Fúshān

Fushan's Ming history joined a walled county town to the coastal outlets of northern Shandong. Maritime alarms in 1591 prompted Magistrate Zhang Suoxiu to add defensive works and artillery platforms. Yet the walls faced water as well as attack: after three days of torrential rain in 1614, sections collapsed, and imperial funds were obtained for rebuilding.

The county also served the sea route to Liaodong. In 1618, Tao Langxian opened a new maritime connection using Bajiao, reached by a forty-li overland journey northwest from Fushan. Local man Wang Daozeng later carried military supplies to Pingdao and charted the islands along his passage, providing guidance for officials and merchants. Under the Qing, coastal batteries remained important, while magistrates worked on the county's rivers. Cheng Damo dredged the Liuzi River and repaired its southern embankment in 1734, rebuilt the town's walls and gates in 1735, and promoted a stone embankment on the Qingyang River's eastern bank in 1736.