Build up area of Fengjie County, Chongqing

The ancient and rich cultural Fengjie County (奉节县) is located in the east of the Chongqing City, bordering the Wushan County to the east and Hubei Province to the south. It has a history of about 2,400 years. The county takes up an area of 4099 sq. km, a mountainous region, which about 88 percent of land is high ground. The highest point in Fengjie County is 2123 meters above sea level while the lowest is the 86 meters, where it is the gap of the Qutang Gorge, before the construction of the Three Gorges Dam, to which the water will be storing up here. 

The majestic Qiyao Mountain is divided by the great Yangtze River, so the famous Qutang Gorge is formed here. The farther from the river, the higher the elevation, and the craggy mountains and the big river make the scene so eye-catching. Fengjie’s climate is typically sub-tropical monsoon with high relative humidity and high summer temperature, but the higher the elevation, the lower the annual average temperature. 

Fengjie County is also known as the Poem City. Many eminent Chinese poets, such as Wang Wei, Li Po, Du Fu, Bai Juyi, Su Shi (Su Dongpo), and Su Zhe had been there and they left many moving poems to chant the beautiful scenery of the county in Yangtze River.

Street scene in Wushan County

In the easternmost of Chongqing Municipality, there is the picturesque county with abundant historical heritage called Wushan (巫山县). It got the name from Wu Xian (巫咸), a famous royal doctor to Emperor Yao (尧) in ancient China. Wushan became a county about 2,200 years ago. It is at the center of the beautiful Three Gorges scenery and the Wu Gorge is located here. The rich tourism resources have made the county as one of the key tourist attractions of the Three Gorges area. “If I have experienced the beauty of the Wushan, there will be no other places can catch my attention.” This has always been an appropriate phrase to describe the enchanting beauty of the Wushan Mountain since old time.

The human fossils here are the earliest found in China hitherto. The relics of the “Wushan People” whose were living here about 2 million years ago, and the cultural heritage of from the New Stone Age, which flourished about 5,000 years before present are found. The old plank road built along the cliff in the Qin Dynasty, well-preserved Han tombs and the refined architecture from late Ming and early Qing Dynasties. Majestic peaks and ancient pavilions, which some Chinese odes and chants praised as well. Furthermore, natural mineral and agricultural resources are rich too.

The old stone carving of three Chinese characters “Bai He Liang” (白鹤梁, literally “White Crane Tablet”) is located in the upper reaches of Yangtze River’s Three Gorges Dam in northeast Fuling city in Chongqing. It is the only state key cultural protection ancient hydrological station and UNESCO praised as the best-preserved ancient hydrological station in the world. 

The giant tablet has a length of 1,600 meters and 15 meters width. It only appears above the water in dry season in Yangtze River, i.e., December to March. It is said that in the Tang Dynasty a man had diligently cultivated himself in religion and eventually attained spiritual enlightenment, he sat on a giant crane and flied to the heaven, therefore the stone got its name. 

In addition to the three big Chinese characters, there are many articles about ancient hydrological facts and beautiful fish figures carved on Baiheliang, to which they documented the water level of ancient Yangtze River and old fine arts. In 1974, the Chinese delegation presented “Fuling Stone Fish Inscriptions” (涪陵石鱼题刻) to as they attended the International Hydrological Services Conference in Paris. The scientific value of the ancient relics has been recognized internationally. The beautiful stone inscriptions are copied to Fuling People’s Square that give people an opportunity to see the cultural heritage conveniently. 

Opened on May 18, 2009, Baiheliang Underwater Museum is an important part of the protection of the old cultural and scientific heritage. It comprises four parts, Underwater Museum, Transportation Corridor, Mound for Anti-collision Underwater and Exhibition Hall on Land. Baiheliang Underwater Museum actually looks like a protective shell for the Baiheliang stone tablet. State-of-the-art lighting facilities are installed in the underwater crystal palace, in which you can walk and view the giant Baiheliang stone tablet by operation a video camera in different angles.

