Shimen Pass, A Majestic Gateway Carved by Nature

Bengzhongluo Township, Gongshan County, Nujiang Prefecture, Yunnan Province

A steep and perilous mountain pass by the Nu River

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Introduction

Shimen Pass is located at the entrance to the Nu River Gorge and is known by locals as "Nayi Qiang," meaning an impassable gateway. The Nu River flows rapidly through here and after taking a small turn, enters the Buzhongluo region. There are five Tibetan inscriptions on the rock wall of Shimen Pass and two umbrella-shaped stone pendants on the wall called "stone umbrellas." On the flat top of the rock wall, there are only a few hundred rare palms that are believed to be some of the rarest plants in the world. In the period around the Dragon Boat Festival from 2001 to 2004, several brightly colored large pythons appeared many times outside the Shimen Pass cave to sunbathe, with the longest one being about 10 meters long. The appearance of the giant python has made this place even more mysterious. Legend has it that the Tibetan inscriptions on the rock wall of Shimen Pass were used to suppress the "dragon" referred to by the local ethnic group, which is another name for the python, to achieve the effect of suppressing evil. The history of this literature can be traced back to Buddhist scriptures 300 years ago, and the closest eyewitness testimony is 50 years ago.

Address

Bengzhongluo Township, Gongshan County, Nujiang Prefecture, Yunnan Province

Transportation

Zhongding village is about 1.5 kilometers north of Shimen Pass, accessible by hiking or taking a car.