Huamei Mountain

Huamei Mountain

“In the south there is Mount Emei, in the north there is Huamei.” This is a widely circulated saying around the hot spring area and one that often fills locals with pride. But where exactly is Huamei Mountain? Some say it’s a small hill east of Taitaowu Village. Others claim it’s the mountain where the Dragon King Temple of Heilongtan is located. In fact, historical records have long documented: The earliest mention is in the Ming Tongyi Zhi (Comprehensive Gazetteer of the Ming Dynasty), which states, “Wanping County produces a type of stone, black in color and not very hard. When ground, it turns as black as ink. During the Jin Dynasty, palace women often used it to paint their eyebrows. It was called ‘Meishi’ (eyebrow stone) or also ‘Daishi’ (inkstone).” The Dijing Jingwu Lüe (Scenic Spots of the Imperial Capital) records: “Huamei Mountain produces graphite with a floating texture and smooth grain. It was taken to the Jin palace and called ‘Meishi’ or ‘Daishi.’” From Volume Five of the Dijing Jingwu Lüe, we can see that the specific location of Huamei Mountain is near Yangjiazhuang in Haidian District. The Chenyuan Shilüe (Brief Records of the Imperial Capital) provides even clearer information: “Huamei Mountain can be reached by crossing the ridge from Jinshan Pass to Lengquan Village and behind Taitaowu,” and “Heilongtan is on Huamei Mountain.”

Huamei Mountain is not very high. The mountain is lush with green trees, and the famous Heilongtan and Dragon King Temple of western Beijing are located here. The mountain produces a type of black stone known for its fine texture, called Daishi. During the Jin Dynasty, this stone was mined to make eyebrow cosmetics for palace maids, hence the name Huamei Mountain. According to analyses by Redology scholars, Cao Xueqin was also inspired by Huamei Stone when naming Lin Daiyu. At the time Cao Xueqin lived near the Xiaoshiqiao Bridge in Baijiatuan while writing Dream of the Red Chamber. In Chapter Three of the novel, during Baoyu and Daiyu’s first meeting, after Baoyu asks Daiyu her name, he then asks for her courtesy name. Daiyu replies, “I have none.” Baoyu laughs and says, “I’ll give you a wonderful name. How about ‘Pinpin’? It suits you perfectly.” Furthermore, according to the Gujin Renwu Tongkao (Comprehensive Examination of Historical Figures), “In the west there is a stone called Dai, which can be used as eyebrow ink. Moreover, Sister Lin’s brows look slightly furrowed—using these two characters would be even more fitting.” When Baoyu first sees Daiyu, what catches his attention most are her brows and eyes: “Two arched brows, as if knitted yet not, veiled in mist; a pair of eyes, as if filled with joy yet not, brimming with emotion.” Her “brows were slightly furrowed.” And eyebrow makeup uses Daishi, which is also Daiyu. Thus, inspired by the stone, Cao Xueqin conceived the characteristically meaningful name “Daiyu.” The Daishi from Huamei Mountain, because “when ground it turns as black as ink,” could also be made into ink sticks and inkstones. According to Zhang Baozhang, a historian specializing in the geography of Beijing’s western suburbs, although Dai inkstones are not as hard or refined as Duan inkstones, they are exquisitely delicate, with an antique charm that stirs the imagination and is hard to put down. Huamei Mountain also has a legend. In the 31st year of the Hongwu era (1398), the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, passed away in Nanjing. His eldest grandson, Zhu Yunwen, succeeded him and ruled from Nanjing, later known as the Jianwen Emperor. At that time, Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan stationed in Beijing, and the fourth son of Zhu Yuanzhang, was dissatisfied with the policies of the young emperor and believed he had seized the throne improperly. Relying on his own military strength and prestige, Zhu Di, in 1402, overthrew the Jianwen Emperor, declared himself emperor, moved the capital to Beijing, and became historically known as the Yongle Emperor, with the era name Yongle. There are various theories about the fate of the Jianwen Emperor. Some say he committed suicide by fire when Nanjing fell; others claim he fled to the southwest and became a monk, while some believe he escaped overseas, prompting the Yongle Emperor to send Zheng He on seven voyages to the Western Seas—one of whose goals was to locate the Jianwen Emperor. Another version suggests that after being captured and brought to Beijing, the Jianwen Emperor escaped to Huamei Mountain in the hot spring area. Upon learning this, the Yongle Emperor personally led troops in pursuit to Huamei Mountain. Monks on the mountain, seeing the murderous intent in Zhu Di’s eyes, sought to protect the Jianwen Emperor. They pointed east toward Taitaowu Village and said, “Huamei Mountain is over there, this is Heilongtan.” So the Yongle Emperor led his troops to search the eastern mountain, then left dejected. Later, the Jianwen Emperor is said to have lived out his days in the Dragon King Temple at Heilongtan, and was buried on the hillside south of the temple. Hence, Huamei Mountain has long been shrouded in mystery.

