Beidahuang Calligraphy Corridor Scenic Area

Beidahuang Calligraphy Corridor Scenic Area

Beidahuang Calligraphy Corridor Scenic Area

North of Beijing lies Beidahuang. Mishan, the birthplace of Beidahuang culture. Back then, General — personally lit the first wildfire here, and old photos captured this historic moment. Today, the Beidahuang Calligraphy Corridor in Mishan has engraved the history of Beidahuang into solid stone.

A drive of less than 20 minutes from Mishan City brings you to Yunshui Mountain Villa. Facing the water and backed by mountains, the Beidahuang Calligraphy Corridor features uniquely styled steles, where natural landscapes blend seamlessly with historical culture.

The Calligraphy Corridor consists of three parts. The first includes handwritten works by revolutionary predecessors who once worked in Mishan, such as —, Wu Liangping, and Wang Hai, who later became the commander of the People's Republic Air Force. The second features calligraphy by cultural figures who contributed to the development of Beidahuang, such as Ding Ling, Ai Qing, Nie Gannu, and Wu Zuguang. The third showcases masterpieces by renowned modern Chinese calligraphers, such as Qi Gong, Shao Yu, and Shen Peng.

This is not just a grand hall of calligraphy art but also a blazing sacred flame that carries forward the history, spirit, and culture of Beidahuang.

Stepping into the Calligraphy Corridor, the centerpiece is a giant statue of Wang Xizhi, the "Sage of Calligraphy," with the world-famous "Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion" carved into its base. On the right stone stele, Ding Ling’s diary manuscript poignantly reads: “Mishan, I like you. You embraced so many passionate pioneers. They saw this small place as the birthplace of the flame of life, the frontline headquarters in their battle against the earth.” On the back of the stele, Mao Zedong’s calligraphy of "Linjiang Xian · To Comrade Ding Ling" dances with dragon and phoenix energy: “Yesterday a literary lady, today a martial arts champion.” Wu Zuguang’s "Born at the Right Time" turtle-shaped stone carving, Nie Gannu’s poetry, Ding Cong’s comic "Old Man Going to Work," and Ai Qing’s "Why I Write" inspire endless imagination.

On the western stele wall of the Calligraphy Corridor, over 50 steles personally inscribed by revolutionary predecessors carry reflections on the past, sentiments about the present, words of motivation, teachings, philosophical musings, and emotional expressions. “Of the veterans of those years, how many still survive? A million newborn souls, vast and mighty, comfort the loyal spirits.” The poem by Tan Youlin, former deputy commander of the 359th Brigade who fought in the liberation of Mishan, stirs the heart. The eastern stele wall is a grand exhibition hall of modern and contemporary calligraphy art, featuring 155 carved calligraphy works. Among them, a group sculpture depicting 14 ancient calligraphers and their poems stands out for its transcendent form and spirit, inviting endless contemplation.

On the stele wall leading to the double "回"-shaped corridor, China’s first long-form comic strip reflecting the history of land reform, *Land*, is carved, with vividly lifelike characters that amaze. On the front of the screen wall, Shao Huaze, former president of the People’s Daily, wrote the bold three characters "War Is in Full Swing"; on the back, the wild cursive script of "—" is breathtaking.

The corridor also features a scroll of *The Art of War* created by Mr. Liu Yi, known as the "labyrinth of calligraphy," and a scroll of *Thirty-Six Stratagems*, with each strategy written by a master calligrapher from every province, autonomous region, and municipality, offering diverse styles yet unified momentum.

Additionally, the Calligraphy Corridor is marvelously diverse. The "Stone Gate Giant Brush," 8.56 meters long, 0.83 meters in diameter, and weighing 2.61 tons, is meticulously carved from a locally quarried stone slab and has been recorded in the Guinness World Records. The "World’s Largest Fan," a 20-ton fan-shaped stone sculpture, features the calligraphy of the famous calligrapher Lü Ruxiong’s inscription of Su Dongpo’s poem *Nian Nu Jiao · Thoughts on the Red Cliff*. The "World’s Largest Chessboard" features a chess game with 13 stone chess pieces, each weighing 300 jin (approximately 150 kg), each inscribed in a different font. The "Sacred Ship Stone Drum" consists of two stone drums supporting a boat-shaped slab, engraved with a poem by the famous calligrapher Chen Lingtuo.

Back then, General — led 100,000 demobilized soldiers to blaze trails through thorny thickets, pioneering the history and culture of Beidahuang with fearless spirit. Today, the people of Mishan have endured countless hardships to carve out the Beidahuang Calligraphy Corridor with the spirit of land reclamation.

In 1995, as market economy changes swept in, like the rest of the country, Yunshui Mountain Villa, the cadre sanatorium under Mishan City’s Personnel Bureau, faced tough times. With uncertainty about the future, discussions turned to farming, breeding, starting companies, or even selling the property. Hu Chundong, then the bureau chief and a graduate of Wuxi Art College, had a deep passion for developing cultural industries. He believed that the cultural wealth left by numerous revolutionary predecessors, cultural figures, and educated youths who had worked and lived in Mishan should be carefully unearthed.

For eight full years, they sought calligraphy contributions across the nation. In one year alone, they made six trips south, covering seven provinces.

Today, the Beidahuang Calligraphy Corridor houses over 2,400 calligraphy works by more than 2,000 calligraphers, covering 120,000 square meters. It includes calligraphers from all Chinese provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities except Taiwan and Macau, and features authentic works by 80–90% of the chairpersons, vice-chairpersons, secretaries-general, executive directors, and directors of past China Calligraphers Associations. There are also two works by Japanese calligraphers, making it the largest modern calligraphy art stele forest in the country. The Mishan municipal government has invested heavily, building roads and parking lots for the Calligraphy Corridor, and transforming the former barren yellow-earth mounds into a lush green mountain, now blooming with exotic flowers and fragrant plants.

Over the years, leaders and masters of the national calligraphy community have visited the Beidahuang Calligraphy Corridor numerous times, unanimously praising its high taste, grand scale, and uniqueness. Domestic and international tourists flock here, leaving with satisfaction and joy.

This "uniqueness" was hard-earned—it is the crystallization of the sweat and dedication of the people of Mishan. Craftsmen from north and south carved calligraphy onto stone steles, while the people of Mishan engraved the Calligraphy Corridor into their hearts. Especially the Mishan Personnel Bureau, whose staff have made the construction of the Calligraphy Corridor part of their personal lives for many years. Volunteering an hour of work each morning before heading to their offices has long been a routine.

The Beidahuang Calligraphy Corridor is the swan song of Beidahuang’s history and art. In the hazy night, looking out from a height, the wind is fresh, birds soar, and the moon hides behind the water. Standing in the Calligraphy Corridor, conversing with the ancients, resting with culture, embracing history in dreams—just like the happy people of Mishan, this night shall not be lonely.