Fangshan Cliff Inscriptions

Fangshan Cliff Inscriptions

The Fangshan Cliff Inscriptions are a cultural relic protection unit of Lianyungang City.

Fangshan Cliff Inscriptions

Located around the main peak of Fangshan in Fangshan Town, Donghai County, Lianyungang City. Among them, the inscription by Zhang Wenzhi is situated on the western side of a massive rock on the sloping cliff of the southeastern part of the main peak. This huge rock stands about 4 meters tall, approximately 6 meters long from east to west, and about 2 meters wide. Its base connects to the cliff face with only a 1-meter-square area, making it appear dangerously tilted, yet it has remained standing firmly for thousands of years. Whenever it rains, rust-colored water often seeps down the rock, leading locals to commonly call it “Guanyu’s Whetstone,” or simply “The Whetstone.” The middle of the western side of the whetstone is flat and smooth, featuring an oval-shaped carved surface that is 90 cm wide and 110 cm high. In the center is the inscription “Yi Shi Qian Qiu” (遺石千秋), meaning “A Stone Left for a Thousand Autumns,” written in a semi-cursive script style with bold characters, each about 20×23 cm in size. The year inscribed is “the Mid-Autumn Festival of the Jiashen Year during the Republic of China,” and the signature reads “Respectfully inscribed by Zhang Wenzhi of Chuzhou, Anhui.”

This stone inscription was designated in 1995 as the first batch of cultural relic protection units in Donghai County—the Modingshi (Whetstone) Cliff Inscriptions.

In addition, there are multiple other inscriptions on the mountain, including “Tianxian Ding” (Heavenly Immortals Peak), “Huixian Tai” (Immortals’ Platform), “Wanlv Jie Kong” (All Worries Emptied), “Chao Yun Guo” (Tide Cloud Pot), “Xian Jing” (Fairyland), “Chu Yun Dong” (Cloud Emergence Cave), “Bi Xia Gong” (Temple of the Goddess), “Fu Mu Deng Tian” (Parents Ascend to Heaven), and “Jing Biao Jie Xiao” (Praised for Filial Piety and Chastity).

It was designated in 2010 as part of the fourth batch of cultural relic protection units in Lianyungang City.

Protected Area:

Centered on the main peak of Fangshan, expanding elliptically outward (414 meters from east to west and 176 meters from north to south).

Construction Control Zone:

Extending 50 meters outward from the boundaries of the protected area in all directions.

Fangshan Town: Fangshan Town is located 10 kilometers southeast of Donghai County, 50 kilometers from Lianyungang Port, and 15 kilometers from Lianyungang Civil Aviation Airport. The Xulian Expressway and Provincial Highway 227 pass through Fangshan, while the Qiangwei River and the Huaishu River flow around the town, providing convenient water and land transportation. The town is abundant in produce, blessed with beautiful scenery and a pleasant climate, and is widely known as a land of fish and rice, crystal, and poplar. The town currently has 25 administrative villages, covering a total area of 129 square kilometers, with 118,000 mu of arable land and a total population of 78,000. Fangshan Town boasts rich agricultural and sideline products, producing annually crops such as rice, wheat, and soybeans... More details about Fangshan Town++