Nestled at the foot of Kuimen Mountain in the Qutang Gorge of Chongqing’s Fengjie County, Qutang Gorge Fortress (瞿塘关), also known as Kuimen (夔门), stands as a formidable sentinel guarding the eastern entrance to the ancient route into Sichuan. It resembles a colossal gateway, resolutely standing amidst the turbulent waters of the Yangtze River. Since the times of the Qin and Han dynasties, this fortress has been a coveted prize for military strategists and has earned the moniker “Kuimen, the Mightiest Under Heaven.”
History of the Fortress
During the Han dynasty, it served as the Jiangguan Commandery. In 214 AD, when Liu Bei‘s forces struggled to capture Guanghan, Zhuge Liang, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and their troops navigated upstream from the Yangtze River, seized control of Qutang Gorge Fortress, and subsequently conquered Ba County. It was thereafter regarded as a crucial stronghold for the Shu Han dynasty. Throughout history, whoever sought to control the land of Ba and Shu had to first secure this strategic pass.
Location of the Fortress
Qutang Gorge Fortress is situated at the entrance of Qutang Gorge, the westernmost section of the Three Gorges on the Yangtze River, extending from Baidi City to Daixi Town in Wushan County, with a total length of approximately eight kilometers. It is renowned for being the shortest yet most majestic and treacherous part of the Three Gorges.
Highlights of Qutang Gorge
On the north bank of Qutang Gorge, Chijia Mountain hosts a wealth of cultural heritage sites, including the Old Guan Temple Cultural Site, Daixi Cultural Site, and Wushan Gibbon Man Site, as well as attractions like the Old Guan Temple Signal Tower, Chijia Tower, ancient artillery emplacements, ancient plank roads, and the Hanging Coffins of Fengxi Gorge. On the south bank, Baiyanshan offers a glimpse into history with the remnants of the Mengliangti Ancient Plank Road, cliffside inscriptions, the Rhinoceros Watching the Moon Peak, and the Gibbon Man Peak, encapsulating over two million years of human development in China.