Fengjie

 Facts
Area Code: 023
Postal Code: 404600
Area: 4,087 square kilometers (1,578 square miles)
Population: 1,048,000 (2006 statistics)
Nationalities: Tujia, Mongolian, Hui, Tibetan, Miao, Manchu, Shui
Neighboring Areas: Wushan County, Enshi in Hubei, Yunyang, Wuxi
Location: Located at the east of Chongqing, Fengjie is the transportation hub and distribution center for eastern Chongqing, southern Shaanxi, and western Hubei areas. Its longitude lies between 109°1′-109°45′E and latitude between 30°29′-31°22′N.

 Physical Features: The county lies within the eastern mountainous area of the Sichuan basin, so mountains and hills cover 88.3% of the land. The highest mountain in the county is Mao'erliang Mountain with an altitude of 2,123 meters (6,965 feet). The Yangtze River flows through Fengjie, and cuts the Qiyao Mountain in the south to form the Qutang Gorge. Along the 41.5 km (25.8 miles) main stream of the Yangtze River, there are many distributaries, including the rivers Meixi, Daxi, Shisun, Caotang, and Zhuyi.

 History: As early as 60,000 years ago, there were traces of human beings in Fengjie. About 6,000 years ago, it became one of the birthplaces of the famous Daxi Culture. From the Han Dynasty (206BC - 220AD) to early 1900s, Fengjie had been a political, economic, cultural, and military center of the eastern Sichuan area. In 314 BC, Yufu (ancient name for Fengjie) was established as a county. Until 649 in the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), the county was renamed as Fengjie. As part of the construction of the Three Gorge Project, the county would have been submerged after the water level rose. Therefore, the Fengjie we see today is a newly built county, while the old one is under the rushing Yangtze River.

 Attractions: Eight Elements Battle Formation  White Emperor City 
Fengjie County is endowed with beautiful scenery and rich cultural relics. There is the magnificent Qutang Gorge, which is the No.1 gorge among the Three Gorges. Cruising along the Qutang Gorge, you will also see the famous Kui Gate, ancient inscriptions, and mysterious hanging coffins. In the White Emperor City, Eternal Peace Palace, and Eight Elements Battle Formation, you will learn stories of Shu Kingdom, one of the Three Kingdoms Period (220 - 280). In addition, visitors can also experience the magic nature of the Xiaozhai Karst Topography and Tianjing Gorge Grand Crack.

 Weather: Fengjie has a subtropical wet monsoon climate with distinct four distinct seasons. As it is located in a mountainous area, the temperature varies at different altitudes. The average annual temperature at the areas lower than 600 meters (1,968.5 feet) is 16.7°C (62.1°F), whilst that of areas higher than 1,400 meters (4,593.2 feet) drops to 10.8°C (51.4°F). The highest temperature in the county reaches 39.8°C (103.6°F) in summer, while the lowest may drop to -9.2°C (15.4°F).

 Transportation: 
 By Bus: Visitors can take the coaches from Chongqing Chaotianmen Long-Distance Bus Station or Chongqing Longtousi Long-Distance Bus Station to Fengjie County. The bus trip takes about 8 hours.
 By Flight: There is no airport in the county, so visitors can take a flight to Chongqing City, and take an airport shuttle bus to the Chaotianmen Long-distance Bus Station and then take the buses to Fengjie.
 By Ferry: If time permits, you can also take a ferry from Chongqing Chaotianmen Ferry Terminal to Fengjie County. The ferry departs from Chongqing late at night and arrives at Fengjie during the following afternoon.

 Dining and Shopping:
Fengjie is renowned as the home of the Navel Orange. All visitors are highly recommended to enjoy the taste of the Fengjie Navel Orange, which is sweet and rich of nutrition and vitamins - all good for the human body. If you visit Fengjie in winter, you can enjoy a taste of the oranges of the season. There are also many local snacks, such as Steamed Chicken, Boiled Bean Dregs, Steamed Mutton Slice, and Fried Chicken Breast.

Kuizhou Road is the business center of Fengjie County, and there are many shopping malls, supermarkets, and small stores, with department stores such as Yangyang, New Century, Wanjia and Huatai. There is also a People's Square Commercial Pedestrian Street on the Kuizhou Road where many restaurants can be found.

 More Yangtze River Attractions
Chongqing → Fuling → Fengdu → Precious Stone Fortress (Shibaozhai) → Wanzhou → Yunyang 
→ Fengjie → Qutang Gorge → Wushan → Wu Gorge → Zigui → Xiling Gorge → Yichang