Zhuge Military Mound

Zhuge Military Mound

Zhuge Military Mound is a national AA-level tourist attraction.

Zhuge Military Mound Park is a base for Three Kingdoms culture and patriotic education in Qinzhou, as well as a national 2A-level tourist attraction and patriotic education site.

During the Three Kingdoms period, Zhuge Liang led the Shu army in six northern expeditions through Qishan to achieve the great cause of restoring the Han dynasty and unifying the country, engaging in military standoffs with the Cao Wei forces led by Sima Yi in Tianshui, where numerous large-scale battles took place. To this day, the Tianshui area retains many relics from the battles between Shu and Wei, among which Zhuge Military Mound is a notable historical site. Legend has it that during military campaigns, every Shu soldier carried a "hometown soil bag" containing earth from their native land. When drinking water or eating meals in foreign lands, they would sprinkle a small amount of this soil into their food or drink to prevent homesickness or digestive issues caused by unfamiliar environments. After capturing Tianshui City, Zhuge’s army found the local water to be of such good quality that none of the soldiers suffered from such problems, making the soil bags unnecessary. Moreover, as fierce battles were expected in the Tianshui region, the soil bags became burdensome. Therefore, the soldiers gathered outside the eastern gate of Tianshui City, removed their “hometown soil bags,” and poured the earth together to form a large mound over ten feet high. The area outside the city's eastern gate was flat and open, making it an ideal site for military drills. Zhuge Liang took advantage of this mound—he often stood atop it to command troop training, enforce discipline, and arrange formations and deployments. Later, the site became a popular destination for people to pay tribute to Zhuge Liang and was named “Zhuge Military Mound.”

“Zhuge Military Mound” is one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Ancient Qinzhou, located south of Minshan Road, east of Qinzhou District. Originally a cone-shaped earthen mound with a broad base and flat top, it stood over ten feet high. In front of the mound was a pavilion housing a stele resembling a house door, surrounded by lush pines and cypresses, creating a solemn and elegant atmosphere. At noon, when the sun was directly overhead, no shadow could be seen on the mound, leading locals to also call it the “Shadowless Mound.”

Address: South of Minshan Road, east of Qincheng District, Tianshui City

Type: Historical Site

Recommended Visiting Time: About 1 hour

Information Source: Qinzhou Government Portal Website