Diaoyu Fortress and Laitan Ancient Town: a Hechuan day trip from Chongqing

Quick answer

Checked September 2026.

• What it is: Diaoyu Fortress is in Hechuan, north of central Chongqing. It is a Southern Song fortress built on a hilltop above the river. From 1243 to 1279 its defenders held off the Mongol armies here for 36 years, and in 1259 the Mongol Great Khan Möngke died during the siege.
• Getting there: by private car from central Chongqing it takes about 1–1.5 hours one way. On your own, take a high-speed train from Chongqing North station, 25 minutes at the fastest to Hechuan station, then a taxi or a bus to the scenic area's visitor centre, 15–30 minutes.
• One day, both places: we usually give Diaoyu Fortress a morning. In the afternoon, go on to Laitan Ancient Town, about 28 km north-east of central Hechuan, to see the barbican and the 12.5 m Buddha carved into the cliff. If you set off in the morning, you can see both in one day.

What is Diaoyu Fortress, and why is it said to have changed the history of Europe and Asia?

Diaoyu Fortress is a Southern Song military fortress on Diaoyu Hill in Hechuan, with rivers on three sides and an area of about 2.5 square kilometres. Song troops built it on the hill in 1243, and over the next 36 years it held off more than 200 Mongol attacks. In 1259 the Mongol Great Khan Möngke, who was leading the campaign himself, died during the siege. The Mongol armies then pulled back one after another to fight over who would be the next khan. Even Hulagu, fighting in West Asia, withdrew his main force, and the course of several fronts across Europe and Asia changed as a result.

• The land: Diaoyu Fortress stands where the Jialing, Qu and Fu rivers meet, and has long been called "the gateway to Ba and Shu". It is built on steep cliffs, and the walls follow the cliff edge.
• Who built it: in 1243 (the third year of the Chunyou reign of the Southern Song), Yu Jie, the military commissioner for Sichuan, took the advice of the brothers Ran Jin and Ran Pu and built the fortress. He made it the core of Sichuan's defence system of hill fortresses. The commanders Wang Jian and then Zhang Jue led soldiers and townspeople in holding it.
• Möngke's death: he died during the siege in 1259. Most Chinese sources say he was wounded below the walls; Persian sources say he fell ill. It is still debated today. Either way, after his death the Mongol armies all stopped their attacks.
• "Where God's whip broke": this is the best-known name for the place in Chinese, and it is often said to be what Europeans called it at the time. But no one can trace where it came from, so it is best taken as a nickname given later.
• Its status today: a national key protected historic site (since 1996), a National Archaeological Site Park, a national scenic area and a national 4A tourist attraction. It is on China's Tentative List for World Cultural Heritage and is working towards 5A status.
• What you can still see: the scenic area says about 8 km of wall and 8 gates survive, with more than 50 Song army remains, Mongol army remains and cultural sites, plus stone carvings from the Tang to the Qing dynasty and inscriptions from many periods.

How do I get to Diaoyu Fortress from Chongqing?

The easiest way is a private car, straight from your hotel in central Chongqing to the Banbianjie Visitor Centre at Diaoyu Fortress, which has a car park. On your own, the train is fastest: Chongqing North to Hechuan takes 25 minutes at the fastest, with more than 20 trains a day (check 12306 for the day). From the station, take a taxi or the G001 bus to the visitor centre, about 15–30 minutes. The scenic area is about 5 km east of central Hechuan and about 70–80 km from central Chongqing.

Ways to get to Diaoyu Fortress (checked September 2026)

• G001 bus (scenic area notice, 30 August 2026): from Hechuan railway station to the Banbianjie Visitor Centre. First bus 8:00, last bus 18:00, one every 30–50 minutes, 2 yuan.
• Between Hechuan station and the visitor centre, the scenic area's website gives a drive of 15–30 minutes.
• Train times change from day to day, so check 12306 before you go. You need your original passport to buy a ticket and to enter the station. When we plan your trip, we work from that week's actual trains.
• Laitan Ancient Town has no railway station, and it is about another 28 km north-east of central Hechuan. To see both in one day, a private car is far easier than public transport.

How do I see Diaoyu Fortress: walk up or take the shuttle bus?

