Fengdu is located on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, about 170km downstream from Chongqing. Known as the "Ghost City" to most Chinese People, it is a popular shore excursion site on the Yangtze.

Fengdu got its reputation as the "Ghost City" in the Eastern Han Dynasty. Two officials from the imperial court: Wang Fangping and Yin Changsheng, got bored with the political life in the court and came to Mt. Mingshan outside Fengdu City to practice Taoist teachings. Both of them later became immortals by carrying out self-cultivation. This story widely spread and Mt. Mingshan became famous. When combined together, their surnames Yin and Wang, sound very much like "King of Hell" in Chinese. Hence the people began to call Fengdu the "Ghost City".

Ghost city entrance.

Mountains of ghosts and lives

Hades is said to live in Ming Mountain (Ming in Chinese means the world where dead people live). Its actual altitude is 287.3 meters and it covers an area of 0.45 square kilometers. Constructions related to Hades were built on the mountain, such as Hengha Ancestral Temple, Baoen Hall, Naihe Bridge, Wuchang Hall and Huangquan Road.

Naihe Bridge was built during the Yongle period of Ming Dynasty (1403-1424AD). It is 7.2 meters long, 2.5 meters wide, and spans 3.3 meters. ¡®Naihe¡¯ comes from Sanskrit, meaning Hell. In legend, people have to go acrosthe Naihe Bridge after death. There is a Gold Bridge on the left of Naihe Bridge and a Silver Bridge on the right. People who walk across the two bridges will become rich.

Wangxiang Platform is at the cliff of Ming Mountain. It is said to be the last place where dead people say farewell to their relatives. It was built in 1985. Visitors can overlook the city¡¯s panorama and the Yangtze River there. You can also go across the iron chain bridge, called Yinyang Bridge (the bridge connects the world of the living and the dead), between Ming and Shuanggui Mountain, then arrive in the living world, Shuanggui Mountain.

Shuanggui Mountain is 401-meters high and covers one square kilometer. It is a national forestry park, with green trees, streams and temples.

Nantian Lake is 45 kilometers south east of Fengdu, in a forest of 100-square kilometers. The plants here are mostly virgin forest and bamboo. More than 1,300 plants and 120 kinds of animals live here.

Niuqianxia Region is the eastern entrance of Nantian Lake scenery region. There is a 150-meter-deep pit called Xiaoshiyuan Tiankeng and a 200-meter-high crag. Shanshuping Region is constituted of large regions of ferry. There is also a hippodrome in the region where visitors can ride horses. Lucichi region, covering three square kilometers, has a single lake-Nantian-covering around 2,000 square meters.

Long River drifting

Long River is a branch of the Yangtze River. Floating along the river, the scenery often changes. Cliffs and green mountains line the two sides of the river.

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