Fishing Turtle Rock

Fishing Turtle Rock

Fishing Turtle Rock

Beneath the red wall of the Yuewu Tower stands a carved stone inscription known as “Fishing Turtle Rock,” where the crimson wall sets off the green characters in a striking way.

This inscription was created in the tenth year of the Wanli reign during the Ming Dynasty (1582) by Gong Mian (1536–1607), the magistrate of Jiaxing. The characters are bold, dignified, and vigorous. The name “Fishing Turtle” was chosen with the hope that Jiaxing would soon produce — and produce many — talented individuals who would come out on top.

Coincidentally, in the very next year after Gong Mian erected the stele, a man from Jiaxing named Zhu Guozuo (1559–1624) ranked first in the imperial examinations and became the top scholar (zhuangyuan). Since then, the fame of “Fishing Turtle Rock” has soared, attracting numerous scholars and literati who came to pay their respects. Later, more scholars earned the title of zhuangyuan—whether they benefited from the blessing of Fishing Turtle Rock, who can say?

Jiaxing has produced several top scholars (zhuangyuan) in its history. The earliest recorded is Lu Yi (847–905) from the Tang Dynasty. Historical records indicate that Lu Yi was the first zhuangyuan in Zhejiang’s history and possibly the only one of Zhejiang origin during the Tang Dynasty.