Shiwei, Yaxi Village, Quannan, Jiangxi

Yaxi Shiwei is called "Yafeng Wei" and was built by Chen Xianxue, the son of the builder of the earth enclosure, Chen Shouying, in the winter of the 11th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty (1885). Yaxi Shiwei is square, 20.20 meters long and wide, 12 meters high, and covers an area of 410 square meters. The enclosure faces east and west, located by a mountain stream, with Phoenix Mountain behind it. The outer wall of the enclosure is made entirely of rammed earth and cobblestones. The lintel of the granite gate is engraved with the four characters "niao ge hui fei," meaning a bird with beautiful feathers spreading its wings, which is probably the origin of the name "Yafeng Wei." On the left side of the gate is the inscription "Built by Jinshi Chen Xueshi," and on the right side is the inscription "Built in the winter of the year of Yiyou in the reign of Emperor Guangxu." The interior of the enclosure is a square building about 20 meters long and wide, with a "hui" shape structure. The wooden gallery is four stories high, with 13 rooms of various sizes on each floor, and balconies on the second floor and above, and a horse corridor on the fourth floor. The enclosure has two brick cannon corners at the northwest and southeast corners, which, although only two, have wide-angle extensions and still serve to defend the four sides of the enclosure. The top floor is a defensive layer, with a prominent brick cornice on the front. The door frame of the stone enclosure is made of stone, and there are three doors, the outermost one is an iron door, the middle one is a gate, and the innermost one is a wooden door. There is a water hole at the top of the door to pour water to extinguish the fire when attacked by fire. The four corners of the enclosure are built with watchtowers and shooting holes, which have the function of holding and counterattacking. The center of the first floor is the hall, and the patio has the characteristic of "four waters returning to the hall," with a well in the center and a good drainage system. It is a key cultural relic protection unit in Jiangxi Province.