Jiudian Gorge

　　The Jiudian Gorge Scenic Area is located within the territory of Zangbawa Township. "Zangbawa" means "rear—" and is historically known as the descendants of the Tubo people. Together with Taoyan and Bailin townships, it forms the "enclave" in the northeast of Zhuoni. Historically, this area was under the jurisdiction of the Didao Prefecture and the Huichuan Zhao Tusi. In 1954, it was incorporated into Zhuoni County. The Zangbawa people, who have lived for generations at the foot of Baishi Mountain, claim that their ancestors were residents of "yak-hair tents in rear Tibet" and settled here after following the army on an eastern campaign. The deity they revere is the "White Horse Mountain God," said to be the deities "Zhazhanani Laze" and "Zanggerian Jiagan," who led troops on an eastern campaign through Qinghai and stationed here to guard the border. On Niuxin Cliff within the territory, inscriptions mark the four boundaries of the southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest, bearing the reign title of Emperor Kangxi. The entire stone inscription covers about 0.5 square meters, but due to weathering and erosion, it is no longer legible, with only one or two characters remaining. Nearby, there is also the "Frontier Tablet of the Fan-Tun Border" erected during the Kangxi era. At Baoshe Kou Village at the mouth of Jiudian Gorge, there are ruins of an ancient city. Beside the city site lies a military drill ground, indicating that this was an important military stronghold at the Jiudian Gorge entrance of the Tao River in ancient times. Local villagers sing the "Paper Horse Dance Tune" collectively during festivals. The lyrics and dance scenes vividly express the descendants' sympathy and remembrance for their ancestors who were stationed here for a long time, enduring a harsh military life, as well as their nostalgia and praise for the ancestors’ expeditions, battles, and victorious returns.

　　Heading north from Yanziping at Baoshe Kou, you will enter Jiudian Gorge, which gets its name from the nine peaks within the gorge, also known as Hotel Gorge. Since ancient times, this has been a shortcut on the ancient road between Gansu and Sichuan, with travelers and merchants passing through ceaselessly throughout the dynasties. Legend has it that halfway through the gorge, there was an elderly woman surnamed Wang who ran a tavern. Travelers would all drink a few cups to bolster their spirits before continuing their journey, hence the name. To the east of Jiudian Gorge lies the 3,888-meter-high Baishi Mountain, and to the west are the ridges of the 3,578-meter-high Lotus Mountain, causing the river to surge and roar like an untamed horse. Within the gorge, massive boulders in the river are piled three or five together, resembling reclining oxen, stirring up thunderous waves and towering billows. Over the course of more than 10 kilometers of the canyon, the river surface suddenly narrows from seventy or eighty meters to seven or eight meters, or even ten-plus meters, merging and then parting again, parting and then merging. Towering peaks and steep cliffs compete in beauty on both banks. Towering pines and cypresses stand either high above the clouds or hang upside down from cliff edges, creating an incredibly beautiful scene. In ancient times, people went to great lengths to open roads for trade—drilling holes in cliffs, chiseling stone in mid-air, building plank roads, and constructing wooden bridges and zip lines, turning natural barriers into passable routes. The holes for the plank roads built on the cliffs over the dynasties are still clearly visible today, and the remains of ancient river bridges are easily identifiable. Several sections of the old plank roads still remain. Within Jiudian Gorge, there are ruins of an ancient fortress called Qiaodao Fort. Nearby cliffs have been carved with cave temples, and remnants of Buddha statues can still be found. There are several cliff inscriptions on the stone walls of the plank roads, with inscriptions documenting the repeated construction and destruction of bridges and plank roads throughout history.

　　Jiudian Gorge is rich in water resources. The steep, high mountains and gorges provide ideal conditions for the construction of hydropower projects. In December 2002, the construction of the Jiudian Gorge Water Control Project and the Taohe Water Diversion Project—the largest in Gannan Prefecture’s history and a project the entire province had hoped for over half a century—officially began. The project extends east to the Hulu River, south to the Wei River, and north to the Yellow River, involving more than 10 key national poverty-alleviation counties in Gannan Prefecture and Dingxi region. Once completed, the rational allocation of external water transfer and local water resources can provide water for 810,000 urban residents, 2.72 million rural residents, and 4.15 million head of livestock. It can develop irrigated land totaling 900,000 mu, improve irrigation on 165,000 mu, and generate 997 million kWh of electricity annually. This will largely resolve the needs for domestic use, industrial development, ecological construction, and efficient agriculture in the project area, achieving sustainable socioeconomic development in the region through the sustainable development and utilization of water resources.

　　　　With the accelerating construction of the Jiudian Gorge Water Control Project, the spectacular sight of a "calm lake emerging from high gorges" will appear in the Jiudian Gorge area, making Jiudian Gorge an excellent destination for tourism and investment.