Gedengshan Victory Stele

Gedengshan Victory Stele

Gedengshan Victory Stele is a cultural tourism attraction.

On the eastern bank of the Sumubai River in the western part of Zhaosu County, on Gedeng Mountain, in February of the 20th year of the Qianlong reign (1775), the Qing Dynasty ordered Bandi and Yongchang to lead troops on two separate routes to suppress the rebellion of Dawachi, leader of the Dzungar tribe. After the Qing army arrived in Ili, Dawachi fled to Gedeng Mountain. On the night of May 14, 22 Qing soldiers launched a surprise attack on Dawachi’s camp, causing his forces to panic and scatter, with over 6,500 cavalry surrendering. After the battle, this stone stele was erected on Gedeng Mountain. The stele bears an imperial inscription composed by Emperor Qianlong, recounting the events, and is inscribed in four languages: Manchu, Chinese, Mongolian, and Tibetan. It remains preserved to this day.

The Gedengshan Stele is located on Gedeng Mountain, over 60 kilometers west of Zhaosu County. Its full name is the “Gedengshan Stele Commemorating the Pacification of the Dzungars.” The inscription was personally composed by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. It is a massive granite stele erected on Gedeng Mountain. The stele stands 2.95 meters tall, 0.83 meters wide, and 0.27 meters thick. The top of the stele is carved with coiled dragons, the front side is inscribed with “Imperial Qing,” and the back side with “Eternal.”

The characters are surrounded by a sunrise relief design. The front is inscribed in both Manchu and Chinese, while the back is in Mongolian and Tibetan, making a total of four languages. The text is arranged vertically, with the Chinese version totaling over 210 characters. It mainly records the events and military achievements of the Qing army in suppressing the rebellion of Dawachi, leader of the Dzungar tribe. The Gedengshan Stele was built in the year 1760.

For over 200 years, Gedeng Mountain has gained fame because of this stele. Although the stele has been eroded by wind and rain over time, and its inscriptions have become somewhat faded and worn, the overall structure of the stele remains intact. In 1975, the government allocated funds for its reinforcement and restoration. This stele is a “Key Cultural Relic Protected by the Xinjiang Autonomous Region.”