First Bend of the Yangtze River

The First Bend in the Yangtze River is located near Shigu town, which is 55km west of Lijiang city. The upper reach of the Yangtze River is named the Jinsha River, which originates from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The Jinsha River flowed southward along the Hengduan Mountain ranges and was forced to turn north since the Alpine movements has caused changes in the earth's physiognomy. When the river reaches Shigu Township, it makes an abrupt turn and flows further northward, forming the rare U-shape bend.
The First Bend of the Yangtze River has witnessed the development of the ethnic groups and the ups and downs of the past dynasties. Shigu town behind the bend has great military and economical importance as one part of the Tea and Horse Road since ancient times. 50 kilometers from Lijiang, it was named after a stone tablet in the shape of a drum recording the merits of a headman in Lijiang during the Ming Dynasty. The river is broadened at the bend and flows slowly. Looking back of the history, many historical events took place in here. Zhuge Liang (the great strategist in the period of the three kingdoms), Kublai Khan (the first emperor of the Yuan dynasty) and the leaders of the Red Army have all choose the bend as the ferry for crossing the river. On the bank of the river there is a memorial hall of the Long March of the Red Army, which is used to memorize the Crossing-river Event during the Anti-Japanese War. Climbing a mountain at the back of Shigu town, one could see the panoramic view of the first bend of the Yangtze River and will be definitely enchanted by the beautiful sights.