Liangping Huaishi Stone Ancient Fort Scenic Area

Liangping Huaishi Stone Ancient Fort Scenic Area

Liangping Huaishi Stone Ancient Fort Scenic Area is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

Huaishi Fort is located within the Shuanggui Tourist Area of Liangping District, Chongqing, 9 kilometers from the county seat and facing the Shuanggui Temple from afar. It is an ancient fort cultural tourism destination. From the late 18th century to the early 19th century, the White Lotus rebels from northeastern Sichuan were active in Liangping County (historically known as Liangshan County) for seven years, with tens of thousands of insurgents occupying most of the county on multiple occasions. At that time, Fang Ji, the magistrate of Liangshan County under the Qing Dynasty, also built 217 forts across the county, forcibly relocating nearly 40,000 residents to live inside these mountain forts. After 300 years of weathering, all other ancient forts in Liangping County have fallen into disrepair, with their walls vanished, except for Huaishi Fort. Thanks to its steep and unique terrain, it narrowly escaped severe human destruction. The entire fort complex used approximately 10,000 cubic meters of stone, making it an astonishing feat of engineering. Huaishi Ancient Fort rises abruptly from the flatlands as a solitary peak over 260 meters high. The peak is spindle-shaped, surrounded by cliffs on all sides, with a flat area of 6,000 square meters at the summit. On the western side of the peak is a near-vertical (about 75 degrees), nearly 100,000-square-meter expanse of intact cliff face. Carved into the cliff is a narrow, zigzagging stone staircase no more than a foot wide—the only path to the top of the fort. The staircase has about 2,000 steps and is guarded by three fortified gates at different levels from the mountainside to the summit. The gate at the summit still clearly bears the inscription “未雨, Jiāqìng èr nián” (Before the Rain, 1807) above its lintel. The wooden structures and roof tiles of the dozens of buildings atop the fort have long vanished, but the stone walls remain well-preserved, with shooting holes on each wall. Ascending to the top, one is enveloped in a palpable atmosphere of ancient battles—both desolate and mysterious. Looking down from the fort, the golden waters of the Jin Guang Reservoir and Huaishi Reservoir ripple gently, surrounded by rolling hills where birds fly and fish play. In the reflections of the green mountains, ripples spread softly at times, while at others the surface is glassy calm, the water remaining strikingly clear. Though not vast like an ocean, the setting within the embrace of mountains resembles a delicate beauty akin to West Lake. In the distance, the majestic Buddhist halls of Shuanggui Temple are fully visible. The well-preserved ancient military heritage site and the unique landscape where mountain and water blend make Huaishi Fort a comprehensive tourist destination integrating sightseeing, adventure sports, and leisure entertainment.

Address: Jindai Town, Liangping District

Scenic Area Tel: 023-53378028

Huaishi Fort Resort Tel: 023-53587777