Diaoyu Fortress (Fishing City), Chongqing Attractions
Introdution
The Diaoyu Fortress is located on the Diaoyu Mountain in Heyang Town, is known for its resistance to the Mongol armies in the latter half of the Song dynasty. It's in Hechuan District, also named Dianjiang in ancient times, used to
be the capital of kingdom Ba during the Period of the Spring and Autumn
and the Warring States. Loftily situated in the Fishing hill to the
south side of Jialing River and surrounded by Jialing River, Fujiang
River and Qujiang River, Diaoyucheng City was constructed on steep
cliffs. The wall of the city was piled up by huge stones, serving as
firm barricade against enemies’ attack.
What to See in Diaoyu Forteness
Diaoyu Fortress has become a world-famous tourist attraction at present years. As one of the best preserved Chinese ancient battlefield sites, tourists can feel its “magnificent, rare, dangerous, beautiful, warfare, ancient and tranquil” features. It is the only scenic spot in Chongqing being honored with both the National Park of China and the National Key Cultural Unit.
The surrounding mountains have beautiful natural scenery, such as lush vegetation, ancient stone roads, three standing hills, crisscrossed paths, scattered ponds and dotted villages, making people relaxed and happy.
In the 2.5 square kilometer main scenic spot, tourists can see the military and living facilities relics of the Song and Yuan Dynasty, such as the city wall, gates, forts, navy pier, arms workshops, marshal mansion, barracks, Tianchi Pond and Naodingping Stage, as well as the religion sites including the Huguo Temple, the Zhongyi Hall, the Impending Reclining Buddha in Tang Dynasty, the Buddha Caves and the Three Sacred Rocks. The natural wonders including the 800-year-old laurel, the Thin Knife Ridge, the Three Turtles Stone and the Misty Rain of the Diaoyu Fortresscan also be seen.
Huguo Gate
Huguo Gate is the most magnificent gate in the eight town gates in Diaoyu Fortress. The leaning cliffs on the left and the deep Jianling River on the right make Huguo Gate an important strategic position. If one man guards here, even ten thousand soldiers can not get through. There are several characters on the gate, reading “Huguo Gate” and “the most crucial place in Sichuan.”
Ancient barracks
Ancient barracks are the place where the defense soldiers lived. Roads extending to all directions lead to the barracks, so that the troop can take a quick action and attack in any kinds of military emergency. The ancient barracks were burned during the war, but some barracks were rebuilt on the historic site many years later.
Shizhao County Government
Hezhou Shizhao County Government is an ancient local government, called the “last county government of the Southern Song Dynasty”. Its duties mainly include building the city facility, cultivating, storing grain, handling civil affairs.
Impending Reclining Buddha
The Impending Reclining Buddha was carved out of an impending rock in the late Tang Dynasty. The 11-meter-long and 2.2-meter-wide reclining Buddha was carved with a pleased and natural face expression. It is the unique impending sculpture in China.
Huguo Temple
Huguo Temple was built during the Shaoxing years of the Southern Song Dynasty, destroyed by warfare in the Yuan Dynasty, reconstructed in the Ming Dynasty, and repaired by Monk Zhihui, the abbot of the temple in the Qing Dynasty. There is a stone-carved couplet on the gate of the temple, reading: Diaoyu Fortress, exploring the mountains with the help of the three rivers; Huguo Temple, controlling the rivers with the aid of the flying clouds.
Zhongyi Hall
Zhongyu Hall, built in the period of the Ming and the Qing dynasties, is the crucial ancient construction group in Diaoyu Fortress. The hall covers an area of over 4,000 square meters, and the construction area is over 2,000 square meters. The immortality memorial tablets of the military generals of the defensive army are displayed in the hall.
Over the years, the local government consistently carried on the "double protection" policy regarding the natural ecology and cultural relics of the Fishing Town, maintaining its “authentic” style through many vicissitudes. Today, the Diaoyu Fortresshas been ranked the World Cultural Heritage Tentative List, and the local government is supporting its application for the World Cultural Heritage.
Travel Guide
Location: 5km away from the Hechuan district, Chongqing
Admission Fee: CNY 60
Opening Hours: 8:00AM -17:00PM
Tel: +86-23-42822763
Recommended Time for Visiting: 2-4 hours
How to get there from Hechuan district: Take city bus No. 111.
How to get there from Chongqing: take train from Chongqing to Hechuan, and take a taxi to reach there