Wànzhōu

Wanzhou stands on the Yangtze in the hills west of the Three Gorges. Above the river, Tiansheng Fortress formed part of the Southern Song's mountain defences against the Mongols. Its walls followed the heights, enclosing an inner citadel and outer sections where troops and civilians could shelter. Work on the fortress began in 1243 and continued through the following decades. Inscriptions cut into its stone record later repairs and the eventual Yuan capture of Wanzhou. The commander Shangguan Kui became remembered for his resistance, while the inscriptions left by the victors preserved another side of the struggle for this river stronghold.