Kunshan Wenbi Peak

Kunshan Wenbi Peak

Wenbi Peak is a cultural relic protection unit of Suzhou.

Wenbi Peak is located atop Ziyun Rock on Yufeng Mountain in Yushan Town, Kunshan City, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. It was built to commemorate Wei Jing, the first top imperial scholar of Kunshan during the Southern Song Dynasty and Duke Qin of the state. This striking stele tower stands 5.5 meters tall and was renovated in the late Qing Dynasty. In the early years of the Republic of China, cement was applied to reinforce the original stone pen, and the three seal script characters “文笔峰” (Wenbi Peak) were engraved. Zhao Puchu rededicated the inscription with his calligraphy. It was announced as part of the second batch of cultural relic protection units of Kunshan City in 1997.

During the Southern Song Dynasty, Wei Jing from Shipu, Kunshan County, went to Lin’an (the Southern Song capital, present-day Hangzhou) to take the imperial examinations. He achieved top honors in all three sessions and became the zhuangyuan (top scholar) in the 11th year of the Chunxi era (1143) under Emperor Xiaozong. He was later appointed to positions such as Zhengzi (official in charge of proofreading texts) in the Secretariat. Known for his integrity and strict self-discipline, he often used Fan Zhongyan’s famous saying, “Be the first to worry about the world’s troubles and the last to enjoy its pleasures,” as his motto. He named his study hall “Houle Tang” (Hall of Later Joy) and referred to himself as “Houle Jushi” (Recluse of Later Joy). At the age of 68, Wei Jing fell seriously ill and passed away in October. He was buried at Shifo Mountain in Gu’an County, Huzhou, and posthumously honored with the title “Wenjie” (Cultured and Upright).

The scholars of Kunshan held Wei Jing in high esteem. Near Miaofeng Tower on Yufeng Mountain, where the celestial deity of scholarly success (Kuixing) was said to appear, they erected an archway and named it Wenbi Peak. They also renamed Shipu’s Lu’ao Mountain to Zhuangyuan Mountain (Scholar-Merit Mountain) and changed the name of the private school where Wei Jing studied to “Wenjie Shuyuan” (Academy of Literary Integrity). These were all done to honor Wei Jing. Later, the Wenbi Peak archway fell into disrepair over time. It wasn’t until the beginning of this century that passionate local figures in Kunshan, aiming to promote national culture and inspire future generations by taking the local sage Wei Jing as a role model, recast a more vividly shaped giant writing brush beside Ziyun Rock, inscribed with the three seal script characters—Wenbi Peak.