Stone House Gully

Stone House Gully

Stone House Gully is a cultural relic protection unit of Suzhou City.

It is the source of Taoyuan Gully, located on the mountainside behind Weimo Temple. A stone cliff juts out over seventy meters, resembling a house and stretching tens of meters in length. Legend has it that Jiang Ziya of the Shang Dynasty took refuge here to avoid King Zhou. Inside the stone house is an inscription: “The stone is stubborn yet not stubborn, not a house yet like a house; nature unveils a wondrous sight, bestowing enduring fortune upon mankind. Brothers both in retreat, like Chao and Yuan who drank from calf’s troughs; holding wine to watch the clouds, brewing tea and burning bamboo. The spring is so clear—do not wash your feet in it.” This is quite thought-provoking, inscribed by Wu Shufen of the late Qing Dynasty. After rain, the gully waters cascade down, making this spot an excellent place to view the waterfalls.