Lantern Shadow Gorge

Lantern Shadow Gorge – Brief Introduction

Lantern Shadow Gorge also named Bright Moon Gorge. Although the gorge is short, the scenery in it is spectacular. You can see all the mountains in the gorge are very steep; all the water comes from Cliffside spring. The cliff is as bright as water without any impurity, as if it is the work of God. When the bright sky shadows the bright cliff, it's just like an ink painting. Especially at night, when moon in the sky, you can't find words to describe the scenery of bright moon and clean water. That's why it also named Bright Moon Gorge. The name of Lantern Shadow Gorge is formed by the Gorge shape. There are four wonder rocks, which look like Bonze Tang and his three apprentices on their back way, on the Horse Teeth Mountain. The images are vivid and lifelike. When the sunglows shine, looking in the gorge, they look like the figures in shadow play (local people named lantern shadow play). So this gorge is named Lantern Shadow Gorge

Lantern Shadow Gorge – History

Lantern Shadow Gorge with a very long history. It is said that Wu Ding built the dolly way on the steep cliff of Lantern Shadow Gorge in 2000 years ago. When Qing Kingdom unified the whole nation, this way was the passage through which to transport soldiers and supplies. When Liu Bang was on rule in West Han Dynasty, he ever asked Xiao He to repair this way and get support from West Shu Kingdom from this way. Si Maqian said:" the prosperous of Han Dynasty started in Shu and Han Kingdoms". In Three Kingdom Period, Liu Bei spent large amount of money to repair the dolly way. The way which start from Chaotianmen, pass by Qingfeng (Fresh Wind) Gorge to Yangping Guan, reach Daxing Zhou (today's Luoyang) is an important way in Zhu Geliang's northern expedition. In late Shu and Han period, emperor Shu Kingdom gave up to defend important pass which result to Zhonghui passed by the way, taken Bright Moon Gorge and conquered Chengdu Province. In South Song Dynasty, Liu Ziyi who is a general of Song Kingdom strongly defended Tandu Guan and Bright Moon Gorge so that walloped Jing enemy and protected the territory of southwest. The dolly way of Bright Moon Gorge played an important role in political, economy communication in the long history, it also a place of strategic importance for the militaries. In ancient, people built wood bridges on Bright Moon Gorge by digging holes on stone cliff. The dolly way is made up of four parts: the shore to support the way, walk on the shore, weather shed over walk and water under bridge. The dolly way built in pre-Qin days of Bright Moon Gorge is the earliest built, in largest scale, best protected and most typical dolly way in China. It is recorded in historical data, the hole used to build dolly way first dug in late Spring and Autumn Period, and widely used in middle Warring States Period.