Brief information on The First Bend of Yangtze River  

Located in the Stone Drum Town of the Yulong Naxi Autonomous County, Lijiang City, Yunnan Province, the First Bend of the Yangtze River is situated 1,850 meters above sea level, 130 km away from Shangri La County. The longest river, the Yangtze River, runs from the roof of the world, the- Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and then into Yunnan Province, converging with the Lancang River and the Nu River in the mountain ranges. When coming to the Stone Drum in Yulong County, the river makes sudden 100 degree turn, heading northeast, and forming a V-shaped bend.

Stone Drum is a small town in the up regions of the Yangtze River, well-known throughout China. Here is a marble stone stele shaped like a drum, hence its name. Protected by a pavilion, the stele was built in the Three Kingdoms Period of Chinese history. Legend has it that Zhuge Liang once walked across the river where the stele stands now. After his triumph, the stele was built in this place to commemorate the event as a symbol of his opponents’ defeat. There is a crack on the stele, and it is said that the crack will be closed when the world is in peace, but open when the world is in turmoil.

*You can download the bilingual note to show it to a taxi driver or someone else to find your way to The First Bend of Yangtze River if you plan to visit The First Bend of Yangtze River and have language problems.

   

Address: Shigu Town, Lijiang