Shibaozhai, the precious stone fortress, is a rock outcrop on the north bank of the Yangtze in Zhongxian county, rising almost vertically from the water to a height of some fifty metres. It has been treated as a sacred site for centuries, and there is a temple on its summit, but the extraordinary thing is how you get up there. A wooden pavilion of twelve storeys was built against the cliff face in the middle of the eighteenth century, clinging to the rock and rising with it, and the stairs inside it are the only way to the top. The structure is one of the most singular pieces of timber building in China.
The climb
The pavilion leans against the rock rather than standing free, and its beams are keyed into the cliff so that each storey is supported partly by the one below and partly by the stone. Climbing it is a slow business of narrow stairs and landings, with painted panels and inscriptions on the walls, and windows at each level that give increasingly wide views over the river. At the top a short walk leads to the temple itself, a small complex with halls and a courtyard, where the customary offerings are made. The whole ascent takes less time than the number of storeys suggests, but the stairs are steep and the passages narrow.
The island
When the Three Gorges reservoir filled, the river rose around the rock and Shibaozhai would have been half submerged. A protective cofferdam was built around the base instead, and the site is now an island joined to the bank by a bridge, with the water lapping at a wall where the old landing steps used to be. The result is odd and rather beautiful: the rock, the pavilion and the temple standing clear of the water with the reservoir on every side.
Practical notes
Shibaozhai is a standard stop on upriver Three Gorges cruises, which is how most visitors reach it, and it can also be done by road from Chongqing in about three hours as part of a longer trip. There is an admission charge and the site is busy when a cruise boat is in. The climb is not suitable for anyone with limited mobility, and in summer the stairs inside the pavilion are hot and airless, so go early in the day and carry water.
