Ashihada Cliff Inscriptions

Ashihada Cliff Inscriptions

The Ashihada Cliff Inscriptions are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Ashihada Cliff Inscriptions are located on the mountainside north of the Songhua River in Ashihada Village, about 15 kilometers southeast of Jilin City, Jilin Province. They consist of two cliff inscriptions from the Ming Dynasty. The first inscription is carved into a steep cliff face, facing south with the river below, approximately 10 meters above the water surface. The stele stands 135 centimeters tall and 70 centimeters wide, with three lines of text. The second inscription is located 30 meters west of the first one, facing west.

Around the cliff inscriptions, there is a carved border shaped like an ancient stele—round at the top and square at the bottom—with a height of 122 centimeters in the middle and 108 centimeters on the sides. It is 61 centimeters wide at the top and 62 centimeters wide at the bottom. Seven vertical lines of upright script are engraved on it. The inscription describes how Liu Ji, the Ming Dynasty’s Liaodong Regional Commander, led troops to this site three times—in the 18th year of the Yongle era (1420), the 1st year of the Hongxi era (1425), and the 7th year of the Xuande era (1432). On the first visit, he oversaw the construction of a Dragon King Temple, and on the third visit, while also serving as the Commander-in-Chief of Shipbuilding, he renovated the temple again. Volume 90 of the Ming Veritable Records states: “In addition to the imperial eunuch Yishisha and others who were sent as envoys to places such as Nurhaci, the Imperial Guard Commander Liu Qing was ordered to lead troops to the Songhua River to build ships and transport grain. Now, when the officials have returned to the capital, five hundred soldiers have yet to come back.” The cliff inscriptions prove that Jilin City was a base for shipbuilding and grain transport during the Ming Dynasty, playing an important role in the administration of the Heilongjiang River basin and the development of Northeast China.

To better protect the cliff carvings, in 1983 a pavilion was built at the site of the first inscription and a gazebo at the site of the second. Today, an exhibition room has been set up in front of the cliff remains. In May 2006, the Ashihada Cliff Inscriptions were designated by the State Council as part of the sixth group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Jiangnan Township: A township under the jurisdiction of Fengman District, Jilin City. Established as a district in 1949, turned into a township in 1957, converted to a commune in 1958, and restored as a township in 1983. Located in the northwest of the district, it covers an area of 167 square kilometers with a population of 32,000. It administers 17 village committees: Guangming, Qianfeng, Jianhua, Yong’an, Yumin, Shijinggou, Erdaogou, Yaolingzi, Daguji, Xiaoguji, Fenghuo, Risheng, Cai’guang, Yongqing, Xinglong, Ashi, and Sanjiazi. The main produce includes vegetables. There is also a chicken farm.... More details about Jiangnan Township++

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units