Wuzhang Plains
plateaus near the Chinese Wei River
The Wuzhang Plains (五丈原) are plateaus near the Wei River in China. They are now in the Shaanxi province, 56 kilometres from Baoji. The name "Wuzhang" means "five zhang", where zhang (丈) is a Chinese unit of measurement which converts to 3⅓ metre. In actuality, the plains are situated 12 m from sea level, 1 km wide from east to west, and 3.5 km long from north to south. The Qin Mountains are to the plains' south, while the Wei River is at their north, Maili River to their east, and Shitou River to their west.
The hazardous plateaus were the site of the Battle of Wuzhang Plains during the Three Kingdoms period of China. During the battle, the Shu Han military leader Zhuge Liang became ill and died.
At the present, the Wuzhang Plains are a designated scenic region where relics of the Three Kingdoms period scattered across the plains. Many temples were erected there in Zhuge Liang's name, and the sceneries have names that allude to his Northern Expeditions. Because it is known as the site where Zhuge Liang died, many poets of old have journeyed here and left their mark.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Wuzhang Plains” is plateaus near the Chinese Wei River. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Wuzhang, Plains and plateaus, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “plateaus near the Chinese Wei River” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Mar 12, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2714372. Authority coordinates are 34.283, 107.617. None of the 1 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Wuzhang Plains”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Wuzhang Plains primary sources, Wuzhang Plains archive and Wuzhang research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Wuzhang Plains”?
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- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Wuzhang Plains” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.