Stone Carvings at Zhanggong Cave

Stone Carvings at Zhanggong Cave

The stone carvings at Zhanggong Cave are a Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Unit.

The stone carvings at Zhanggong Cave are located in Yufeng Mountain, Hufu Town, Yixing City, and are one of the main tourist attractions in Yixing. In June 2006, they were designated as a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit by the Jiangsu Provincial People's Government.

The stele inside the stele pavilion at the entrance is 1.06 meters wide, 2.70 meters high, and 0.25 meters thick, made of bluestone. Both the front and back sides have inscriptions; the front is inscribed with: "Autumn, Tianqi Year of the Jiawu Cycle." The name on the back of the stele reads: "Record of the Founding Stele of Chaoyang Taoist Temple." At the cave entrance, there are two steles, each 0.64 meters in height and width, inscribed with: "The 21st Year of the Republic of China." On the cave entrance wall, there is a stele 0.65 meters high. Not far from the back cave, there is a stele that reads "Cave Heaven and Blessed Land," attributed to Du Guang of Mount Qingcheng in the Tang Dynasty. It measures 0.78 meters wide and 3.20 meters long. Near the exit of the back cave is the "Cloud Ladder" (0.30 × 0.40 meters, referring to character size). There is also the inscription "One Cave Heaven" (0.36 × 0.74 meters), "Sha Yan Kai" (0.6 × 0.6 meters), and "A Marvelous Sight Under Heaven," which is 0.73 meters wide and 3.20 meters long, inscribed by the Yuan Dynasty poet Yang Weizhen. There is also the marking "The 20th Year of the Republic of China" (1.10 meters × 0.30 meters). "Han Tianshi Zhang Gong’s Mansion" is 1.10 meters wide and 2 meters long. "Heavenly Gate" is 1 meter × 0.50 meters, inscribed by Chu Yan (daughter of Chu Nangqiang).

On June 5, 2006, the stone carvings at Zhanggong Cave were announced as part of the sixth batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units