Fèngjié

Fengjie, the seat of Kuizhou, commands the western entrance to the Yangtze's Three Gorges. At Qutang Gorge, steep cliffs close around the river at the narrow gate of Kuimen. Above the water stands Baidi, the White Emperor City, a fortress and temple site celebrated in history and poetry.

After his defeat at Yiling, Liu Bei withdrew here and, before his death in 223, entrusted his son and affairs of state to Zhuge Liang. Later the Tang poets Li Bai and Du Fu wrote of Baidi and the river scenery. The stronghold retained its military importance in the Song-Mongol wars, while Kuizhou continued to watch over the passage between Sichuan and the lands downstream. Under the Qing, Kuizhou also had a customs station that collected duties on passing trade.