The ancient fortress of Shikongzhai Tourist Scenic Area stands majestically with sheer cliffs on all sides, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. It is said to have been initially built during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, serving as an important stronghold for the greenwood heroes who dominated the region and claimed the mountains as their kingdom. It was later restored during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty and flourished in the late Qing period.
Subsequently, the Red Army also used this place as a sanctuary during the anti-encirclement campaigns. Shikongzhai has a gate for each cardinal direction, with walls built from stone blocks and door frames made of slab stones. The North Gate is steep, almost perpendicular to the ground, requiring the use of hands and feet to climb. The East Gate faces a small stream and is slightly more gentle, serving as the water source for the people in the fortress. The South Gate is the path for transporting grain, through which the defenders’ food was brought to the stronghold. The paths on both sides of the East, South, and North gates are flanked by cliffs, making them impregnable. Behind the gates, on both sides of the stone walls, one can see horizontal grooves chiseled by hand, with several logs laid across and covered with wooden planks, which served as the beds for sentries, who were on guard day and night to prevent surprise attacks. The West Gate is located on the mountaintop, not far from the fortress, with a ditch over ten feet wide dug beneath it. Shikongzhai is divided into a high fortress and a low fortress; the low fortress is built on a platform on the mountainside, while the high fortress is built on the mountaintop. Both the high and low fortresses have withstood over 300 years of vicissitudes through wind and rain, and the remaining ruins are worth savoring for visitors. Opening hours are from 08:30 to 17:00 all year round. Preferential policies for children: free for those under 1.2 meters (not including); half price for those between 1.2 meters (including) and 1.5 meters (not including). For the elderly: free for those aged 70 and above with ID or senior citizen card; half price for those aged between 65 and 70 (not including 70) with ID or senior citizen card. For military personnel: free with valid identification. For disabled individuals: free with valid identification. Additional information: Specific preferential policies are subject to the notices posted at the scenic area.Shikongzhai Tourist Attraction
The ancient fortress of Shikongzhai Tourist Scenic Area stands majestically with sheer cliffs on all sides, making it easy to […]
