Xiaotianzhu

Xiaotianzhu

Located at the western foot of Ziwu Mountain in Fengqiao Town, Zhuji City, Zhejiang Province, Xiaotianzhu is a municipal-level cultural heritage site and a well-known tourist attraction. Originally built in 1534 as the villa of a scholar named Luo Can, it was later renovated by his son, Luo Wenli (Deputy Surveillance Commissioner of Huguang), who transformed it into what it is today. The entire structure is hewn from solid rock and built along the mountain’s contours, taking full advantage of the surrounding forests and springs. At its heart lies the “Jianda Pavilion,” which features a stele corridor in front. The walls are inlaid with calligraphy by renowned artists such as Chen Hongshou, Zhu Zhishan, Wen Zhengming, Dong Qichang, and Wang Yangming. On the rock wall of the pond are inscriptions “Sea Eye” and “Chen Liu Shu Shi,” personally written by Hai Rui. Inside the “Fengshui Mingxian Archway,” the biographies and historical traces of local celebrities from Fengqiao—including Wang Mian, Yang Weizhen, Chen Hongshou, He Wenqing, He Songhua, and He Xiehou—are displayed.

Legend has it that a child surnamed Luo cried day and night after birth. No matter how he was held—horizontally or vertically—the crying wouldn’t stop. One day, when the Fengqiao River flooded, a torrent of yellow mud roared down from the Huaiji Mountains. Many people gathered on the bridge to watch the spectacle, including the perpetually crying child, who was being held by his grandmother. To amuse him, she took out a horseshoe-shaped silver ingot—an ancient form of currency—and let him play with it. Unexpectedly, he threw it “clunk” into the water. As the splash erupted, he burst into laughter, giggling “giggles,” and demanded more silver to throw in. His grandmother sighed, “Throwing coins into the water? It seems the Luo family is destined to raise a good-for-nothing!” Sure enough, whenever the child cried uncontrollably, throwing money into the river would calm him. If the legend is true, based on the timeline, this incident likely occurred during the Zhengde and Jiajing eras. Later, not only did the so-called good-for-nothing pass the imperial examination to become a scholar, but he also claimed the absurd ability to turn stones into gold. On one occasion, he took servants and floated downstream on a raft to trade in bowls and dishes. The shop owner showed him the wares, but he remarked, “These bowls and dishes are all crooked and misshapen. Such irregular items can’t possibly be sold!” He casually picked up a stack of bowls (tied with straw ropes, ten per bundle) and smashed them to the ground with a loud “bang.” The shop owner, furious, retorted, “Fine, don’t buy them then. But why ruin my goods for no reason? Compensate me!” “Fine, I’ll pay. Bring out all the broken ones—I’ll smash them all!” His servant tugged at his sleeve and whispered, “Master, we’re here to do business. If you’re not buying, just walk away. Why pick a fight?” The young master ignored him. So the shop owner placed the bowls on the counter and had the young man take them to the street center to smash. The accountant, meanwhile, tallied each smashed bundle. By the time all the bowls were destroyed, the young master eagerly called for his servant, “Settle the bill!” But the servant, sensing trouble, had already vanished. Suddenly realizing what he’d done, the young master stomped his foot on the ground and declared, “Dig here. I’ve buried a jar of silver underneath.” The shop owner touched his forehead to check if he was feverish, while the accountant rushed off to call thugs to teach the scoundrel a lesson. The shop owner stopped them, saying, “Go fetch some people to dig first. If there’s no silver, then—” The accountant did as told, digging three feet down at the indicated spot, and sure enough, unearthed a jar of silver. The whole street erupted in an uproar, and many bowl shop owners competed to invite him to their stores to smash more bowls.

To this day, that street is still called “Bowl Shop Street.” This tale, however, is merely a side story—not the main theme of “Xiaotianzhu.” Now, let’s return from the fantasy of “turning stones into gold” to reality. The young master’s mother was a devout Buddhist and made pilgrimages to Hangzhou’s Tianzhu Temple to burn incense several times a year. Her only means of transport was by bamboo raft. When the raft reached the confluence of the Fuchun River, Puyang River, and Qiantang River near Wenyan and Yiqiao in Xiaoshan, the wide waters stretched endlessly, shrouded in mist. The surging waves of the Qiantang tossed the raft up and down, drenching clothes in spray, making the trip exhausting. Moved by his mother’s hardship, the young master decided to build a version of Hangzhou’s Tianzhu Temple right there, so his mother could worship in comfort—a gesture of filial piety. And thus, Xiaotianzhu was born.

The upright official Hai Rui once visited Xiaotianzhu. The four characters “枕流潄石” (“Pillow on the Flow, Gargle the Stone”) were written by him. Dong Qichang, Chen Hongshou, Zhu Mingyun, and Wang Yangming also visited Xiaotianzhu, and it is said they left behind calligraphic works that have become part of its legendary lore.

In 1861, during the Taiping Rebellion, Xiaotianzhu was destroyed in the chaos of war. It was later restored by Mr. Xinxin of the Chen family. During the Cultural Revolution’s campaign to “Smash the Four Olds,” local descendants moved into Xiaotianzhu, knocking down and chiseling away all the remaining Buddha statues in the grottoes, turning the caves into pigsties, and using the meditation rooms to raise children—effectively turning sacred spaces into worldly bedrooms. The bodhi trees withered, but livestock flourished. In the 1980s, the government allocated funds for restoration, but some efforts ended up overdoing it, and some damage could never be undone.

Address: Western Foot of Ziwu Mountain, Fengqiao Town, Zhuji City, Shaoxing

Type: Historical Monument & Architecture

Recommended Visiting Time: About 1 hour

Ticket Information:

Door Price: 5.0 RMB