Diaoyu Fortress

Introducing Diaoyu Fortress (from wikipedia)
Diaoyu Fortress. Diaoyucheng in Chinese, is located on the Diaoyu Mountain in Heyang Town, Hechuan District, Chongqing, is known for its resistance to the Mongol armies in the latter half of the Song dynasty. The death of Mongol leader Mongke Khan during the siege of Diaoyu Fortress resulted in the immediate withdrawal of Mongol troops from Syria and East Asia. Although the Mongols and the Southern Song Dynasty were united in their fight to bring down the Jin dynasty, their pact broke immediately afterwards, and the Mongols launched an aggressive war against the tenacious Southern Song that lasted for more than a third of the 13th century. In the period from 1243 to 1279, Diaoyu experienced more than two hundred military confrontations in a miracle of “persistent resistance” that endured for thirty-six years. The ancient Diaoyu covers an area of 2.94 square kilometres. Situated on a hill surrounded by water on three sides, it is near the confluence of the Qu, Fu and Jialing rivers. The terrain is precipitous yet beautiful. About 700 years ago, Yu Jian built a fortress here to resist the Mongols during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279). Though numbering more than ten thousand and led by the Great Khan Mongke himself, the Mongols were unable to take the tiny fortress. Yu Jian won many brilliant victories, culminating in the deaths of Mongke and his vanguard General Wang Tege. Sources differ on how Mongke actually died—Chinese sources largely claim that Mongke was mortally wounded by a crossbow arrow (this claim is corroborated by the writings of the Syriac monk Bar Hebraeus) or a stone projectile from a cannon or trebuchet, while Persian sources suggest that Mongke died from infectious diseases like dysentery or cholera (Chinese sources confirm the existence of an outbreak during the siege). As it contains many historical sites—a naval wharf, drilling grounds, watch towers, and a fortification with built-in cannons—Diaoyu has been designated a major national cultural and historic site by China’s State Council, and on 28 August 2018 it was placed on the World Cultural Heritage Tentative List.

Diaoyu Fortress Fast Facts
• Chinese Name: Diao Yu Cheng 钓鱼城
• Best Time to Visit: April to November
• Recommended Visiting Hours: About 3 to 4 hours
• Things to Do: History, military & hiking
• Opening Hours: 08:00 to 18:00 from Apr to Oct; 08:00 to 17:00 from Nov to Mar
• Entrance Fee: CNY 60, free for children under 1.2m (3.9ft).
• Address: Diaoyucheng, Hechuan District, Chongqing

What to expect at Diaoyu Fortress

Mongke Khan, the Third Great Khan of Mongol Empire
Mongke (born 1208, died 1259), grandson of Genghis Khan and heir to the great Mongol empire. Elected great khan in 1251, he was the last man who held this title to base his capital at Karakorum, in central Mongolia. Under his rule the city achieved an unprecedented splendour, and the Mongol Empire continued to expand at a rapid rate. Its territory became so large and diverse that Mongke was the last great khan capable of exerting real authority over all the Mongol conquests. In the West, Mongke’s armies, led by his brother Hulagu, launched an attack on Iran, crushing the last resistance there by the end of 1256. The Mongols then advanced on Iraq, taking the capital at Baghdad in 1258. From there they moved into Syria in 1259, took Damascus and Aleppo, and reached the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. In the East, Mongke’s armies, under the command of his other brother, the famous Kublai, outflanked Song Dynasty in the south and captured the Thai kingdom of Nan-chao, located in present-day Dali, Yunnan Province. They then brought much of present-day Vietnam under their suzerainty. Meanwhile the main Mongol forces began to advance against China proper. In 1257 Mongke took personal charge of his armies within China. In 1259, Mongke Khan died in the battlefield of Diaoyu Fortress. He was succeeded by his brother Kublai, who completed the conquest of China.

Siege of Diaoyu Fortress (from wikipedia)
Mongke’s siege of Diaoyu Castle began sometime between 24 February and 25 March 1259. The siege lasted for approximately five months. The commander of the Song forces in the castle was Wang Jian. Möngke sent his general Wang Dechen as the vanguard of the Mongol army. The Mongols initially tried to break the castle’s gates. When this strategy was proven ineffective, they started night raids on the outer part of the castle on minor defensive structures. Although these raids surprised the Song army at first, the Mongols were not able to break into the castle. During these attempts, Wang Dechen was killed by a Song mangonel. In the seventh month of the first year of Kaiqing, Mongke was giving up the original plan of capturing the castle and instead, to dispatch his remaining forces to attack Chongqing, however, Diaoyu Fortress would soon prove to be his place of demise, as Mongke died during the siege. Sources differ on how Mongke actually died—Chinese sources claim that Mongke was mortally injured by artillery fire from either a shell or stone projectile from a cannon shot or trebuchet, or a bolt from a crossbow arrow (this claim is corroborated by the writings of the Syriac monk Bar Hebraeus), while Persian sources suggest that Mongke died from infectious diseases like dysentery or cholera (Chinese sources confirm the existence of an outbreak during the siege). After receiving the news that his brother died, Kublai decided to withdraw his troops. He threatened the Song that he would attack Lin’an, the capital of Song, to deter any possible retaliation by the Song armies. His strategy proved effective. The prime minister of Song Jia Sidao soon sent his ambassador to negotiate a peace treaty. Diaoyu Castle remained in the hands of Song armies. Mongols under Kublai tried to take it in 1263 but failed again. In the following decade, the Mongols routinely returned to the castle every autumn. In 1279, the garrison of Diaoyu Castle surrendered to the Mongols two months before the end of the Song dynasty.

Aftermath of Diaoyu Fortress Battle
From 1246 to 1279, the Chinese resistance to Mongol conquest in the region of Sichuan lasted 36 years. Mongke Khan, the fourth khan of the Mongol Empire, lost his life in this battle, making it the only battle where the Mongols lost their khan during their campaigns of conquest. The death of Mongke led to the division of the Mongol Empire. Hulagu remained in Persia permanently while Kublai and Ariq Böke tried to seize the title of Khan for themselves. The Song dynasty was temporarily rescued from the brink of destruction. However, Kublai eventually marked the end of Song dynasty in the year of 1279, 20 years after the siege of Diaoyu Castle. Both events were irreversible and had great significance in Chinese, Mongolian, and world history.

How to get to Diaoyu Fortress
• Diaoyu Fortress is approximately 80km away from Chongqing.
• Rent a car/bus from GGC to enjoy a hassle free private transfer from hotels in Chongqing to Diaoyu Fortress.