General's Ridge

　　The Sheshan Township General's Ridge Eco-Tourism Development Zone is an eco-tourism development area integrating leisure, vacation, eco-sightseeing, and entertainment. Located at the junction of Yuanba District and the downtown area, General's Ridge borders five townships—Sheshan, Mingjue, Meishu, Jiepai, and Longtan—and is the site of the tomb of Chang Yuchun, a great general of the Ming Dynasty. It lies 24 kilometers east of Guangyuan and 20 kilometers west of the ancient city of Zhaohua, covering an area of over 3,000 acres.

　　The scenic area boasts beautiful mountains and clear waters, convenient transportation, and a long history, offering high historical, cultural, and sightseeing value. Within the park, there are naturally formed landscapes such as "Golden Brush Dots Soup," "Silver Arrow Leaves Bowstring," and "Bright Moon Shines on Golden Turtle." Historical relics include the tomb of Chang Yuchun, ancient salt wells, ancient kilns, stone steles, and fossils of nine rows of animal teeth. The area is also home to over 350 species of rare flora and fauna, including pine, cypress, ginkgo, sweetleaf tree, cedar, privet, golden pheasants, and giant salamanders. The General's Ridge tourism area falls within the subtropical monsoon climate zone, with an average annual temperature of 16.2°C, annual rainfall of 895 millimeters, and a mild climate, distinct seasons, and long frost-free period. It serves as a new-style tourism destination that combines leisure, vacation, commemoration, and science education, and is an important stop along the tourist route of "Jianmen Shudao – Zhaohua Ancient City – Niutou Mountain – General's Ridge – Huangze Temple – Thousand Buddha Cliff – Tiantai Mountain."

　　General's Ridge is rich in cultural history and unique in natural scenery, making it exceptionally well-suited for the development of tourism economy. How to develop and build the General's Ridge eco-tourism area? With the high attention of the Yuanba District Party Committee and District Government, the leadership of Sheshan Township has adopted approaches such as attracting investment and developer-led initiatives to grow private tourism economy. They have formulated and implemented the "12344" strategy to establish an eco-tourism economic powerhouse in the upper reaches of the Jialing River.

　　The "12344" strategy: "1" refers to one goal—building an eco-tourism economic powerhouse in the upper reaches of the Jialing River; "2" refers to two integrations—integrating Sheshan Township’s tourism development into the western development initiative and into the national Jianmen Shudao tourism scenic line; "3" refers to three transformations—transforming outdated concepts, transforming the investment environment, and transforming business philosophies; "44" refers to establishing four major scenic areas and creating four premium experiences. First, establish the Sheshan River Eco-Tourism Development Zone to create Guangyuan’s "Little Jiuzhaigou." The Sheshan River, a first-level tributary of the Jialing River system, stretches 10 kilometers, with dense forests along both banks, shaded paths, serene streams, clear water teeming with fish, and a pleasant climate. Tributaries such as Yanjing River, Sancha River, and Dakou River converge, resembling a heavenly paradise. Following the concept of "one line, four dams, four points," efforts are underway to fully develop Guangyuan’s "Little Jiuzhaigou"—with the Hei-She Highway as the main line, constructing four-level water barriers on Yanjing River, Sancha River, Dakou River, and the rolling dam, while accelerating the development of tourist attractions centered around the four dams. Second, accelerate the development of the Sheshan Township small town scenic area to create an ecological tourism "little mountain city" in the upper reaches of the Jialing River. Leveraging the construction opportunity of the Tingzikou Hub Project and the water resource advantages of "one river and one stream," and relying on the scenic beauty of the Jialing River’s golden waterway, a scientifically planned, tiered, and uniquely styled "little mountain city" is being built. Third, establish a cultural and historical scenic area to create China’s hometown of "Tiyang Opera." Sheshan Township has a long history and has always been a strategically contested area. Notable historical sites in the region include "Miaoping Reflects the Moon," one of the eight scenic spots of Zhaohua; the "Chongwen Pagoda" on Fengling Mountain; the "Writing Brush Stand" on Daohuan Mountain; Longjiang Temple, Sanhe Temple, Tiyang Ancient Tower, Banshi Puzi, the Mengziya Battlefield, and the General’s Tomb on General's Ridge. The area is known for its simple folk customs and profound cultural heritage. The most complete and well-preserved Tiyang Opera in China is highly favored by domestic and international Nuo opera scholars and enjoys fame in Southeast Asia, Japan, and South Korea. Folk duets and local vocal music resonate along the Jialing River. Fourth, establish a 10,000-acre wildlife conservation park and develop a "10,000-acre hunting ground" on Tazi Mountain.

　　The eco-tourism development of General's Ridge in Sheshan has grown from nothing to something, from small to large. Speaking of the eco-tourism development of General's Ridge, one must mention Jia Dewen. Jia Dewen is a farmer with unique insight. In 1985, he invested his family’s meager savings of a few thousand yuan into the timber market, and within a few years, he became wealthy. Having prospered, Jia Dewen did not forget his fellow villagers, nor the nation and government.

　　Recognizing the unique geographical advantages, beautiful natural scenery, and tourism resources of General's Ridge, he resolutely invested over 400,000 yuan of his savings accumulated over more than 10 years, along with over 6 million yuan in bank loans, into the development of the General's Ridge eco-tourism scenic area. With the help of relevant departments at the municipal, district, and township levels and support from members of the community, and through his hard work, he has initially established an eco-tourism scenic area integrating leisure, vacation, eco-sightseeing, and entertainment. The area has attracted tourists from Chengdu, Xinjiang, Zhejiang, Guangyuan, and other places. Over the past two years, it has received a cumulative total of over 100,000 visitors, generating tourism sales revenue of over 300,000 yuan. General's Ridge in Sheshan is truly a place where "waters embrace pavilions with deep affection, and hills look down upon gardens with boundless charm," making it a truly enchanting destination.