Overview of Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture — Geographical Environment (Part 5)
Section 5: Scenic Spots and Historic Sites. Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture is an ancient and magical land, set within the Wuling Mountain area on the eastern extension of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau in southwestern China. With spectacular mountains, beautiful waters, profound historical culture, rich ethnic customs, and numerous scenic spots and historic sites, it provides unique resources for the development of tourism in Xiangxi. I. Scenic Areas. According to national tourism...
This article has been compiled from historical materials in the "Zhangjiajie Tour Guide Network" (33519.com · City Overview section). Some administrative divisions, population, socioeconomic data, and policy information may be outdated and are for reference only; for the latest situation, please refer to official releases by the local government and scenic areas.
Section 5 Scenic Spots and Historic Sites
The Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture is an ancient and magical land, set within the Wuling Mountain area on the remnants of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau in southwestern China. Here, the mountains are wondrous and the waters beautiful, the history and culture are profound, the ethnic customs are rich, and there are especially many scenic spots and historic sites, providing unique resources for the development and expansion of Xiangxi's tourism industry.
I. Scenic Spots
According to the national classification and survey of tourism resources, the Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture possesses 8 main categories of tourism resources: geographical landscapes, water scenery, biological landscapes, astronomical and climatic landscapes, ruins and relics, buildings and facilities, tourism commodities, and cultural activities, totaling 133 scenic areas. Among them, there are 7 fifth-level tourism resources, 17 fourth-level tourism resources, 17 third-level tourism resources, 31 second-level tourism resources, and 61 first-level tourism resources. For national-level scenic areas alone, there are 2 national-level scenic spots (Yongshun Mengdong River, Jishou Dehang), 1 national-level nature reserve (Yongshun Xiaoxi), 2 national-level forest parks (Fenghuang Nanhua Mountain, Yongshun Bu'er Men), 2 national geological parks (Fenghuang Bagong Mountain, Tianxing Mountain, Sanmen Cave, Guzhang Red Stone Forest), 1 national-level historical and cultural city (Fenghuang), 1 national historical and cultural town (Liyu), 3 national-level key cultural relics protection units (Xizhou Bronze Pillar, Laosicheng, Liyu Warring States Ancient City Site), 1 national red tourism classic scenic area (Tawo), and 2 national industrial tourism demonstration sites (Jiugui Industrial Park, Laodie Industrial Park). Key scenic areas include the Fenghuang Scenic Area, including Fenghuang Ancient City, Southern Great Wall, Qiliang Cave, etc.; the Mengdong River Scenic Area, composed of five major parts: Wangcun, Laosicheng, Bu'er Men, Mengdong River, and Xiaoxi Primitive Secondary Forest; the Dehang Scenic Area, including Dehang Miao Village, Great and Small Dragon Cave Waterfalls, etc.; the Qifeng Lake Scenic Area, including Qifeng Lake, Zuolong Gorge, Red Stone Forest, etc.; the Wulong Mountain and Liyu Scenic Areas; Tawo—a national red tourism classic scenic area; Jiugui Industrial Park—a national industrial tourism demonstration site; Huayuan Chadong Border Town Scenic Area, etc. (see Chapter 9 'Tourism' for details).
II. Cultural and Historical Sites
(I) Ancient Sites and Ruins
In the prefecture, 13 Paleolithic cultural sites have been discovered in Shangbao, Baisha, and Pushi in Luxi; Chadong in Huayuan; Bamao, Longxi, and Qingshuiping in Baojing; and Liyu in Longshan, located on the first and second terraces of the Yuan River, You River, and Huayuan River banks. Over 100 stone tool specimens were collected, including choppers, scrapers, flakes, cores, hammers, and points, belonging to Middle and Late Paleolithic cultural remains. This indicates that as early as 100,000 years ago, primitive humans in the prefecture were engaged in gathering and fishing-hunting life. In Pushi in Luxi; Bamao, Meihua, and Fuxing in Baojing; Liyu in Longshan; Wanrong River in Jishou; and Xinchang in Fenghuang, 11 Neolithic cultural sites have been discovered, with unearthed artifacts including stone tools and pottery, as well as pottery kilns, and collected human skullcaps, human teeth, pig teeth, and animal bone fossils. They belong to the 'Daxi Culture' and 'Longshan Culture' remains. This reflects that 6,000 to 7,000 years ago, primitive agriculture, animal husbandry, and handicrafts had already appeared in the area.