In the thirty-first year of the Hongwu era (1398), the Ming Dynasty's founding emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang, passed away in Nanjing. His eldest grandson, Zhu Yunwen, succeeded him to the throne in Nanjing and was later known as the Jianwen Emperor. At that time, Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan who was stationed in Beiping (present-day Beijing), along with other princes, was dissatisfied with the young Jianwen Emperor’s governance and his policy of reducing the power of feudal princes. In 1402, Zhu Di overthrew the Jianwen Emperor, took the throne himself, and moved the capital to Beijing. He became historically known as the Yongle Emperor, with the era name Yongle, hence also called Emperor Yongle. There are various accounts regarding the fate of the Jianwen Emperor. Some say he committed suicide by throwing himself into a fire when Nanjing fell. Others claim he fled to the southwestern region and lived as a monk. There is also a belief that he escaped overseas, and that one of the key purposes of the Yongle Emperor sending Zheng He on his seven maritime expeditions was to search for the Jianwen Emperor. Another version suggests that after being captured and brought to Beijing, the Jianwen Emperor escaped to Huamei Mountain in Wenquan. When the Yongle Emperor learned of this, he personally led troops in pursuit to Huamei Mountain. The monks on the mountain, sensing the murderous intent in Zhu Di’s eyes, sought to protect the Jianwen Emperor. They pointed eastward toward Tai Zhou Wu Village and said, “Huamei Mountain is over there; this is Black Dragon Pool.” Thus, the Yongle Emperor led his soldiers to search the eastern mountain but returned in disappointment. Later, the Jianwen Emperor is said to have lived in the Dragon King Temple at Black Dragon Pool, and after his death, he was buried on the hillside south of the temple. As a result, Huamei Mountain has long been shrouded in an air of mystery.

Today, Huamei Mountain has become a sanatorium managed by the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau, and the Dragon King Temple on the mountain has been designated as a key cultural heritage site under the protection of Beijing Municipality.

The small hill east of Taitaowu Village is also called Huamei Mountain, and it too has black Daishi stone. The hill is not tall, resembling a black turtle lying there. Legend has it that an emperor of the Qing Dynasty dreamed of a red sky in the northwest and believed someone there was plotting to seize the throne. As a result, he ordered the construction of a Jade Emperor Pavilion on this hill to suppress the mountain. The temple is not large, just a small three-courtyard complex. The main hall in the north building enshrines the Jade Emperor, with side rooms on either side. In the courtyard stands a large bell, a large cypress tree, and a tall dragon claw locust tree. Elders still recall that before the Japanese army built artillery emplacements on the hill in the 1940s, there were already collapsed courtyards here. Later, villagers continuously quarried stones from the hill to build houses, making the hill gradually smaller. In front of Huamei Mountain there was also a large temple—the far-famous Yaowang Temple (Temple of the Medicine God)—with three grand halls. The first floor was a teahouse, the second the Hall of the Medicine God, and the third the Hall of the Three Sovereigns. In the Hall of the Three Sovereigns were enshrined three figures, one clothed and two wearing leaves—presumably the Three Sovereigns Yao, Shun, and Yu. The Hall of the Medicine God worshipped the ancient medical sage Sun Simiao, along with thousands of volumes of medical texts, all burned for fuel in the 1950s. In the courtyard stood a large locust tree with a trunk diameter of over a meter and a height of more than 60 meters, as well as a tall catalpa tree and a cypress. It is said there were also two stone steles, now buried underground. The annual temple fair in April was once a bustling event. Now the halls have been demolished and replaced by Taitaowu Village Primary School. A bronze bell that remained was later smashed by villagers and melted down for gongs and drums. The little Huamei Mountain is now just a barren hill.

Hot Spring Area: The Hot Spring Town is located in the northwestern suburbs of Beijing, in the southern part of the northern new district of Haidian. Blessed with a prime location surrounded by mountains and water, it has historically been rich in scenic landscapes and home to numerous gardens and villas.

Historical records indicate that the area now encompassing Hot Spring Town was largely part of Changping County (formerly Jundu County) before the Ming Dynasty, with the southwestern region possibly belonging to Yuhé County from the late Tang Dynasty to the early Jin Dynasty. In the later Ming Dynasty, the area was roughly divided by the road from Baiwang Mountain to the hot springs, with the northern parts including Taitaowu, Yangjiazhuang, and Dongbutou falling under Changping County (or prefecture), and the southern parts such as Baijiatuan, the hot springs, Gaolizhang, and Xinzhuang under Wanping County. By the early years of the Kangxi reign in the Qing Dynasty... More detailed information about the Hot Spring Area++