Batongguan Historic Trail Introduction
The Batongguan Historic Trail passes through Hougoukou in Shanchongli, which was once a settlement of the Pingpu people. This site is located on a small plateau, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack. Artifacts such as stone knives, stone axes, and stone drills discovered through archaeological excavations prove that a community once lived here. This area also served as a garrison during the late Qing Dynasty, where Fuk'anggan stationed troops to suppress the Lin Shuangwen Incident, and Ganchuan Well became a common settlement point. There are two stories associated with Ganchuan Well: one is that the spring water comes from Nongsan Mountain and never runs dry, with the water level being higher than the surrounding ground, which is unique; the other is the legend of taking water at noon during the Dragon Boat Festival for bath rituals to ward off disasters. Additionally, the stone guardian near the well, originally meant to protect it, has become one of the only two stone guardians along the Batongguan trail due to its location on the essential route. This area also marked the boundary of the "Tuniu Red Line" designated during the early Qing rule, serving as the entry point for opening up the mountains and managing the Indigenous peoples.
