Fengjie County - Yangtze River Cruise

Fengjie has existed for at least 2300 years although the town itself has moved back and forth across the river at least five times. In 2003, the 50,000 residents of Fengjie and portions of Fengjie’s Ming Dynasty-era city wall were relocated higher up the mountain side for a sixth time due to the construction of the Three Gorges Dam.

Since the Tang Dynasty (618 AD- 907 AD) Fengjie has been regarded as a “City of Poems”, Many of China’s most renovated scholars, including the great Tang-era poets Libai and Dufu, have visited Fengjie and been inspired by the magnificent scenery of the Qutang Gorge.

Fengjie has also long been a refuge for would-be kings and rulers due to its easily defensible position. Traveling upstream through the Three Gorges has always been difficult as the wide Yangtze with swift currents is squeezed into the narrow gorges at Fengjie, forming a formidable natural barrier known as the “Throat of Sichuan”.

The area is home to the magnificent Kui Gate, which is the gate to the Qutang Gorge. White Emperor City or Baidi Temple is the most attractive temple in Fengjie. One can also view historic relics such as the Tuogu Tang (Entrusting Son's Hall) and Observing Stars Pavilion (Guanxing Ting) while cruising along the Yangtze River. The Eight Elements Battle Formation (Ba Zhen Tu) is a spot favored by the lovers in the classical Chinese novel Romance of Three Kingdoms. Xige Thatched House where Du Fu (a renowned poem of Tang Dynasty) lived for two years is also situated in this area.

Fengjie County was submerged by rising water caused by the Three Gorges Dam Project. A new area has been built in Fengjie, with a length of 15 miles stretching from Baidi City in the east to Sanma Mountain in the west. The county is now developing quickly and people live comfortably in the new territory.