According to statistics, a total of 215 cultural remains from the Shang and Zhou to Han periods have been discovered in the prefecture. Among them, 36 in Jishou, 24 in Luxi, 5 in Fenghuang, 3 in Guzhang, 40 in Huayuan, 43 in Baojing, 40 in Yongshun, and 24 in Longshan. Representative ones include the Shang Dynasty cultural site at Wachang in Bamao, Baojing; the Zhou Dynasty cave site at Bu'er Men in Yongshun; the cultural remains spanning over two thousand years from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods to the Ming and Qing at Sifangcheng in Baojing; and the Warring States ancient city at Liyu in Longshan. Unearthed artifacts include stone tools, pottery, bronze ware, iron ware, net sinkers, oracle bones, etc. At Sifangcheng, a Warring States period grain kiln was discovered, with an area of 16 square meters, and remains including rice, sorghum, millet, beans, and walnuts. In particular, the excavation of the Liyu Qin bamboo slips is one of the greatest discoveries in Chinese archaeology in the 21st century. The underground remains from the Shang and Zhou to Han periods discovered in the prefecture show, on the one hand, cultural influences from the northwestern shore of Dongting Lake and the lower reaches of the Li River during the same period, and on the other hand, distinct local cultural characteristics.
(II) Ancient Architecture
Ancient cities and towns include the national-level historical and cultural city of Fenghuang Ancient City, the national historical and cultural town of Liyu, and the national-level key cultural relics protection unit of Yongshun Laosicheng. Provincial and prefectural-level historical and cultural towns (villages) include Huangsiqiao Ancient City in Fenghuang County, Qianzhou Ming and Qing Ancient Building Complex in Jishou City, Laowei City in Jiwei Town, Huayuan County, Pushi Town in Luxi County, Wangcun Town in Yongshun County, Chadong Town in Huayuan County, Shujiatang Village in Huanghe Township, Fenghuang County, Laosiyan Village in Red Stone Forest Town, Guzhang County, and Zhizhou Village in Liexi Township, Yongshun County, etc.
Miao Frontier Wall Originally built during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty (another theory is the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, pending further verification), and by the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty, over 300 years, it underwent 4 large-scale constructions, and a military frontier wall winding through Tongren in Guizhou and Fenghuang, Jishou, Huayuan, Guzhang, Baojing, and other counties in Hunan was finally completed. To effectively protect and rationally utilize the frontier wall, in 2000, ancient architecture expert Luo Zhewen and 13 other archaeologists spent 36 days and traveled over 780 kilometers, discovering 506 various remains. Among them are 3 ancient city sites: Fenghuang Ancient City, Qianzhou Ancient City, and Jiwei Laowei City in Huayuan; 11 ancient castles, with the best-preserved being Huangsiqiao Ancient Castle in Fenghuang; 130 ancient garrison forts, with well-preserved ones including Shujiatang Ancient Garrison Fort in Fenghuang; 47 sentry posts; 310 watchtowers; 1 gate; and 4 ancient fort villages. There are also 85 sections of the frontier wall, totaling 13,185 meters in length.
Temples
Zushi Hall Located in Laosicheng Village, Macha Township, Yongshun County. Built in the second year of Tianfu of Later Jin (937) (pending verification). It covers an area of 582 square meters. On the central axis from west to east are successively the Zushi Hall, Huangjing Terrace, Passing Pavilion, and Yuhuang Pavilion, all well-preserved. In 1959, it was announced as a key cultural relics protection unit of Hunan Province.
Guanyin Rock Temple Located about 1 kilometer south of Yongshun County seat. Originally built in the thirty-fourth year of Qianlong of Qing (1769), expanded in the sixteenth year of Jiaqing (1811). It covers an area of 500 square meters. Repaired in 1991, well-preserved.
