Baibaozhai Cliff Dwellings

Baibaozhai Cliff Dwellings

The Baibaozhai Cliff Dwellings are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Baibaozhai Cliff Dwellings are located on both banks of the Ju River at the junction of Yuan’an County and Dangyang City, northwest of Dangyang City, about 20 kilometers from the urban area.

The earliest date of their excavation remains unverifiable, but they were first documented no later than the Wanli era (1573–1619) of the Ming Dynasty. They were also reconstructed during the Jiaqing, Daoguang, and Xianfeng reigns of the Qing Dynasty (1796–1862). The Baibaozhai Cliff Dwellings consist of 23 sites with around 250 chambers in total, collectively known as the Baibaozhai Cliff Dwellings Cluster. These include Fu Family Cliff Dwellings, Li Family Cliff Dwellings, Guanchong Cliff Dwellings, Jinding Temple, Millstone Cliff Dwellings, Qinglong Earth God Temple, Military Stronghold, Pian Cliff Dwellings, Mao Family Cliff Dwellings, Xiangshan Cliff Dwellings, Lushui Cliff Dwellings, Yanglin Cliff Dwellings, Qiaojiahu Cliff Dwellings, Lushui Earth God Temple, Seven-Hole Cliff, Zhong Family Cliff Dwellings, Baijia Cave, Longguan Temple, Zhechuan Mountain Cliff Dwellings, Wutu Temple, Sunjiawan Cave, Miaogang Cliff Dwellings, Huanghu Tan Cliff Dwellings, and several scattered cliff dwellings. Their functions include residential use, religious purposes, military garrisoning, and sheltering from warfare.

The Baibaozhai Cliff Dwellings Cluster holds significant value for studying the historical evolution of early ethnic groups in the Ju River basin and their cultural customs. It also helps to understand the engineering achievements in cliff dwelling excavation during ancient times, providing valuable physical evidence for researching the political, military, religious, and cultural history of the Ju River basin.

Address: By Qinglong Lake, Dangyang City, Yichang

Type: Forest & Lake

Recommended Visiting Time: 3–5 hours

Opening Hours:

8:00-17:00

Ticket Information:

Gate Price: 80.0 RMB

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Hubei Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units