The scenic area recommends both. If you are fit, walk up the old path from the visitor centre through Shiguan Gate and Huguo Gate. It is gates and cliff faces all the way, and feels most like an old battlefield. With seniors or children, take the scenic area's shuttle bus from the visitor centre straight up to the old army camp at the top, then see the sights on the way down. The shuttle runs 8:30–18:00 every day, one every 20 minutes, and costs extra. The shuttle saves time and effort; walking the whole old path takes longer. We usually give Diaoyu Fortress a morning.

The two official routes, in the order given under "Recommended routes" on the Diaoyu Fortress website:

• Classic walking route: Visitor Centre → Relief Wall → Shiguan Gate ruins and the "Huguo Mingshan" stone archway → Shiguan Gate ticket check → Huguo Gate → Feiyan Cave → "Du Diao Zhongyuan" archway → Fishing Platform → Reclining Buddha, Thousand Buddha Cliff, Three Saints Cliff → Nine Pots → Huguo Temple (Zhongyi Shrine) → Shizhao county office → the quarry → the parade ground and the Old Army Camp Site Exhibition Centre.
• Quick ride route: shuttle bus from the Visitor Centre → the parade ground and the Old Army Camp Site Exhibition Centre → the quarry → Shizhao county office → Feiyan Cave → Huguo Gate → "Du Diao Zhongyuan" archway → Huguo Temple (Zhongyi Shrine) → Fishing Platform → Reclining Buddha, Thousand Buddha Cliff, Three Saints Cliff → Nine Pots.

The 8 places on the hill most worth stopping at

• Huguo Gate: the largest of the 8 gates of Diaoyu Fortress, with a cliff on one side and the river on the other. It is listed as one of Chongqing's ten landmark sights. Carved on the gate are the words "Quan Shu Guanjian" (the key to all of Shu).
• Shiguan Gate and the South Yizi Wall: the first pass on the climb up from the river. The scenic area's website says the path below Shiguan Gate closes at 19:00.
• Fishing Platform (Diaoyutai): a huge rock at the top of the hill. Diaoyu Fortress ("fishing fortress") takes its name from the legend about it. From the platform you can see the Jialing River.
• Hanging Reclining Buddha: a reclining Buddha cut into an overhanging cliff in the late Tang dynasty, 11 m long and 2.2 m across the shoulders. The Thousand Buddha Cliff and the Three Saints Cliff (carved in 1843) are on the same stretch of cliff.
• The "Gu Diaoyu Cheng" inscription: this was once a Tang dynasty statue of the Maitreya Buddha. In summer 1944, heavy rain brought down a rockfall, and the statue fell down the hill with part of the cliff. The four large characters "Gu Diaoyu Cheng" (Old Diaoyu Fortress) were later carved on the broken rock face that was left.
• Huguo Temple and Zhongyi Shrine: the shrine honours the soldiers who defended the fortress. The temple and shrine keep 16 stone tablets from the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.
• Fanjiayan site: a Southern Song government office dug up in recent years, with an office area and a garden area. Two explosive weapons called "iron thunder" were found here. The scenic area's website has a separate archaeology route: in through Qisheng Gate, then past the old tunnel and Datianchi pond to Fanjiayan.
• Nine Pots and the old army camp: a row of pot-shaped pits cut into the rock face (the site is simply called Nine Pots), plus the parade ground and the Old Army Camp Site Exhibition Centre at the top. On normal days you can play Song dynasty games on the parade ground, such as cuju (an early form of football), touhu (throwing arrows into a pot) and archery. Children like these.

• Without anyone to explain it, what you see is stretches of wall and stone. With someone telling the story, it becomes a battle of attack and defence that lasted 36 years. That is why we send an English-speaking guide with you all day.
• Tip: the old path has lots of steps and steep slopes, so wear comfortable shoes with a good grip. In summer, try to go up in the morning.

When is Diaoyu Fortress open? How do tickets and booking work?

Diaoyu Fortress is open 8:30–17:00 every day. A ticket is good for one entry: if you go out through the ticket gate, you need a new ticket to come back in. The shuttle bus costs extra. The adult ticket price is whatever the scenic area's notice says on the day. If you go with us, we book tickets at the actual price with no mark-up and list each one in your quote. Laitan Ancient Town itself has no entry ticket; Erfo Temple and other sights in the town charge separately. At both places, always bring your original passport.

