Han Shan Cliff Carvings

Han Shan Cliff Carvings

The Han Shan Cliff Carvings are a cultural relic protection unit of Suzhou City.

The Han Shan Cliff Carvings are scattered across Han Shan Ridge. This ridge was where Zhao Wuming, a descendant of the Song imperial family from the Ming Dynasty, purchased land in the 28th year of the Wanli era (1600) to bury his father. He observed lifelong mourning here, stacking stones to create gardens, diverting springs, and shaping hills to build the Han Shan Retreat. This formed an artistic complex integrating landscapes, gardens, calligraphy, and painting, and concealing many scenic wonders. Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty made six southern inspection tours and stayed at the Han Shan Retreat each time, composing over thirty poems here. The existing Han Shan Cliff Carvings mainly consist of imperial inscriptions by Emperor Qianlong and self-composed verses by Zhao Wuming. All 38 discovered Han Shan Cliff Carvings have now been fully rubbing-copied, including precious cliff inscriptions handwritten by Shen Shixing, the Chief Grand Secretary of the Ming Dynasty, the recluse scholar Zhao Wuming, as well as imperial stelae from Emperor Qianlong.