Zhuge Mountain and Zhuge Temple

Zhuge Mountain and Zhuge Temple

Zhuge Mountain and Zhuge Temple are cultural tourism attractions.

The reason Zhuge Mountain has become a notable site is due to the legend that over 1,700 years ago, Zhuge Liang once stationed his troops here. As a result, the mountain, the stronghold, and the temple here are all named after Zhuge.

In Zhuge Temple, there are also well-preserved cliff inscriptions from the Ming Dynasty. Zhuge Mountain and Zhuge Temple are located in Longtousi Village, Gaoping Town, Gaoping District, Nanchong City, about seven kilometers from the Nanchong suburbs. From Nanchong City to Zhuge Mountain, there is a large stone-paved road, which was an ancient route from Nanchong to Yuechi and Guang’an. Passing through Gaopingba, ascending Wangchengpo, and following the undulating mountain ridges, you can reach Zhuge Mountain directly.

Zhuge Mountain belongs to the Lingyun Mountain Range, with steep terrain. There is a stronghold on the mountain, built during the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty. On the right side of the north fortress gate, there are two stone steles, which are records of the renovation of the stronghold. The inscriptions read: “In the past, Marquis Wu excelled in both astronomy above and geography below. He discerned that this mountain could serve for both offensive advances and defensive retreats, and thus stationed his troops here. This is the origin of the name ‘Zhuge Stronghold.’ In the fourth year of Jiaqing, it was first built very sturdily. However, as time passed, it inevitably suffered collapses and damage. Now, amid the rampant threat of bandits, we have gathered villagers to renovate and reinforce it. Today, this project is completed, and we specially list the comrades involved to the left: ‘June, the third year of Xianfeng.’”

The inscriptions tell us that the Zhuge Stronghold was first built in the fourth year of Jiaqing, that is, 1799 AD, and underwent another renovation 54 years later. The reason for the stronghold’s construction was the rampant threat of bandits. Villagers built it to take refuge in the mountains from bandit raids. Now, in these peaceful times, it no longer serves any defensive function but remains merely a scenic spot for people to visit and reflect on history.

The north fortress gate was not artificially built with bricks and stones but was carved out of a huge rock towering at the edge of the mountain. Except for the destroyed lintel, the rest remains well-preserved, and the hole for the upper bar used to close the gate is still intact. At the summit of the western side of the stronghold, spanning approximately two acres, there are numerous naturally formed round stones, commonly known as “Swan Hugging Eggs,” which is quite unique. These round stones are about 1.5 meters in diameter, with the largest one being three meters across, and featuring a millstone carved in its middle.

Legend says it was a tool used by Zhuge Liang to make gunpowder. But gunpowder was invented in the seventh century — did Zhuge Liang use gunpowder in battle? This is purely a false rumor.

Zhuge Temple is located on the southeastern side of Zhuge Mountain, backed by a cliff. Its exact founding date is unknown. The temple itself has completely vanished, leaving only some holes in the mountain rock as evidence of where the temple buildings were once attached. At the foot of the cliff amidst the woods lie scattered fragments of broken Buddha statues, allowing us to imagine that the temple must have been rather grand in scale back then.