Four-Window Rock

Four-Window Rock

Four-Window Rock

Located on the southeast summit of Dayu at Huashan Township, about 210 li south of Yuyao City, there is a rectangular cliff. Midway up the cliff face is a cave containing four chambers. Viewed from afar, they resemble windows in a building, allowing sunlight and moonlight to stream through—hence the name Four-Window Rock. The Tang Dynasty poet Liu Changqing wrote: “The dusky cliffs stand tall against the sky, stepping on the rocks feels like walking through a house, with exquisite windows open wide, brightly illuminating all directions.” The Siming Mountains also derive their name from the phrase “brightly illuminating all directions.” According to the Yuyao Qianlong Annals, the stone windows are five zhang high, ten zhang deep, and six times as long as they are deep. Folklore states: “In the past, the cave was both tall and deep, capable of holding over 40 people, where gatherings could be held and meals cooked.” However, current measurements show the cave is about two meters high, roughly three meters deep, and approximately twenty meters wide. The interior is divided into four chambers by three rock pillars. The larger chamber can accommodate over ten people, with three of the openings facing one another, close enough to pass through by leaning. Comparing past and present, it seems the Four-Window Stone Chambers may have gradually diminished in size. Inside the cave, stalactites hang upside down in strange shapes and display a spectrum of colors. One chamber features a hanging stone resembling a drum, inscribed with the characters “Hanging Drum.” Another has a rock like a chime, labeled “Hanging Chime.” At the top edge of the cave entrances, carved into the sheer cliff face, are the characters “Floating Cloud,” indicating the high regard ancient people had for this site and the many literati who visited. Below Four-Window Rock lies a deep valley with clear springs and emerald pools; opposite the cliff, a waterfall cascades down a mountain crevice. Towering peaks surround the area, creating a landscape of extraordinary beauty, with misty clouds and pristine green mountains. The majestic Siming Mountains form a ring like city walls, and when gazing down from above, it feels like looking out from a tower. Ancient tales say that on clear days, the cave fills with clouds and mist, radiating colorful lights. Though such a marvel is no longer visible, at dawn, with the sun rising in the east and shining into the cave, golden rays sparkle and the multicolored stones reflect dazzling lights, making the sight spectacular and magical. Therefore, calling Four-Window Rock the “Eye of Siming” is indeed fitting.

Four-Window Rock is a famous scenic wonder of the Siming Mountains. Legend has it that in ancient times, mortals encountered fairies here. The esteemed Huang Lizhou listed it as a sacred and miraculous site. According to the "Spiritual Traces Chapter" of the Records of the Siming Mountains: During the Han Ping era, two men from Shanyin, Liu Chen and Ruan Zhao, went to Tiantai Mountain (today’s Four-Window Rock) to gather herbs and encountered two exquisitely beautiful women, with whom they married. They lived there for half a year, during which the weather remained mild, as if it were always February or March. Eager to return home, the women said: “Your karmic roots are not yet extinguished, which is why you remain here.” They then summoned fairies to sing a farewell song. The two men returned home, and seven generations of descendants had passed before they tried to revisit the fairies—but the path was lost, and they could not return. Though the story is fantastical and perhaps not entirely credible, many ancient poems reference it. The Ming Dynasty’s Zhang Zan wrote in his poem “Stone Window”: “Ever since Liu and Ruan wandered with immortals, how many times have the peach blossoms by the stream bloomed red?” The Tang Dynasty’s Cao Tang penned: “Heaven mingles with the dark green trees, / Mist-shrouded paths stretch far and faint. / Fruit-laden hills hold no birds’ song, / Yet streams along the gully play sweet refrain. / In jade-hung caves the world is wide, / By crimson boughs the sun and moon stay long. / Would that flower-folk would come in view, / Lest fairy hounds should bark at Liu.” This myth is recorded in the Southern Song Dynasty’s Youming Lu by Liu Qingyi and another text, Taiping Guangji. Near the cave entrance, at a slightly lower level, lies a layer of water-deposited rock formed from pebbles. This suggests that tectonic shifts in ancient times may have turned this area into a seabed. The Tang poet Liu Changqing mentioned in his poem “Stone Window”: “The Siming Mountains are steep and towering, long said to be a place where one could land,” possibly based on such observations. Additionally, according to folklore—“Siming Rises as Tokyo Sinks” and “Ningbo and Shaoxing Emerge as Tokyo Recedes”—along with coastal remnants found around Liangnong, there is academic interest in the theory that the Siming Mountains were once a low coastal plain that uplifted. This offers geologists and archaeologists a compelling point of research. It also adds an intriguing layer of interest for visitors to Four-Window Rock.

Perched atop a high mountain peak, reaching Four-Window Rock involves a perilous journey at every step. Only those of strong physique can manage the climb. There are two routes to the site: one leads from Huashan Township, turning left to reach Dayaxia Village, accessible by car, then descending on foot via mountain paths for about one li; the other starts from Lizhou to Beixi, then ascends from Dayu Village. Both paths are overgrown with vines and fraught with danger, so visitors should be well-prepared beforehand.