Baidicheng, the White Emperor City, stands on a bluff above the northern bank of the Yangtze at Fengjie, at the western entrance to Qutang Gorge. The site has been fortified since the Han dynasty, and the present complex is a walled group of temples, halls and pavilions rather than a city as such. Since the Three Gorges reservoir filled, the bluff has become an island connected to the shore by a bridge.
The view
The reason Baidicheng matters is its position. Qutang Gorge begins immediately below it, and from the terraces at the top you look straight down the entrance to the narrowest of the Three Gorges, where the river runs between cliffs on either side. The view varies with the water level: at high water the river fills the gorge and the cliffs come down close to the surface; at low water the channel narrows and the banks are exposed. It is the classic viewpoint for the gorges, and almost every image of Qutang Gorge is taken from around here.
The complex
Inside the walls are a series of halls and courtyards, with images, murals and inscriptions, a garden and a number of steles. The site is closely associated with the Three Kingdoms period: it is named after a local ruler who is said to have turned white after seeing a white vapour in the shape of a dragon, and it is famous for the story of the dying Shu general entrusting his young son to his chancellor, which is depicted in painting and sculpture in the halls. There is also a small museum and a collection of stone inscriptions.
Getting there
Baidicheng is at Fengjie, upstream of the gorges, and is reached by road from Chongqing or as a shore excursion on Three Gorges cruises. There is an entrance fee. The climb from the bridge or the car park to the top of the bluff involves a good number of steps, though there is a lift on part of the route. Allow an hour and a half to see the complex and take in the view from several angles, and bring water and sun protection, as there is little shade on the upper terraces.