Located on the northern bank of Yangtze River’s upper reaches in Chongqing Municipality, Fengdu (in Chinese called 酆都 before 1949 and now 丰都) is a city made famous by the ancient legends of sinister spirits and terrible ghosts that are the essential ingredients in traditional Chinese culture. Of course, human beings fabricated those ghost legends and the hellish atmosphere is man made too. Therefore, Fengdu is China’s ghost city.

By human’s imagination, the Chinese built the Hell Emperor Hall, the Gate of Hell, the Realms of Life and Death, the Eighteen Levels of Hell and so on according to some earthly laws that punish people who have done evils. In the hellish scenes, the gestures and expressions of the ghost figures are very strange, fierce and even horrible. Also, the tools for hell punishment are so terrible. One has the feeling of fear in seeing these stuffs. This is the hell scenery of Fengdu city. When you enter the city through the great gate, you will see the Bridge of Life and Death, which is the must-go passage that people will return to earth from hell. Arriving at the lower mountainside, seeing an ancient house, with three giant Chinese characters – “鬼门关” (The Gate of Hell) in bloody-red-like color background of a plaque. Tianzi Temple on mountaintop is the largest temple there.

Moreover, the Palace of the Ghostly Nation and the Hellish Street in the downtown are all concerning the old stories of ghosts. Traditionally, Chinese think that after people passing away, their souls must visit Fengdu. They are to be judged by the Hell Emperor whether they are good or evil and he will decide where will be the proper place of transmigration for them. If people have done evil during their lifetime, after their death, they will be tortured in hell, and then their appearances will become so terrible. The sinister spirits will come out at night and they will scare the people who did wrong in the daytime.

Don’t be afraid. Apart from the sinister scenes in Fengdu County, it still has beautiful scenery, good-listening sound of flowing streams, brilliantly colored flowers at mountainside and birds’ flying. From Third to Fifteenth Days of the Third Month of Lunar Calendar every year, a temple fair is held. It is rich in ethnic cultural characters and beneficial to local businesses. The fair also adds joyful atmosphere to sinister face!

Magnificent architecture

Shibao Stockade Village (石宝寨) is one of China AAAA scenic areas and one of the state’s cultural protection units, located in Yuyin Mountain of northern bank of Yangtze River in Zhong County (忠县), 278 kilometers apart from downtown Chongqing. It stands out as a high hill that looks like a blunt sword extending up on the flat ground. It is said that in ancient times Nv Wa (女娲), who was the creator of human beings, resided here to make colorful stones by casting fairy spells to repair the broken sky. She left a piece of rock. Locals regarded this was the treasure stone, so Shibao meant treasure stone.

It has a tower with 12 floors, of which the top three levels were added in 1956. The tower is made of wood with a height of 56 meters. Its architectural style and surroundings make it looks like a heavenly building. Hence, it is taken as one of world’s eight architectural miracles.

The village was built in the Ming Dynasty about 400 years ago. Tan Hong’s Uprising (谭宏起义) in late Ming Dynasty took this as their base. Therefore, the name of Shibao came from this. Shibao tower is one of several high wooden buildings left in China nowadays; also, a typical and symbolic building characterizes China’s southern folk architectural techniques. In 1979, the village was opened to tourists for sightseeing purposes. Climb to the top of the Shibao tower and command the panoramic view of the majestic Yangtze River will be an overwhelming travel experience.

Great view of the majestic Yangtze River

During the climbing, you will see stone carvings, painted images and poem inscriptions, all about ancient Buddhist religion. On the top, 1,200 square meters of area and 230 meters above sea level, you may feel like you are in a paradise. Just see the clear sky above and you will forget what you are.

The ancient temple carved the images of Nv Wa repairing the sky story. In the backyard of the temple, a large piece of stone with a hole which size looks like a common cup. It is said that after building the Buddhist temple, the stone hole would flow out some amount of rice, which was for daily meals of monks resided in the temple. It was also called the stone of treasure. However, some greedy monks made the hole bigger by digging. The Buddha punished them and the hole was no longer to provide rice. Therefore, greedy is an evil.