Tiger Head City Ruins

Tiger Head City Ruins

The Tiger Head City Ruins are a Sichuan Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Unit.

The Tiger Head City Ruins were built during the Xianchun era of the Southern Song Dynasty. Located 400 meters southeast of Hutou Village in Huaide Town, Fushun County, on the banks of the Tuojiang River, it is one of the few well-preserved ancient anti-Yuan resistance sites in the Sichuan-Chongqing region. It holds significant historical, artistic, and scientific value. In 1985, it was designated as a county-level cultural relic protection unit of Fushun and later evaluated as part of the sixth batch of municipal-level cultural relic protection units of Zigong.

The Tiger Head City Ruins cover an area of over 80 acres. Towering abruptly above the ground, the site features sheer cliffs facing the river. On the upstream side, jagged boulders resemble the head of a fierce tiger—its snarling visage and sharp fangs give it a menacing appearance. Inside the stone caves, mist often lingers, as if the tiger is exhaling clouds. Ancient people named it “Tiger Head Mountain” based on its shape. Where the Tuojiang River reaches this point, the water suddenly widens. Standing by the river and observing the mountain closely, its form indeed resembles a “crouching tiger guarding the riverbank,” complete with both tiger body and head. Especially the “tiger head,” with its clear outline and slightly open “mouth” as if letting out a roar, exudes an imposing “tiger aura.” Locals commonly refer to it as the “Tiger’s Brain.” Though not particularly majestic, the mountain is steep and strategically located at a key water and land junction. A city wall was built around the mountain, hence it is also called “Tiger Head Fort” or “Tiger Head City.”

Because the ancient Tiger Head City was situated at a crucial water and land pass between Fushun and Luzhou, it easily became a military stronghold. During the Xianchun era of the Southern Song Dynasty, when most of Sichuan was occupied by Yuan forces, and in the final years of the dynasty when Mongol troops invaded Sichuan, Yu Wangjie and Pu Zhi, successive military governors of Sichuan, ordered localities to build fortified cities against the mountains to resist the Yuan army. At that time, Fushun was a prefectural-level surveillance commission but could not withstand the cavalry charges of the Yuan army. Thus, the surveillance commission was relocated to Tiger Head Mountain, where a high city wall was constructed, along with new inner and outer city walls. The inner city housed the official offices of the surveillance commission, while the outer city served as a defensive wall and a hub for merchants. Ordinary citizens lived outside the outer city. Tiger Head Mountain thus became the once-renowned Tiger Head City. On land, watchtowers were stationed every three li and forts every five li. Along the river, numerous warships and naval forces stood guard. Even the fierce Mongol cavalry and their powerful bows and crossbows found it impossible to approach. It is said that after repeated failed assaults, the Yuan army resorted to bribing traitors to launch a combined internal and external attack to breach the city. However, the anti-Yuan soldiers, filled with righteous fury, killed the traitors and fought bravely, vowing never to surrender. In the end, only a few remained. Facing certain defeat, they opened umbrellas and leaped off the towering Tiger Head Rock from dozens of zhang high. This marked the end of ten years of resistance by the Fushun military and civilians (1265–1274 AD). Thus emerged famous anti-Yuan strongholds such as Hechuan’s Fishing City, Luzhou’s Divine Arm City, Yibin’s Immortal Couple City, Changning’s Soaring City, and Fushun’s “Tiger Head City.”

Hutou Village: Hutou Village…… Detailed information about Hutou Village++

Further Reading:

· Ninth Batch of Sichuan Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units