The Dancing Dragon Stone

The Dancing Dragon Stone

In the residence of the Pu family during the Yuan Dynasty, there was a peculiar rock, said to be a remnant of the Song Dynasty’s Huashi Gang collection. Thirty feet tall and six feet wide, it resembled a dragon writhing with bared fangs and claws, originally named “Coiled Snake Rock,” which is now known here as the Dancing Dragon Stone.

Back then, Zhao Mengfu, who once lived in seclusion at the Pu residence, carefully admired the “Coiled Snake Rock” and inscribed two seal characters beneath its flat surface: “Dancing Dragon.” Huang Jie, a Ming Dynasty figure, once caught a glimpse of the Coiled Snake Rock and composed a poem to capture its charm. Huang Jie, one of the significant poets of the Yuan Dynasty and a close friend despite the age gap with Zhao Mengfu, is believed to have visited Puyuan due to his connection with Zhao Mengfu. He knew that Zhao had a dear friend in Jiāhé, Pu Jian, from Yongle Market — and even though both Zhao Mengfu and Pu Jian had long passed away, Huang Jie still wanted to experience the deep bond they shared by visiting Puyuan.

It’s likely that Huang Jie was also a passionate admirer of unusual rocks and was instantly captivated by the Coiled Snake Rock. Especially upon seeing the two characters “Dancing Dragon” handwritten by Zhao Mengfu, he was inspired to compose a poem for the rock. This became the “Song of the Coiled Snake Rock for Commander Pu Lewan,” recorded in his collection Notes from Hidden Seclusion on Mount Bian. The poem is preceded by this note: “I have heard that the essence of all things rises to form the stars, and the essence of celestial bodies that falls to earth may become stones.”

Huang Jie’s poem vividly captures both the form and spirit of the Coiled Snake Rock. Blessed with an elegant and mystical presence, the rock bore Zhao Mengfu’s inscription “Dancing Dragon” and Huang Jie’s poetic tribute, drawing repeated attention from scholars and literati, eventually becoming a treasured centerpiece in the Pu family’s residence at the end of the Yuan Dynasty.

Yet, as fate would have it, in the second year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1369), the Pu family suffered misfortune, scattering far and wide, and the Coiled Snake Rock disappeared from Puyuan.

When the Coiled Snake Rock next appeared in historical records, it had already come to be called the “Dancing Dragon Stone.” On July 28th of the 39th year of the Wanli era in the Ming Dynasty (1611), the renowned scholar of Jiaxing, Li Rihua, visited his fellow townsman Fan Mingtai (courtesy name Changkang) and “saw the Dancing Dragon Stone, covered in emerald vines, with a refreshing breeze rustling through.” It turned out that after 242 years of wandering, the stone had ended up in Fan’s residence. Fan Changkang was naturally thrilled to possess such an extraordinary rock. During the Wanli era, Jiaxing was a gathering place for many notable scholars, who all flocked to Fan’s home to admire the stone and compose poetry about it.

The imperial scholar Yue Hesheng from Yuejia Village in the southern suburbs of Puyuan was also enthusiastic in his appreciation of the Dancing Dragon Stone, composing a lengthy poem titled “Song of the Dancing Dragon Stone.” The preface to the poem states: “The stone is located in Fan Changkang’s Qingyuan Hall, thirty feet tall and six feet wide. Its jagged cracks split apart and yet seem connected in three places; its fierce eyes and clawing posture resemble a starving dragon dancing in a ravine…”

By the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty, the literary figure Zhu Yizun, who had an enduring connection with Puyuan, saw the Dancing Dragon Stone in the shrine of Xu Shaoqing, east of the prefectural government offices. Intrigued, he conducted research and verification. After reading Huang Jie’s “Song of the Coiled Snake Rock for Commander Pu Lewan,” Zhu Yizun confirmed that the Dancing Dragon Stone in Xu’s shrine was indeed the Coiled Snake Rock from the Yuan Dynasty’s Pu residence. He renamed the stone in his own poem, prefacing it with this explanation: “In the shrine of Xu Shaoqing, east of the prefectural offices, there is a moss-covered, ancient-looking stone, which locals call ‘Dancing Dragon.’ It is said to be a remnant of the Huashi Gang collection. However, neither the Zhizheng Jiahe Records of the Yuan Dynasty nor the records by Ming Dynasty’s Liu Yan, Zou Heng, and Zhao Ying mention it, leaving its origins uncertain. According to Huang Jie of Cixi in the Yuan Dynasty’s Notes from Hidden Seclusion on Mount Bian, he wrote a song about the Coiled Snake Rock for Commander Pu Lewan. Lewan was from Puyuan, so it’s likely the stone entered official hands early in the Ming Dynasty and was later moved here by some enthusiast. I playfully follow the example of Li Bai renaming Jiuzi Mountain and record it here in the Jiahe Records.” The poem reads: “The stone is named for the dancing dragon, but Coiled Snake sounds more ancient. Try reciting the Bian Mountain verse — the old maps can still be supplemented.”

However, Zhu Yizun’s research and renaming did not gain traction among later generations. In the late Qing Dynasty, eminent figures from Jiaxing such as Qian Chenqun and Zhu Taixiu continued to write poems expressing their admiration for the Dancing Dragon Stone, without altering its name. The Dancing Dragon Stone, having wandered the world and changed hands many times, now stands on Xiaoyingzhou Island in Nanhu Lake, Jiaxing. Surrounded by ancient trees and graceful willows, the stone rests peacefully and serenely in this tranquil, lush setting — isn’t this the perfect place for its ultimate repose?