• Booking: Diaoyu Fortress tickets and bookings go through the WeChat mini program "Qiangu Diaoyucheng" (千古钓鱼城). If you go with us, we handle this for you.
• Seniors: Chongqing's rules give free entry from age 65, but sites apply this differently to foreign passports. Bring your original passport and ask at the window. See Chongqing attraction tickets and booking and Chongqing for seniors.
• Laitan: Laitan is a partly open old town where local people still live, and you can walk the old streets freely. Erfo Temple and the other paid sights open during the day and stop letting people in before evening. The lower hall of Erfo Temple (the great Buddha and the cliff carvings) has closed for repairs several times in the past few years, so before you set off we check whether it is open that day.

What is there to see in Laitan Ancient Town?

Laitan is on the west bank of the Qu River, about 28 km north-east of central Hechuan. It is one of China's first group of Famous Historic and Cultural Towns and a national 4A tourist attraction. The town is built on top of Jiufeng Hill, with cliffs on three sides and a stockade wall all round, and a barbican guards the entrance. Inside are Ming and Qing old streets with grey-tiled roofs. The best things to see are the barbican, built in 1862, and the Tang and Song cliff carvings covering a whole cliff face at the lower hall of Erfo Temple. The main figure, the Shakyamuni Buddha, is 12.5 m tall.

6 places in Laitan

• The barbican (wengcheng): a half-moon fort within the walls, built for defence in 1862 (the first year of the Tongzhi reign of the Qing dynasty). Once enemies got in, the inner and outer gates were shut on them, like "catching a turtle in a jar". It is the only well-preserved old military fort in the Chongqing area.
• Shangchang old street: Ming and Qing lanes inside the stockade wall on top of Jiufeng Hill, with small grey tiles and stone-slab paths. Local people still live on the old street.
• Upper hall of Erfo Temple: the temple was first called Jiufeng Chan Temple. The upper hall is at the top of the hill. Along its central line are, in order, the gate, the Maitreya Hall, the Main Hall and the Guanyin Hall.
• Cliff carvings at the lower hall of Erfo Temple: cut into the cliff, begun in the Tang dynasty and at their height in the Song. There are 42 main niches and more than 1,700 figures today, the largest group of Chan (Zen) Buddhist cliff carvings in China. The main figure, the Shakyamuni Buddha, is 12.5 m tall in all. A Ming dynasty tablet (1518) in the temple says "all of Shu has three great Buddhas", and this one comes second, hence the name "Erfo" (second Buddha). The first is the Leshan Giant Buddha.
• Wenchang Palace old stage: a courtyard built in 1853 (the third year of the Xianfeng reign of the Qing dynasty). The outer eaves of the old stage are carved with scenes from Three Kingdoms operas, in very fine detail.
• Lai Garden and Lower Laitan: Lai Garden is like the old town's back garden, quieter than the old street, with a stretch of old town wall and a group of Qing dynasty stupas. Below the hill, on the Qu River, is Lower Laitan, the old wharf.

• Compared with Ciqikou: Ciqikou is in the city and you can get there by metro. It is busy, with lots of snacks. For Laitan you drive out of the city, but local people still live on its old streets and it is far less commercial. See our Ciqikou guide. For how other old towns around Chongqing compare, see ancient towns near Chongqing.
• Tip: Laitan usually does not get many visitors, and few shops try to pull you in. At weekends and on public holidays more local people drive over; midweek is the quietest.
• Erfo Temple is a working temple. Dress modestly and keep your voice down in the halls. Before you photograph the Buddhas, look for no-photography signs.

Can I do Diaoyu Fortress and Laitan in one day? How does the day work?

Yes. Diaoyu Fortress is about 5 km east of central Hechuan, and Laitan is about 28 km north-east of it. Both are in the same direction, north of central Chongqing. Walk Diaoyu Fortress in the morning while it is cooler, have lunch in central Hechuan, and drive to Laitan after lunch. See the barbican and Erfo Temple before the temple stops letting people in late in the day. From Laitan back to central Chongqing is about 1.5–2 hours one way, so you are back in the early evening. Below is our sample day. We adjust it to where your hotel is, the traffic on the day and how fast you walk.