Qianzhou Confucian Temple Located in the northeast of Qianzhou City, Jishou City. Built in the eleventh year of Yongzheng of Qing (1733), destroyed in war in the sixtieth year of Qianlong (1795), rebuilt in the twenty-eighth year of Daoguang (1848). It covers an area of 1,668 square meters. On the central axis from south to north are successively the Moon Pond, Arch Bridge, Front Hall, and Rear Hall, with side rooms on both sides. In 2002, it was announced as a key cultural relics protection unit of Hunan Province.
Other larger temples include Taiping Mountain Temple in Longshan, Confucian Temple in Dalong Village, Yongshun, Tianwang Temple in Liaojiaqiao, Fenghuang, Wanshou Palace in Qianling, Baojing, Nanyue Palace in Min'an, Longshan, Taixu Temple in Qianzhou, Jishou, Catholic Church in Wangcun, Yongshun, Dongyue Palace in Min'an, Longshan, Tianqiao Mountain Nunnery in Luxi, and Tianqiao Mountain Guanyin Nunnery in Guzhang, etc.
Academies
Wuxi Academy Located on Aoyu Peak on the north bank of the Dong River in the eastern suburbs of Jishou City, now the Nationalities Normal College of Jishou University. In the eighth year of Zhengde of Ming (1513), a primary school was first opened here; in the third year of Qianlong of Qing (1738), a charity school was established; in the thirty-eighth year of Qianlong (1773), it was expanded; in the sixtieth year of Qianlong, it was destroyed in war; in the twelfth year of Jiaqing (1807), it was rebuilt; in the tenth year of Xianfeng (1860), it was again destroyed in warfare; in the eighteenth year of Guangxu (1892), it was rebuilt again. The academy covers an area of about 1,000 square meters. Facing south, on the central axis from south to north are successively the main gate, lecture hall, and Xianshi Hall, etc.
Santang Academy Located in Jixin Town, Fenghuang County. Built in the thirteenth year of Tongzhi of Qing (1874), covering an area of 12,000 square meters. It has a screen wall, main hall, and side rooms. In 2002, it was announced as a key cultural relics protection unit of Hunan Province.
Bridges
Wind and Rain Bridge The Xiche Bridge in Xinjian Village, Xiche Town, Longshan County, built in the forty-fifth year of Qianlong of Qing (1780), is a stone arch wooden corridor wind and rain bridge. The bridge piers are 9 meters high, the bridge is 43.3 meters long and 4.9 meters wide, and the long corridor has a blue tile double-slope roof. The layout is rigorous, the construction technique is exquisite, and it has strong ethnic and local characteristics. Repaired in 1954, it is now well-preserved. Other wind and rain bridges include Bixi Wind and Rain Bridge in Liuping Township, Luxi County, Xingping Wind and Rain Bridge in Xinglong Township, Longshan County, Baizhushan Wind and Rain Bridge in Shaba Township, Yongshun County, and Xiaoxi Bridge in the southern part of Jishou City, etc.
Stone Arch Bridge The Caifeng Bridge in Maojiaba Village, Datuo Township, Baojing County, built in the twentieth year of Daoguang of Qing (1804). It is a semi-circular single-arch stone bridge, with an arch height of 8 meters, bridge length of 13.5 meters, and width of 4.4 meters. Well-preserved. Larger stone bridges include Wangu Bridge in Qingshui Township, Baojing County, and Heping Bridge in Datuo Township, etc.
Nengtan Suspension Bridge Located over the Nengtan River, a tributary of the Wushui River, in Nengtan Village, Xixi Town, Luxi County, it is a Hunan-Sichuan Highway bridge. Construction began in March 1937 and it was completed and opened to traffic in May 1938. The bridge is a steel chain suspension bridge, with two suspension cables weighing over 30 tons, each 82.08 meters long, a span of 80 meters, a height of 20 meters, a bridge deck width of 4.5 meters, and a load standard of 10 tons. It is the earliest highway steel chain suspension bridge built in China.
