백제성·구당협 풍경구

The Baidicheng–Qutang Gorge Scenic Area, set on the northern bank of the Yangtze near Fengjie County in eastern Chongqing, is one of the most historically resonant and visually dramatic sites along the entire Three Gorges. It sits at the western gateway to Qutang Gorge — the shortest, narrowest, and most imposing of the Three Gorges — where the Yangtze squeezes between vertical cliffs into a thundering defile known since antiquity as Kuimen, the "Kui Gate."

Baidicheng, the "White Emperor City," is a hilltop temple complex whose historical weight far exceeds its modest scale. Founded in the first century, it is most famous as the site where the warlord Liu Bei, on his deathbed after a disastrous military campaign, entrusted his heir to the statesman Zhuge Liang — a scene immortalized in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms and reenacted endlessly in Chinese opera, painting, and television. The site also carries deep literary associations: the Tang poet Li Bai's famous lines about departing Baidicheng in a single day are memorized by every Chinese schoolchild.

The complex today combines Ming- and Qing-era halls, pavilions, and galleries of stele inscriptions, all oriented toward the river view. Since the completion of the Three Gorges Dam, the rising reservoir has turned Baidicheng into a near-island, reached by a long staircase and a short ferry crossing — a transformation that has reshaped but not diminished its atmosphere. From the upper terraces, the view down into Kuimen and across to Baiyan Mountain is one of the iconic panoramas of the Yangtze.

Most travelers reach Baidicheng as a shore excursion on a Three Gorges cruise, though it can also be visited from Fengjie town. Allow a half-day to explore the temple and the viewpoint at a leisurely pace. Combining the visit with the nearby "Top of the Three Gorges" overlook gives a complete picture of why this stretch of the Yangtze has captivated Chinese poets, painters, and travelers for two millennia.