Jieshi Bay

Jieshi Bay lay beside one of eastern Guangdong's important coastal defence centres. In the late fourteenth century, the Ming established the Jieshi guard and built its walled town at the southern foot of Xuanwu Mountain, facing the bay. The command supervised several subordinate fortified stations, including Jiazi, Jiesheng, Pinghai and Haifeng. Its walls, moat and towers formed part of the system intended to resist maritime raiders.

The garrison also created a local civilian economy. Markets inside the fortified town, including the West Gate and Sipailou markets, served soldiers and residents; protection from the guard helped sustain their activity. Under the Qing, the focus of defence shifted. In 1669, commander Miao Zhixiu rebuilt Jieshi town west of the earlier guard city, which was then abandoned. The bay's historical shore therefore contained successive military settlements, whose needs and protective works shaped the growth of markets as well as the placement of walls along this exposed coast.