Meihuatang (Plum Blossom Hall)

Meihuatang

Originally located in the bamboo groves of Xiangshan, it was first built during the Song Dynasty. Legend has it that in his later years, when Su Dongpo (Su Shi) was frustrated in his official career, he was invited several times by his friend Ge from Jiangyin to Meihuatang to relax and cultivate his health. He personally inscribed the plaque for the hall. Behind the hall lies the Ink-Washing Pond, named after Su Dongpo’s habit of washing his inkstone there. Due to its proximity to the ancient Shihu Gate battlefield between Big and Small Xiangshan, Meihuatang was once damaged by war.

In the late Ming Dynasty, Xu Yingxia (the elder brother of Xu Xiake), who had a deep love for mountains, rebuilt Meihuatang and planted many plum trees and bamboos on the hill. On nights of gentle breeze and bright moonlight, the Xu brothers would drink, compose poetry, and enjoy the beautiful scenery together. Xu Xiake never forgot this meaningful chapter of his life and specially wrote five poems along with a long preface to commemorate the experience.

As time passed, by the late 1950s, both Meihuatang and the Ink-Washing Pond had disappeared, and the surrounding plum trees had gradually become sparse. In recent years, governments at both municipal and town levels have taken measures to develop the tourism resources of Xiangshan, incorporating Meihuatang and the Ink-Washing Pond into the tourism development plan.

The new Meihuatang is a complex of five antique-style buildings. The main hall features a plaque inscribed with calligraphy in the style of Su Dongpo. Inside the hall are displayed paintings, calligraphy, and poems by Su Dongpo and Xu Xiake, allowing visitors to appreciate the charm of Chinese civilization through their tour.