http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500 Some (collected) images from the (very hard to find) Beitang and the (more accessible) Taku (Dagu) Forts, near Tianjin, at the mouth of the Hai River. They are famous fortifications which served to guard the cities of Tianjin and Beijing during the Qing period. They were attacked a number of times by invading allied troops, in 1860, and then again in 1900. Felice Beato created a visual account of the first (1860) military engagement with the Chinese troops manning the forts (see &quot;Of Battle and Beauty&quot;, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, 1999) for example. <br/><br/>These are photographs I took in 2004 (up close, overlooking the forts and the new Tianjin port), and then again in June 2006 (a series of four, from a distance). The forts are designated by Chinese authorities as a national heritage site, and the small exhibit hall has much interesting material on their history and inner workings. <br/><br/>In a remote corner of the museum's compound I came across Thomas Strong's grave stone. I don't know who he was, but he was obviously killed while fighting to come ashore, probably in the encounter of 1900. This is an interesting find, since all cemetaries with the graves of foreigners having lived in Tianjin or having fought and died there are long destroyed. Mr. Strong's hidden grave stone may be the last and only such artefact left over from this period.<br/><br/>Note that the topography has changed over time: the Forts are no longer situated exactly above or adjacent to the Hai River, nor are they really within striking distance from the (retreated) shores of the Binhai Sea.<br/><br/>Uploaded July 23, 2006. Added to and modifiied Nov. 30, 2006.<br/>Thomas H. Hahn, Ithaca, NY en-us (C) Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) Sun, 23 Jul 2006 11:53:00 GMT Sun, 23 Jul 2006 12:04:00 GMT China Asia Travel and Places http://hahn.zenfolio.com/img/s8/v0/p6610157-10.jpg http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500 90 120 http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/e2C12C47

]]>

]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) Remnants of the Beitang Fort I http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/e2C12C47 Sun, 23 Jul 2006 12:01:32 GMT http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/e6B87B98

]]>

]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) Remnants of the Beitang Fort II http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/e6B87B98 Sun, 23 Jul 2006 12:01:44 GMT http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/e17904AF1

]]>

]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) Remnants of the Beitang Fort III http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/e17904AF1 Sun, 23 Jul 2006 12:01:52 GMT http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/eDA4E99C

]]>

]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) (Modified) Remnants of the Beitang Fort IV http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/eDA4E99C Sun, 23 Jul 2006 12:02:03 GMT http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/e22F38F5

]]>

]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) Taku: Ramp leading up the only remaining elevated defense platform (out of originally eight) http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/e22F38F5 Sun, 23 Jul 2006 12:02:12 GMT http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/e1304C84E

]]>

]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) Taku: View from the west http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/e1304C84E Sun, 23 Jul 2006 12:02:21 GMT http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/e1B85C300

]]>

]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) Saline lands surrounding the forts http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/e1B85C300 Sun, 23 Jul 2006 12:03:34 GMT http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/e1DF9525A

]]>

]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) Map of the Taku Forts as displayed in the Museum http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/e1DF9525A Sun, 23 Jul 2006 12:03:40 GMT http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/e1266E1B3

]]>

]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) Historical photograph of the Taku Forts, viewed from the sea http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/e1266E1B3 Sun, 23 Jul 2006 12:03:41 GMT http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/e98E57A7

]]>

]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) View from the Taku Forts towards the new Tianjin Harbor http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/e98E57A7 Sun, 23 Jul 2006 12:02:28 GMT http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/e95866F9

]]>

]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) Taku: German-made canons http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/e95866F9 Sun, 23 Jul 2006 12:02:38 GMT http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/eFC2F652

]]>

]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) Taku: Canon pointing towards the Hai River entrance http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/eFC2F652 Sun, 23 Jul 2006 12:02:45 GMT http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/e10B905AB

]]>

]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/e10B905AB Sun, 23 Jul 2006 12:02:56 GMT http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/e104AD4FD

]]>

]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) Taku: View from the East, coming down the bridge http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/e104AD4FD Sun, 23 Jul 2006 12:03:03 GMT http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/e16CBA456

]]>

]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/e16CBA456 Sun, 23 Jul 2006 12:03:12 GMT http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/eB7273AF

]]>

]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/eB7273AF Sun, 23 Jul 2006 12:03:22 GMT http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/e1659B104

]]>

]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) Taku: Note the proximity to the water, which is no longer the case http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/e1659B104 Sun, 23 Jul 2006 12:03:43 GMT http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/e64DCED

]]>

]]> th.hahn@gmail.com (Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images) Thomas Strong's grave stone, tucked away in a corner of the Taku Museum http://hahn.zenfolio.com/p31955500/e64DCED Sun, 23 Jul 2006 12:01:22 GMT