Tianxing Fort

　　Tianxing Fort is one of the forts on Tianquan Mountain, located about 10 kilometers north of Bazishan Village in Zhongying Township, Hefeng County. According to the Qing Dynasty’s *Hefeng Prefecture Chronicles* from the Daoguang era: “Tianquan is located outside Tongle Gate. Though smaller than Pingshan, it is even more precipitous. Before the Yongshi Tusi established Pingshan, they built a fort here.” This fort is now called Tianxing Fort. To its left is Female Fort, and to its right stands Gaomu Fort. The three forts stand in a triad, forming a mutually reinforcing stronghold that served as a natural defensive barrier during the Yongshi Tusi period, historically referred to as the “Guardians of Tianquan.”

　　When the Qing Dynasty playwright Gu Cai traveled through Yongshi, he did not visit Tianquan. In his *Records of Traveling in Yongshi*, while describing *Shoumei Pavilion*, he mentioned: “…This is the most scenic area in the entire domain. There is a Tianquan Fort here, standing tall amid the cliffs, with a spring gushing around it, fifty li from here. At the time, the lord wanted to go to Tianxing to escape the summer heat, but the journey was long and the road perilous, so he didn’t want to move again and thus decided to take his leave…” Tusi King Tian Shunian also referenced Tianquan in his *Record of Pingshan Wanquan Cave*: “In my childhood, I often traveled the road to Tianquan with Xia Yunbo…” However, upon reviewing all historical records, there is no detailed account of Tianxing Fort. To this day, only local villagers who venture up the mountain to chop wood mention seeing stone statues and inscriptions on Tianxing Fort. What exactly does it look like, and why did the Yongshi Tusi establish a fort here? With these questions in mind, on July 19th, the “Exploring ???? Journey” team, consisting of 11 people, embarked on a two-day expedition combining adventure, archaeology, and camping to uncover the mysteries of Tianxing Fort.