Lijiang Prefecture Gazetteer (Abridged), Lower Volume Four Stele Record of Patrolling the Golden River [Jinsha] to the Shigu Garrison — Kangxi 33rd Year Fan Chengxun, Governor-General of Yunnan and Guizhou The Jinsha River originates from Tubo, passes through Lijiang, goes by Beisheng, crosses Wuding, then pours northeastward into Shu [Sichuan], meandering for several thousand li. It serves as the northwestern rampart and defense of Yunnan; those who discourse on strategic terrain ever rely upon it as a heavenly moat. When I unfurled the complete map, I saw that this river controls and encircles Lijiang, connecting the crossroads of barbarian and Han intercourse, and demarcating the boundary between the Central Domain and outer barbarians — verily a strategic defile. Although defenses were maintained along the river, from earlier times no one had ever been reported to have reached those places. Now, fortunately, the four borders are tranquil and the common people are at peace. "To bind the thatch before the rain" [take precautions beforehand] is especially the duty of those who guard the frontier. Therefore I specially submitted a memorial to the Throne, requesting to go together with General-in-Chief Nuo on a personal inspection tour. We were graced with the Imperial assent. On the sixteenth day of the tenth month of the year Xinwei [1691], I led officers and troops from Wuding west to Binchuan, joined the General-in-Chief, crossed the river, passed Beisheng, turned toward Heqing and Lijiang, followed Mubie Bay upstream, and arrived at Shigu, where we encamped on the riverbank. There I surveyed the terrain, examined the garrison defenses, and after two nights we returned. The garrison officer, knocking at my horse's head, petitioned, saying: "The Golden River and Shigu are the key defiles of northwestern Yunnan province. Never before have any of the great commanders who govern Yunnan set foot in these places. Now you two lords, for the supreme plan of securing the border, have not shirked hardship and toil, traversing mountains and rivers, causing the outer barbarian tribes to gaze upon your banners and fear your might. The border region is thereby pacified, and the impoverished people extol your virtue. This expedition! The ramparts, the screens, the pillars, the claws and teeth — all are here. I beg you to leave a preface."