Iron Lock Pass

Iron Lock Pass - a Strategic Place

At the place where Caotang Stream flows into Yangtze River, there lays a big stone with two rusted steel pillars  on it, about 6.4 feet high. This is the famous Iron Lock Pass.

Qutang Gorge is a place of vital military importance in history. In ancient times, a river could strictly lock the throat of the eastern part of Sichuan. The Iron Lock Pass crosses the river and linked the mountains on both banks. People in ancient times would  make full use of the iron lock  to defend the invaders. In the fifth year of Jingding Period of Song Dynasty, General Xu Zongwu settled two iron props at Kuimen to stop troops of Yuan invading Sichuan. There are inscriptions on the two iron props carved in Yuan Dynasty. 

Iron Lock Pass - Formation of Kuimen

Here is a mythology about Da Yu and the formation of Kuimen: Da Yu arrived here to harness the water. The flood was stopped here since three sides were locked, The flood here couldn't move forward or return back. Dayu drove the divine ox to strike the mountain in front of Qutang Gorge. There was no rift left on the rock even its horn was bent. Then Dayu used his ax to chop the hard stone of Qutang Gorge, but the handle of the ax was broken and the ax was splited, while the hard stone never moved. Da Yu walked around the entire Wu Mountain, and collected the wisdom of stonemason, woodman, and hunter. Finally, he decided to use the fire to open the door of Qutang Gorge. Therefore, Da Yu lighted pines and others helped to pick up the firewood. The flame strongly pounced to the wall of the rock. The strong flame nearly reached the sky. The stone exploded and the mountain peak was splited. Thus, the mountain was cut into Chijia Mountain and Baiyan Mountain, so Kuimen appeared.

Iron Lock Pass is a Pass made by iron lock that the military commanders used to defend Kuimen and control the transportation of the river. The existing iron pillars of Kuimen lies on the stone of the entrance of Caotang Stream, the northern side of Kuimen, installed in Song Dynasry. There were once seven iron chains to stop the water and it was about 120 meters.