Sample day (times are examples and change with the traffic on the day)

• If you only want to see Diaoyu Fortress, it also works as a half day, and we quote for your time slot.
• Before you set off we check both places' notices for the day. We set the pace by the slowest walker in the group. We would rather see one place less than rush you.

How much walking is there? Is it OK for seniors and children?

Diaoyu Fortress is a real hill fortress. The old path is almost all steps and slopes, and it is not easy. But if you take the shuttle up to the top and walk down along the official "Quick ride route", it gets much easier. Laitan Ancient Town is small, with less walking than Diaoyu Fortress. With seniors, we suggest the shuttle. With children, touhu, archery and cuju on the parade ground at the top will be a highlight.

• For guests who find walking hard, the guide works around your fitness and pace. Which places to see and how far to walk are decided on the spot, within what you can manage.
• For a gentler history and culture day trip, see the Dazu Rock Carvings.
• For more on travelling with children, see Chongqing with kids.

Is Diaoyu Fortress worth it? Who is it for?

If you are interested in history, military history or the Mongol Empire, Diaoyu Fortress is the place around Chongqing most worth a whole day. The site is well preserved, and standing on its gates you can see clearly why it was so hard to take. Add Laitan, and in one day you see three things: a Song hill fortress, a Qing barbican and Tang and Song rock carvings. If you only want natural scenery, or your legs are not good and you do not want to climb, this day is not really for you.

Who this day suits

• Dazu or Diaoyu Fortress? Dazu is a World Cultural Heritage site, and its rock carvings are bigger in scale and more complete. Diaoyu Fortress is an old battlefield, and its story is a war. The two are in different directions (Dazu west of the city, Hechuan north), so they usually go on separate days. See the Dazu guide.
• To get some history background in the city first, visit the Three Gorges Museum. See our Three Gorges Museum guide.
• For how other day trips around Chongqing compare (Wulong, Dazu, Fengdu, Project 816 and more), see day trips from Chongqing.

What should I eat in Hechuan?

Hechuan's two best-known foods are Hechuan pork slices and Hechuan peach slices. Hechuan pork slices are pork coated in starch and stir-fried until tender, good with rice. Hechuan peach slices are thin sweet cakes made from glutinous rice and walnuts, good to take a pack home. Lunch is easiest in central Hechuan, where local people often eat douhua rice (soft tofu with rice). In Laitan, the old street's local specialities are douhua, fermented tofu wrapped in cabbage leaves, and yinmi (glutinous rice dried in the shade, the local way).

• There are not many places to eat inside the Diaoyu Fortress scenic area, so we usually have lunch in town after coming down the hill.
• If you don't eat spicy food, are vegetarian or avoid certain foods, tell us in advance and the guide will tell the kitchen when ordering. See Chongqing food without the spice.

When is it least crowded?

Weekdays are the quietest. Diaoyu Fortress is busiest on public holidays and when the scenic area runs free-entry events: over the 2025 National Day holiday, it had more than 15,000 visitors a day. Laitan usually has few visitors and is quietest midweek. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons; in summer, try to go up the hill in the morning.

• Tip: on public holidays and free-entry days, parking at Diaoyu Fortress is hard and there is a queue to get into the car park. If you go on those days, get there early.
• Before we plan your trip, we check the current notices for Diaoyu Fortress and Laitan and plan the route around what is open.

Coming from Chengdu, can I stop at Diaoyu Fortress on the way?

Yes. Hechuan is on the railway between Chengdu and Chongqing, and a dozen or so high-speed trains a day run direct from Chengdu East to Hechuan, the fastest in about 1 hour 33 minutes. You can get off at Hechuan, where our car and guide meet you outside the station. See Diaoyu Fortress first, and in the early evening we take you straight to your hotel in central Chongqing. That saves a separate trip north from Chongqing. Your luggage goes in our car. If you want to do it this way, tell us your train in advance.

• On Wednesday 14 October 2026, for example, there are 13 high-speed trains from Chengdu East to Hechuan, the fastest taking 1 hour 33 minutes. Trains change from day to day; check 12306 for the day.
• For how to split your days between Chengdu and Chongqing, see Chengdu and Chongqing itinerary.

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