Shibaozhai in Zhongxian County, Chongqing

Shibaozhai in Zhongxian County, Chongqing

(Photography: China)

Shibaozhai in Zhongxian County, Chongqing, is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a key national cultural heritage site.

Shibaozhai, a national cultural heritage site and a national 4A-level tourist attraction, is located on the northern bank of the Yangtze River between Zhongzhou Town, the county seat, and Wanzhou City. It stands as an isolated peak rising from the ground, with sheer cliffs on all sides, resembling a jade seal. Legend has it that it is a colorful stone left behind by Nüwa when she mended the sky, hence the name "Shi Bao" (Precious Stone). During the late Ming Dynasty, a peasant leader named Tan Hong launched an uprising and used it as a stronghold, hence the name Shibaozhai. Built during the Ming Dynasty's Wanli era, the structure is over 400 years old. The tower is built against the mountain, with soaring eaves and wings, making it extremely spectacular. It has a total of 12 stories, reaching a height of 56 meters. At the top of the tower is the ancient Tianzi Palace, built against the cliff with majestic architecture, forming a remarkable sight. There are also cultural relics exhibition rooms, Duck Hole, and Grain Flowing Hole, among others.

Shibaozhai is world-renowned for its unique architecture and many fascinating legends. It is listed as one of the world’s eight most peculiar buildings. Since its opening to the public in 1979, it has received nearly 220,000 domestic and international visitors annually, earning praise as the “Pearl on the River” from travelers around the world.

The pagoda of Shibaozhai is built against Yuyin Mountain, rising with the mountain’s contours, with soaring eaves and wings, creating a very peculiar shape. The entire structure consists of the gate, the main body of the tower, and the top (the stone pagoda at the summit), totaling 12 stories and standing 56 meters high. It is entirely made of wood. Originally built during the Ming Dynasty's Wanli era, it was further developed during the Kangxi and Qianlong eras. Initially constructed with nine stories, symbolizing the “Nine Heavens.” The top three stories were added during renovations in 1956. Shibaozhai is also one of the few remaining wooden structures in China and is called one of the “world’s eight most peculiar buildings.”

The tower gate is built of brick and stone, standing over 6 meters high, with the three porcelain-inlaid characters “Xiao Peng Lai” (Little Penglai) inscribed on it. On both the front and back of the gate, there are delicate and vivid reliefs such as “Five Dragons Holding the Sage” and “Nezha Causing Havoc in the Sea.”

To climb from the tower gate to the top, you must go through the layered pavilions built along the mountain. The pavilion was built during the Qing Dynasty’s Jiaqing era (1796–1820), stretching over 50 meters from bottom to top. It is connected by a winding staircase. Each level of the stone wall features stone carvings, paintings, and poems passed down through generations. From each window, you can gaze at the magnificent Yangtze River. Legend says that Shibaozhai originally only had a temple at the top, accessible via a carved stone path and an iron chain. Pilgrims had to rely solely on their devotion to brave the perilous cliffs. Later, a clever craftsman, inspired by an eagle soaring and circling in front of Yuyin Mountain before gradually ascending and finally crossing the mountain peak, was struck with inspiration. He then built this magnificent flying pavilion using methods such as constructing buildings against the mountain, extending flying pavilions outward, installing internal ladders, and creating a spiral ascent.

At the top of the tower lies a 1,200-square-meter stone terrace, 230 meters above sea level. Looking around, the vast expanse of water and sky instantly broadens one’s horizons. Inside the ancient temple, built during the early Qing Dynasty, there is a huge mural on the wall facing the main hall depicting the story of Nüwa mending the sky. Below the painting, there is a remnant stone that closely resembles Shibaozhai. At the rear hall of the ancient temple, there is a stone hole, cup-sized, called the “Grain Flowing Hole.” According to local legend, after the temple was built on the mountain, rice would flow out of this hole every day—just enough to feed the monks. Hence the name “Shi Bao” (Precious Stone). Later, greedy monks tried to get more rice by secretly enlarging the hole, and as a result, no rice flowed out ever again. The greedy monks received their just punishment.

Inside the tower, there are three sets of sculptural groups: one depicts the story of Ba Manzi cutting off his own head to save the city, another tells the tale of Zhang Fei releasing Yan Yan out of righteousness during the Three Kingdoms period, and the third illustrates the story of the heroine Qin Liangyu. At the top of the tower stands an ancient temple called “Lanruo Hall.” Below the tower lies the quaint and elegant Shibao Street.

Shibaozhai: A Marvel of Ingenious Architecture

“The southern treasure seal cast in autumn on the river, Twelve towers exquisitely stacked and carved. Painted edges cannot be taken away, left to guard and steady Zhongzhou.”

This poem by Zhou Beixi accurately captures the full splendor of Shibaozhai, known as one of the “world’s eight most peculiar landscapes.”

Located on the northern bank of the Yangtze River east of Zhongxian County, Chongqing. An isolated peak rises abruptly, with strange rocks hanging in the air. Surrounded on all sides as if carved, it resembles a jade seal, hence also called Yuyin Mountain. Streams flow around the mountain, and under the cover of green pines and bamboos, the tower is built against the mountain on the southern cliff face.

The entire complex is divided into two parts: the nine lower stories at the mountain base and the three upper stories at the summit, arranged in a well-balanced layout. From a distance, the twelve-tiered structure with overlapping eaves looks unified and majestic, reaching a total height of 50 meters. Each floor inside the tower features inscriptions on the stone walls. The mountaintop is a flat stone terrace, home to the ancient Tianzi Temple, built during the Kangxi and Qianlong eras, which is the highest point of the complex. From the temple, you can enjoy a sweeping view of the rolling Yangtze River, the blue sky, and sailing boats—a boundless panorama.

Shibaozhai is the largest existing volume and the most storied interlocking wooden structure building in China. After the Three Gorges Dam began storing water and generating electricity in 2003, the water level of the Yangtze River rose to the tower’s entrance, and a lake covering over 120 acres formed around the wooden tower. Shibaozhai transformed from a mountain fortress into a “water fortress.”

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Key National Cultural Heritage Sites