The ancient Baiyi Stockade lies 10.5 kilometres north of the county seat. The mountain range covers more than 100 square kilometres with an incline of 81 degrees. Its summit forms a flat plateau stretching around 8 square kilometres. It is an all-round tourist attraction integrating magnificent alpine scenery, mysterious natural wonders, rich ethnic customs, idyllic rural landscapes and the ruins of an ancient Tujia military stockade. Renowned as a premier scenic resort, it has been listed as one of China’s Famous Scenic Spots and among the Nine Marvels of China.

The cliff-hanging road leading to Baiyi Stockade stretches 3 kilometres at an altitude of 1,000 metres. The entrance, also known as Duanjun Platform, has served as a key military pass since ancient times. Back in the late Ming Dynasty, local chieftains built a military headquarters here and turned the spot into a vital observation post. Xiang Xuting, leader of the White Lotus Uprising, renamed this mountain pass Shaoling (Sentry Ridge).

Surrounded by sheer precipices on all sides, Baiyi Stockade was a stronghold and the "imperial city" for tribal chieftains of the ancient Tujia people. Standing independently, the mountain is ringed with thousand-foot rock cliffs, with only two narrow paths from the north and south leading to the top — truly a stronghold where "one warrior can hold the pass against ten thousand invaders".

From the foot to the peak, the mountain rises in two massive tiers of precipices with overwhelming grandeur. On the first tier sits the 12-square-kilometre Baiyi Mountain Village, a settlement where Tujia clans defended themselves behind stockades for thousands of years. Three flat terraces, namely Upper Baiyi, Middle Baiyi and Huping, lie between 1,100 and 1,300 metres above sea level.

The second tier is even more spectacular. The cliff stretches more than 5,000 metres with a vertical drop of nearly one thousand metres. Bathed in sunset glow, the rock face shimmers with red, white, yellow and cyan hues, forming a colourful vertical landscape painting. Above this second cliff lies an 8-square-kilometre flatland known as Tianyanping. Sparse dwarf trees dot the terrain, creating an alpine grassland scene where cattle and sheep emerge amid swaying grass. Three jagged peaks rise abruptly at the far end of the grassland. Heifengjian, the main peak, reaches 2,320.3 metres, ranking first in Wufeng and second in Central China (only lower than Shennongding Peak). It has long been celebrated for the poetic line: "Farmhouses tower high amid cloud layers; the crowing of chickens and dogs drifts down as if from heaven", making it a famous mountain in southwestern Hubei.

The charm of Baiyi Stockade comes not only from its imposing mountain form, but also from thousands of years of cultural accumulation and profound Tujia traditions. Huping Terrace boasts numerous historical relics. The ancient chieftain’s yamen, Moon Arch Bridge, Lake-view Tower and Fairy Temple date back hundreds of years, with their remains still preserved. Simple Tujia dwellings scatter across the hillside, set against bamboo groves, palm trees and farmlands, forming a picturesque water-town scene high up on the mountain. Traditional folk customs such as the Funeral Dance, sky lantern release and local opera performances have been kept alive to this day.

This ancient secluded mountain stronghold holds countless natural miracles, among which five rare phenomena are world-famous.

Jiawan, a hillside area below the west cliff at an altitude of about 1,800 metres, is covered with jagged rocks within a 50-square-metre zone. Around the Start of Summer, as the weather grows hotter, ice gradually forms here — the higher the temperature, the thicker the ice becomes. The ice melts only after the Start of Autumn when temperatures drop. During the scorching dog days of summer, this spot remains frozen solid with thick ice, creating an extraordinary sight: blooming green plants above the rocks and thick ice underneath. International cave specialists have conducted field investigations yet failed to explain this mystery.

On Huping Terrace stands a huge rock. If you stand on it and stamp hard, the ground will shake violently, just like an earthquake within a radius of one hundred metres.

Rice grown in the paddy fields of Cold Water Valley tastes exceptionally fragrant. When steamed, every grain stands upright, slender as thin sticks. In ancient times, it was exclusively presented as imperial tribute. To this day, no one can figure out why the cooked rice stands on end, earning it a unique reputation across China.

Carved into the cliff face is a treasure cave where a local Tujia chieftain once stored gold and silver. According to legend, the chieftain ordered stonemasons to chisel steps up the precipice and hide treasures inside a secret grotto. Afterwards, he made the masons retreat step by step while destroying the stone stairs to erase all traces. To keep the secret forever, he killed the craftsmen with a dagger and stuck the blade into a rock crevice. The blade can still be shaken but never pulled out, and the tip remains visible in the crack.

Around midnight in late autumn, silvery blossoms suddenly bloom above the second-tier cliff. Immediately below them appears a golden basin holding the silver flowers, shining brightly. The glow gradually brightens and then fades away, lasting for roughly 30 minutes. Many local villagers have witnessed this mirage with their own eyes.