Wuzhangyuan Scenic Area

　　Wuzhangyuan is located about 20 kilometers south of Qishan County in Shaanxi Province today. It stands approximately 150 meters high, around 1 kilometer wide, and about 5 kilometers long. With three sides exposed to cliffs, flanked by rivers on both sides, shielded by the Qinling Mountains to the south, and bordered by the Wei River that forms a natural trench to the north, it was a strategic military location where one could easily advance or retreat. In the past, when Zhuge Liang made six expeditions to Qishan, he took the Baoxie Trail to capture Wuzhangyuan and repeatedly challenged the Wei army. Sima Yi, aware of the weakness of the Shu army—being far from home and overextended—held his forces back and waited for the right moment to strike. Realizing this would be a protracted war, Zhuge Liang divided his troops to farm the land, ensuring a supply of provisions for a prolonged stay. After 100 days of stalemate, Zhuge Liang unfortunately passed away in the army camp at Wuzhangyuan in August, due to overwork and illness, amid the rustling autumn winds.

　　Zhuge Liang devoted himself to his cause “with unwavering dedication until his last breath.” After his death, “the common people mourned him deeply,” and the public held him in great remembrance. Temples were built in all the places he had visited to honor him. This loess plateau, over 100 meters high and covering an area of about 12 square kilometers, is shaped like a plump gourd, small at the northern end and larger at the southern tip. The narrowest part in the middle is only five zhang (approximately 16.5 feet) wide from east to west, hence the name Wuzhangyuan (Five-Zhang Plateau).

　　Wuzhangyuan was the last battlefield in Zhuge Liang’s decades of military campaigns across the country. After his death, temples were erected here as early as the beginning of the Tang Dynasty. By the Yuan Dynasty, the site had already taken shape. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties and the early years of the Republic of China, it underwent nine major renovations and restorations, with memorial ceremonies held in spring and autumn. Later, due to erosion by wind and rain, as well as human damage, the temples fell into disrepair and were nearly collapsed. In 1980, the government allocated funds for restoration, and it has since become a tourist attraction in Baoji.

　　The scenic area features historical and cultural sites such as the Wei Yan City, the General Worship Platform, the Falling Star Stone, the Heluo City, and Zhuge Liang’s Memorial Tomb, as well as natural landscapes including Hengpan Mountain, Jiulong Mountain, Xiagu Pass, Hulu Valley, Xiagu Reservoir, Maishi River, Zhuge Spring, and Zhuge Field. The area blends unique mountain formations, peculiar rocks, river valleys, streams, forests, ancient trees, autumn winds, rain, and snow with numerous historical relics and Three Kingdoms-era cultural sites.