Pagodas
Longshan Zhongying Pagoda Located in Baota Village, Min'an Town, Longshan County. Built in the nineteenth year of Daoguang of Qing (1839). It is an octagonal seven-story pavilion-style brick, stone, and wood structure, 30 meters high, with a base side length of 12 meters. Each story has 4 windows, in circular, fan-shaped, and semi-circular forms. Inside the pagoda, one can climb up to the highest story. It is relatively well-preserved.
Yongshun Peiying Pagoda Located on the top of Baota Mountain east of Bu'er Men, Yongshun County. It was built during the Daoguang period of Qing by Yongshun Prefect Yang Zhennan, who felt that Yongshun had few literati, hence the pagoda was built and named 'Peiying'. It is a pavilion-style hollow octagonal pagoda made of white marble, seven stories, 10 meters high, with a base diameter of 7 meters. It is relatively well-preserved.
Existing pagodas also include Zhongling Mountain Pagoda in Longxi Township, Baojing County, Zhongling Pagoda in Cheping Township, Yongshun County, Baota Mountain Pagoda in Shiti Town, Yongshun County, Wangjiazhai Stone Pagoda in Duanlong Town, Guzhang County, and Jiulonggou Pagoda in Shetangpo Township, Jishou City, etc.
Archways
Most archways in the prefecture are chastity and filial piety archways, generally built of granite. Existing archways are mainly in Yongshun County, including the Three-Arch Bridge Archway in Pailou Village, Shiti Town, the Wanshou Palace Stone Archway in the county seat, the Chastity Archway at Xixin Pond in Bu'er Men, the Chastity Archway at Bu'er Men Hot Spring, the Gao Family Archway in Cheping Township, and the Chaste Woman Peng Minggui Archway in Cheping Township, etc.
Inscriptions
The Xizhou Bronze Pillar was cast in the fifth year of Tianfu of the Later Jin Dynasty (940) by Ma Xifan, King of Chu. The pillar is hollow, filled with large coins inside, and topped with a bronze cap. In the mid-Qing Dynasty, the cap and the coins were stolen. The pillar stands 3.98 meters high (currently 3.3 meters remaining), is an octagonal prism with sides 0.15 meters wide, made of bronze, and weighs about 2,500 kilograms. The Later Jin incised inscription has 41 vertical lines and over 2,100 characters; the Song Dynasty added over 490 characters, bringing the total to 2,613 characters. The content records the armistice agreement between Peng Shichou, Prefect of Xizhou, and Ma Xifan, King of Chu. The pillar was originally erected at the old city of Lower Xizhou (present-day Huixiping Yejituo), and after several relocations, it now stands in the "Xiangxi Folk Customs and Scenery Hall" in Wangcun Town, Yongshun County. In 1961, it was declared one of the first batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level. It is important historical and cultural material for the study of Xiangxi history.
Epitaph of the Imperially Conferred Late Lady Peng of the Ming Dynasty. One set of epitaph stones, composed by Chen Jin in the autumn of the Renwu year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1522), and copied and carved by Song Lun. The epitaph is now in the Yongshun Folk Museum. One side bears text; the stele surface measures 80cm × 78cm, with the inscribed area 75cm × 73cm, incised in regular script in 48 lines. It is split diagonally into two pieces. The inscription records that Lady Peng was the second daughter of Peng Wu, Chief of the Baojing Liangjiangkou Chief's Office, and wife of Peng Xianying, Pacification Commissioner of Yongshun. The Lady was diligent in wifely duties and strict in propriety. She bore sons Shiqi and Shilin, who were exceptionally outstanding, successively inherited office, rendered meritorious service to the court, and were both conferred the title of general; they also presented over 400 large nanmu logs to the Ming court. This epitaph is rich in historical material and has value for the study of the history of the Tusi system in Xiangxi.
