Wénxiàn

Wenxian lies in the deep mountain valleys of the upper Bailong River, at the meeting of routes from Gansu and Sichuan. Steep slopes and wooded ridges surround the river settlements. High in the mountains lies Tianchi, a lake whose clear waters and wooded shores were celebrated in a Ming poem by the local writer Xiao Ji. The road through the district connected the Bailong valleys with the post routes farther north, carrying travellers between the mountains and the neighbouring plains.