Qutang Gorge

[citation needed] The Chalk Wall (粉筆牆) is a white cliff face on the southern bank of the Yangtze River at the entrance to the Qutang Gorge (Kuimen Gate).

[citation needed] The Chalk Wall has numerous characters carved into the rock, many of which were done by famous Chinese calligraphers.

On the south side of the river (Baiyan Mountain) a series of rectangular holes is carven into the cliff face.

Meng Liang wanted to find the remains of General Yang and give him a proper burial back in his home town.

Another set of similar holes can be found near Wushan in the Little Three Gorges (小三峽) of the Daning River (大寧河).

One particular stalactite is approximately 10 metres (33 ft) high, and it is shaped like a Phoenix displaying its tail feathers.

Water still drips from the head of the stalactite bird, and hence the Chinese have dubbed it the Drinking Phoenix Spring (鳳凰泉).

These narrow footpaths[1] were built starting in the Western Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) and continued to be maintained and improved until the middle of the 20th century.

[citation needed] The original purpose was to provide a footpath for human haulers to pull boats upstream.

Hanging coffins are a method of ceremonially placing the corpses of the deceased upon cliff sides, an ancient funeral custom of some minority groups, especially the Bo people of southern China.

[citation needed] Many of the historically significant sites in the Qutang Gorge are located closer to the water level.

Even prior to the dam construction the water level would come close to many sites during the rainy season.