen County Government or the ferry operator. After arriving, renting a scooter to get to Shangqi Village is recommended.
- Badalouz can be viewed from outside at any time of day. As a historic structure, do not climb on or touch the walls; some surrounding areas are private property — please maintain a respectful distance.
Nearby connections
- Shangqi Village is in the central-western part of Lieyu Island and can be combined with the Hujingtou Battle History Museum and Lingshuihu Lake in a half-day western Lieyu route.
- Heading south from Shangqi leads to the southern entrance of the Lieyu Coastal Trail, connecting traditional architecture with natural coastal scenery for a culture-and-nature Lieyu route.
Sources: Kinmen County Cultural Affairs Bureau historic building survey data, Lieyu Township Office interpretive information. Photos to be replaced with Dio's own shots.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Badalouz a Qing dynasty building?
No — Badalouz is a modern memorial monument built in 1966, modeled on the Great Wall watchtower at Badaling and Gubeikou, not a Qing dynasty Minnan house.
What historical event does Badalouz commemorate?
It commemorates soldiers of the Republic of China Army's 25th Division, 145th Regiment, who died defending Gubeikou on the Great Wall during the 1933 Defense of the Great Wall campaign.
Sources
- 八達樓子 — 維基百科條目，建立年代與紀念緣由