Hu'anshan Natural and Historical Cultural Reserve

Hu'anshan Natural and Historical Cultural Reserve

Hu'anshan is located in Shiwu'ao Village on the northern foothills of the Siming Mountains, southwest of Lubu Town, Yuyao City, also known as Yanzhong. During the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, the great thinker and historian Huang Lizhou once lived in seclusion here, engaging in writing, and was buried here a century later.

Hu'anshan is covered in lush trees and filled with flowing streams, featuring natural landscapes such as Hu'anshan Waterfall, Hu'anshan Spring, Shiqiu, and Yanchi. According to the Song Dynasty’s “Huizhou Annals,” its scenery is so beautiful that it can rival that of Shengxi in Sheng County. In those days, the Hu'anshan Waterfall plunged from a height of 30 to 40 meters, splitting into two streams after hitting a rock, and then converged into a splashing pool that sent up countless droplets like pearls. As a result, it has been praised by many notable figures throughout history. The Ming Dynasty poet Lu You wrote: “Snow flies in layers hanging over peaks, mountain spirits chill the dreams even in daylight. Heaven opens this peerless wonder for the splendid mountain, thus creating twin waterfalls as a marvelous sight.” The Ming Dynasty's Huang Zunsu wrote: “In the spiritual and serene reaches beyond Yue’s ridges, I tread along winding paths. Suddenly, the way seems cut off, yet after several turns, I encounter wonder. Steep cliffs rise sheer from the sky, torrents rush carrying mist. Hard for even ancient masters to capture—this scene in all its vividness.” Within Hu'anshan were originally the Hu'anshan Temple and the ancient site of Kaikouyan. Wang Shouren and the provincial official Lu Xiang once lectured at Kaikouyan, while Huang Zunsu and his son Huang Zongxi studied, lectured, and lived in seclusion at the Hu'anshan Temple.

Known as the “Number One Spring in the County,” Hu'anshan Spring, also called Jiangjing and now referred to as Longyan Well, is located beside the road to Mr. Huang Lizhou’s tomb. The well is about one meter in both diameter and depth, and never dries up. Its water is sweet and refreshing, making it excellent for brewing tea.

The Longhu Cottage is situated in the valley between Longshan and Hushan in Hu'anshan. Originally a temporary resting place for the dead (bing she), it was built during the Ming Chongzhen era as the place where Huang Zongxi’s father, Huang Zunsu, placed his coffin before being buried in Hu'anshan after passing away at Yinhe Bridge. After the failure of the anti-Qing resistance, in the third year of the Shunzhi era of the Qing Dynasty (1646), Huang Zongxi went into hiding here. In this simple and humble cottage, facing the grim reality of the failed resistance, he dedicated himself to writing. Though living deep in the mountains and in straitened circumstances, he worked diligently in the cottage to produce timeless masterpieces such as “The Wait for a Visiting Sage During Mingyi,” “On the Numerology of the Book of Changes,” and the voluminous “Ming Literature Sea.” Many of his students and friends visited him here to seek knowledge. For a time, it became a place of admiration for scholars in eastern Zhejiang.

The tomb of Mr. Huang Zongxi is located on the mountainside of the southern foothills of Hu'anshan, facing south. The spirit way stele was composed by Quanzusu, and the epitaph was written by Mao Qiling. His tomb was destroyed in 1966 but restored in 1981. The stone stele in front of the tomb bears the inscription “Tomb of Mr. Huang Lizhou.” Trees that he loved during his lifetime have been planted in front of and on either side of the tomb. On the northern slope of Hushan lies the tomb of Huang Lizhou’s father, Huang Zunsu, alongside tomb-guarding stone beasts. Huang Lizhou’s wife is buried to the north of the Longhu Cottage. Their eldest son, Baiyao, is buried to the left of Huang Zunsu’s tomb. Their fourth son, Shou’er, and granddaughters A’yin and A’hao are also interred in Hu'anshan. Hence, Huang Lizhou wrote the line “Ten acres of wasteland buried in Yanzhong, every pine tree echoes sorrow,” expressing his deep grief.

In April 1981, it was designated as a provincial-level key cultural relics protection unit by the provincial government. In April 1995, Huang Zongxi’s Tomb and the Longhu Cottage were named by the Yuyao Municipal Committee of the CPC and the Yuyao Municipal People’s Government as among the first batch of patriotic education bases in Yuyao City. It has since been elevated to a municipal-level patriotic education base in Ningbo.