Stele Record of the Peng Clan Ancestral Hall of the Yongshun Pacification Commission. One stone stele, composed by Chen Yineng of Jiangjin County, Chongqing, Sichuan, in the 19th year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty (1591), copied and carved by an unknown person. It records the establishment of the ancestral hall by the Peng Tusi. The inscription states that since Emperor Gao of Ming unified the Central Plains, the Peng clan was ordered to govern Yongshun, and passed down through many
generations, until Peng Xianying, no ancestral hall had yet been built for dedicated sacrifices; instead, sacrifices were offered in each household, which was not without reverence. From Peng Mingfu onward, plans were made to build a hall, and it was completed in Peng Yuanjin's time, allowing "worship of the enshrined portraits," promoting loyalty and filial piety, "harmonizing with neighbors and being benevolent to the clan to win people's hearts," and carving stone to enlighten and bless posterity. It has reference value for the study of the history and culture of the Tusi in Xiangxi. The stele is now in Laosi Cheng Village, Macha, Yongshun, Hunan. One side bears text; the stele surface measures 229cm × 38cm, with the inscribed area 224cm × 30cm, incised in regular script in 49 lines. It is well preserved.
Temple Couplet of the Babu Great King Temple. Composed and carved by an unknown person in the second year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1737). The couplet reads: "Merit recorded in bamboo slips, posthumously enfeoffed as the Eight Tribes; spiritual efficacy in this land, receiving blood sacrifices for a thousand autumns." This stele has reference value for the study of the origins of the Tujia people in Xiangxi. The stele is now at the site of the Babu Great King Temple in Shawan, Bamao, Baojing County. The stele surface measures 120cm × 16cm, with the inscribed area 120cm × 16cm, incised in regular script. The stele is damaged, but fortunately the inscription remains legible.
Other important inscriptions include the Zhao Xun Stele of Pacification Commissioner Peng Zongshun, the De Zheng Stele of Pacification Commissioner Peng Honghai, the Epitaph of Peng Shilin, the Bronze Bell Inscription of Laosi Cheng, the Epitaph of the Imperially Conferred General Zhaoyi and Promoted Yunnan Provincial Administration Commissioner Beijiang Peng, the cliff inscriptions of Bu'er Men in Yongshun County, the Xiang Clan Origin Stele in Fuxing Village, Maoping Township, Longshan County, and the Pacification of Miao People Stele in Luochaojing, Fenghuang County, among others.
(III) Revolutionary Sites and Relics
The Tomb and Monument of the Martyrs Who Shed Blood for the Restoration of the Han in the 1911 Revolution is located in Tuojiang Town, Fenghuang County. It was built in the third year of the Republic of China (1914) to commemorate the martyrs who shed blood for the liberation of Fenghuang.
The site of the command post for the Red Army's Great Victory at Shiwanping is located at the Tonghua Inn at the entrance of Maojiaba Village, Wanping Township, Yongshun County. It is a two-courtyard, two-wing compound with a wooden structure. In November 1934, He Long commanded the Second and Sixth Red Army Corps here to set an ambush at Shiwanping, annihilating 10,000 enemy troops and capturing 200. In 2002, the site of the command post was declared a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit.
The site of the Revolutionary Committee of the Hunan-Hubei-Sichuan-Guizhou Border Province of the Chinese Soviet Republic — Yongshun Tawu — is located in Tawu Town, Yongshun County. On December 16, 1934, the organs of the CPC Hunan-Hubei-Sichuan-Guizhou Border Provincial Committee, the Provincial Revolutionary Committee, and the Provincial Military District moved from Dayong to Tawu, Yongshun, and were housed in the Ding Family Compound, the Lei Family Old House, and the Lei Family New Compound. In 1985, it was declared a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit.
The site of the Revolutionary Committee of the Hunan-Hubei-Sichuan-Guizhou Border Province of the Chinese Soviet Republic — Longshan Ciyantang — is located in Ciyantang Town, Longshan County. In May 1935, the Hunan-Hubei-Sichuan-Guizhou Border Provincial Revolutionary Committee moved to Ciyantang. Extant relics include the sites of the Yong-Long-Sang Revolutionary Committee, the Red Army Hospital, and the tomb of martyr Fang Xianru, Secretary of the Yong-Long-Sang Revolutionary Committee. In 1996, it was declared a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit.
After the founding of New China, the Hunan-Hubei-Sichuan-Guizhou Revolutionary Martyrs Monument was built in Tawu, Yongshun, and the Xiangxi Bandit Suppression Revolutionary Martyrs Park was built in Yongshun County seat, to commemorate the martyrs who shed blood and sacrificed for the birth of New China.