Baidi City

Background

Baidi City sits on Baidi Mountain on the north bank of the Yangtze, about 8 km east of the Fengjie county seat in Chongqing, directly facing Kuimen Gate at the mouth of the Qutang Gorge. After the Three Gorges reservoir raised the water level, Baidi Mountain became a small island surrounded by water and linked to the north bank by a bridge; some older buildings were submerged, and some were rebuilt higher up. The surviving temples were repaired in the Ming and Qing dynasties. The best known is the Tuogu Hall, whose statues recreate the scene of Liu Bei entrusting his son on his deathbed. The Mingliang Hall originally honoured Gongsun Shu; in the Ming dynasty its statues were replaced with figures of Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and Zhuge Liang. The Guanxing Pavilion is said to be where Zhuge Liang observed the stars. There are also a forest of steles, hanging coffins, and paintings and calligraphy from many dynasties. So many poets came here and wrote about the place that Baidi City is known as the "City of Poems". In 2006 it was listed as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level.

Local customs

• Climb Baidi Mountain to visit the Tuogu Hall, the Mingliang Hall, the Guanxing Pavilion and other halls
• look out over Kuimen Gate and the river at the mouth of the Qutang Gorge from high ground
• read the poetry steles and couplets in the stele forest
• take a boat and look back at Baidi City from the river.

Travel tips

• There are many steps up the hill, so pace yourself and bring drinking water
• the summer sun by the river is strong, so protect yourself from it
• the stone steps are slippery in rain, so wear non-slip shoes
• ticket and cable car prices follow the scenic area's official information.
• Go to Fengjie town first, then take a bus or boat to the Baidi City scenic area and cross the bridge onto the island
• Yangtze cruise ships mostly call around Fengjie, and exact schedules follow official and operator information. Spring and autumn are mild and best for climbing high to look over the river
• summer is sunny
• winter has fewer visitors, and when river mist rises, the mountains and water look hazy.