Fengtan

Fengtan

Fengtan is located 11 kilometers downstream of the Ba River in Pingchang County and is the largest dangerous rapid on the Ba River.

In ancient times, navigating ships here was highly risky, hence the name “Fengtan.” The old river channel descended from the “Dragon Tongue” area on the west bank. Due to the fast current and numerous bends, accidents frequently occurred. Starting from the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty, after a new waterway was dug on the east bank, ships changed their route to this area, and since then, river guides were stationed here. At the mountaintop by the rapid’s head stands an ancient temple, commonly called Laoguan Temple, but it is actually the Wangye Temple. Ships passing through worshipped the “River-Guarding King,” and the temple housed many deities with ceaseless incense offerings. On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month each year, crowds of worshippers came to burn incense at the temple. Whenever there was a drought, locals would carry a wooden statue of the Monkey King to pray for rain, accompanied by lively processions of drums and gongs. In front of the temple, by the riverside, there is a huge rock about two zhang tall, named “Incense Burner Rock.” The rock bears four seal-script characters: “Perilous Journey on Water.” Passenger and cargo ships passing through would all burn incense and paper in front of the rock to pray for safety. To the left of the temple and further uphill lies a pavilion called the Stele Pavilion, housing eight stone tablets that record the excavation of the new waterway and the construction of the ancient temple. When the pavilion is shaken, the tablets move. Thirty meters below the pavilion lies a stretch of sand dunes. When sunlight hits the ground, the reflection creates a rainbow-like halo, giving rise to the scenic phenomenon known as “Shaking Pavilion, Moving Steles, and Appearing Pavilions.” Heading north along the roofline of the temple, the highest point is Qinglong Mouth. Some folk tombstones here bear the inscription “Qinglong Surges, Bringing Prosperity to Posterity,” leading to the saying “Qinglong Plays in the Waters of Fengtan Rapids.” A stone ridge stretches straight across the river at the rapid’s head, known as “Stone Dragon Crossing the River.” Legend says it was part of the Feng family temple’s feng shui, and the Yu family produced one imperial scholar and one Hanlin academician over two consecutive dynasties during the Qing Dynasty. At the end of the temple beam is a cave with a paper burial mound, also said to be the Yu family’s ashes burial site.

Big Fengtan connects to Little Fengtan, spanning roughly a Chinese mile in total. The main channel of the big rapid features jagged rocks resembling chicken wings. Rocks such as Dry Ox Rock, Tall Horse Rock, Human Head Rock, Red Plate Rock, Pig’s Chin, and Little Fengtan’s Bee Rock are all particularly treacherous spots.

During the Republican era, Pingchang County had no highways. Porters carrying gold-laminated paper (i.e., gold foil paper) from Mengxi took boats to Pingchang, then traveled inland via the Chang’an Ancient Road to various parts of southern Shaanxi, while boat shipments transported goods downstream to Hechuan and Chongqing. All passing vessels had to be guided or steered personally by river guides when reaching Fengtan. Upstream loads such as salt and candy had to be lightened to pass the rapids—carried by porters to the rapid’s edge before the boats could proceed. The local team of over 100 men and women who routinely hauled ropes to pull boats created an intense scene with the chant “Feet on stone, hands in sand, pulling the boat with every shout of the work song,” truly awe-inspiring.

During the Cultural Revolution, the temple deities and the Stele Pavilion were completely destroyed. After the founding of the People’s Republic, during river regulation efforts, the navigation authority not only blasted away the dangerous rocks and hidden reefs in the rapid but also used slab stones to redirect the flow. A capstan machine was also installed inside the empty temple to assist in hauling boats. When the Fengtan Hydropower Station was built, the machine was removed, the temple destroyed, and even the Incense Burner Rock was demolished by quarry workers. After the Fengtan Hydropower Station obstructed navigation in 1979, the river became a flat lake, and both Big and Little Fengtan ceased to exist—the scenic sites vanished without a trace. Only a “Seven Scenes” poem remains:

Incense Burner Rock

A giant rock before Old Guan Temple, shaped like an incense burner, has been a wonder since ancient times. Where is the “Perilous Journey on Water” now? The temple is gone, the rock is lost, but the sentiment remains.

Shaking Pavilion, Moving Steles

A four-legged wooden pillar supports a pavilion, inside which eight tablets record history. As a child, I saw the pavilion shake and the steles move—watching the mirage-like wonders on the sandy shore.

Fengtan Snow Waves

Qinglong Plays in the Waters of Fengtan Rapids, roaring wildly for miles around. If tidal sounds rise at night, even immortals crossing the rapid would panic.

Stone Dragon Crossing the River

Stone Dragon Crossing the River is a natural formation, bringing glory to the Yu family of Fengjia. Myths passed down through generations remain, with endless tales to this day.

Pig’s Chin

At the river’s edge at the rapid’s tail, Pig’s Chin is a bottleneck for upstream boats. Countless ships have met their fate here, no wonder the crew curses endlessly.

Red Plate Rock

A pit in the Red Plate Rock in the middle of the rapid has frightened river guides since ancient times.

Since the river was regulated, passing ships have finally found peace.

Dry Ox Rock

A rock in the rapid named Dry Ox stands tall, its head raised toward the rapid’s edge.

When a ship enters the waterway, recall the trick: “Turn the rudder and hug the rock”—and you’ll be safe.