Wudao'an Stone Carvings

Wudao'an Stone Carvings

The Wudao'an Stone Carvings are a cultural relic protection unit of Lianyungang City.

The Wudao'an Stone Carvings are located at the former site of Wudao'an in Sucheng Township, Lianyun District. There are four inscriptions from the early Republican era, two steles from the Ming and Qing dynasties, and three inscriptions by Zhenya and Xu Hongbin—“Nianfo Chengfo” (Becoming a Buddha Through Chanting), “Bie You Dongtian” (A Unique World Apart), and “Deyun Changzai” (Virtue and Clouds Everlasting)—at the natural stone gate of Wudao'an. These measure 40–50 cm in character size and are in regular script. There is also a “Liaokong Stele” erected in the 43rd year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty (1615), which stands 2.4 meters high and 0.97 meters wide, featuring cloud-patterned heading and border decorations, with characters 4 cm in size. Inside the mountain gate, on the eastern wall, is embedded a reprint from the Shunzhi era of the Qing Dynasty of the “Donghai Wudao'an Stele,” whose inscription is the “Donghai Wudao'an Stele Record,” with 2 cm-sized characters in regular script. It was erected in the 42nd year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty (1614) by Yang Feng, the prefect of Haizhou, among others, with text composed by Huang Xuantai. On the western rock face above the well spring behind the nunnery is inscribed the two characters “Li Quan” (Tribute Spring), each 40 cm in size. The eastern rock face bears the signature “Xu Hongbin, the 8th Year of the Republic of China,” also in regular script.

These carvings hold significant value for the study of Buddhist activities, social conditions in the Yuntai Mountain area, and the development of tourism resources. They also provide certain reference value for the art of calligraphy. In 1993, they were designated as part of the second batch of cultural relic protection units of Lianyungang City.