Shihu Dock

Shihu Dock is an invaluable piece of physical evidence of Quanzhou’s outer port docks, testifying to the fact that conditions in Quanzhou during the Song and Yuan dynasties were extremely conductive to port construction. This dock, together with Estuary Docks, demonstrates Quanzhou Port’s water-land transshipment system during the Song and Yuan periods. Shihu Dock is located on the western shore of Shihu Peninsula, 17 kilometers south of Quanzhou City. It utilized natural reefs in its construction, and like Liusheng Pagoda, it is a historical relic of Shihu Port. Shihu Peninsula extends out into the sea, with its western shore curving in the shape of a half-moon to form a natural safe harbor from the winds and waves of the open water. The peninsula juts out into the center of Quanzhou Bay, directly facing the estuary where the Jinjiang and Luoyang Rivers converge. Facing the mainland, one could travel from the peninsula in a straight line upstream along either river. In relation to the ocean, the peninsula served to guard the main shipping lane in Quanzhou Bay. Shihu Dock is comprised of a group of reefs near the shore and Tongji Jetty. According to historical accounts, it was first built in the early 8th century during the Kaiyuan reign in the Tang Dynasty. At that time, a maritime merchant named Lin Luan built a ferry using a naturally occurring reef to anchor it to the shore. Historical records show that during the Yuanyou reign (1086-1094) in the Northern Song Dynasty, a government official named Fu Lian built a jetty granting access between the shoreline and the reef. This further increased the utility of the dock. As revealed in archaeological work done on the foundations of the jetty, at its lowest level, there is a stone foundation from the Song Dynasty. In the upper part of the foundation, there are marks and traces from multiple repairs made to the jetty over the following centuries. In the area surrounding the foundation of the jetty, potsherds from the Song-Yuan era have been uncovered. Most of them belonged to products made by Cizao Kilns, and a small amount came from Longquan Kilns and other non-local kilns. Shihu Dock was included into the sixth group of major cultural heritage sites protected at the national level by the State Council in May, 2006.