Shimenguan Canyon 石门关

About Shimenguan Canyon

The gorge is a canyon landform carved by the Jinzhan River, which rises on Cangshan's Yuju Peak and runs between sheer, oddly shaped cliffs. More than 700 years ago the Yuan commander Kublai Khan crossed Cangshan through Shimenguan on the campaign that conquered the Dali Kingdom, and the pass was also a required crossing point on the historic Tea-Horse Road, the Bonan Ancient Road, the Salt-and-Rice Ancient Road and the Yunnan-Burma Highway; it is counted among Yangbi County's traditional 'sixteen scenes'. The Ming-dynasty traveller Xu Xiake described the gorge in his travel diaries, and the Ming poet Yang Shen also left a poem about it.

The scenic area is part of the Cangshan World Geopark, a national nature reserve and the Cang-Er sector of a national scenic area, and was rated a national AAAA-grade scenic area in 2017. Named viewpoints and features within the gorge include Wusuoshimen (fog-shrouded stone gate), Bitanjianyu (a jade-splashing pool), Wanjuantianshu (a rock face likened to stacked scrolls) and Cangshanxizhao (a sunset viewpoint over Cangshan), among others.

What to look for

• The two facing cliffs at the gorge mouth that give Shimenguan its name
• The Jinzhan River canyon, with its named viewpoints including Bitanjianyu and Wanjuantianshu
• The route's historical association with the Tea-Horse Road and Kublai Khan's Yuan-dynasty crossing of Cangshan

Location & getting there

Getting to Shimenguan Canyon

Use an authorised visitor route. Cave sections, geological sites and access roads can close independently, so confirm the area that your ticket covers.

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