Santaizi

Chinese: 三台子
Pinyin: Sān tái zì
English: Three platforms
Coordinates: 40°18'22"N 120°16'56"E

At Santaizi, a very interesting beacon tower exists in good condition. This is a rare round tower. It was built in 1570. 12 meters (39 feet) high and 18 meters (59 feet) in diameter, it appears extremely large, especially in its isolated location. The tower has 70 rows of bricks from bottom to top. The top was only reachable by a rope ladder. It can be clearly seen and easily reached from the G102 highway.

Tower at Santaizi
Photo by Kim Siefert

Location summary: Santaizi is about 334 kilometers (208 miles) east of downtown Beijing. It is about 48 kilometers (30 miles) northeast of Zhuizishan. And it's about six kilometers (3.7 miles) west of Suizhong city.

Driving directions: From Shanhaiguan, drive northeast on the G102 National Road for 62 kilometers (38.5 miles) to Santaizi.