Xiucai Ridge

Xiucai Ridge

Xiucai Ridge

Xiucai Ridge, originally called Muyu Ridge, is located at the junction of Weizi Valley in the eastern mountainous area of Dashiqiao City and Huangtuling Town, with an elevation of 271.5 meters. In the early days, the steep and treacherous slopes made passage difficult, forcing travelers to take circuitous routes through the valleys, which was very inconvenient. Wagon drivers always approached this area with great apprehension.

In Hupi Valley (now Huangtuling Town), there was a poor scholar from the late Qing Dynasty surnamed Wang, named Yuansheng, with the courtesy name Rangting and the nickname “Old Rang” Wang. He taught at a private school in his hometown. Seeing how difficult it was for fellow villagers to cross the ridge, he initiated a fundraising campaign in the local community under his own name, determined to repair Muyu Ridge. After a year of effort, he raised twenty thousand strings of cash, mobilized over a thousand laborers and a hundred carts, and officially began construction right after the Dragon Boat Festival in the 34th year of the Guangxu reign (1908). Old Rang Wang led the villagers in hard work for over 60 days, completing the project in the seventh lunar month.

During the road construction, Old Rang Wang ate and slept on the worksite. When his family faced food shortages and his young grandson Wang Tingli came to the site to find him, Old Rang Wang still refused to leave, only telling his grandson to go and ask relatives and friends for help.

After the completion of the road over the ridge, Old Rang Wang earned not a single penny and returned to teaching in his hometown. From then on, people began to call Muyu Ridge “Xiucai Ridge.”