Dabai Zhang Rock Carvings

Dabai Zhang Rock Carvings

The Dabai Zhang Rock Carvings are a cultural relic protection unit of Zhejiang Province.

The Dabai Zhang Rock Carvings are located on the northern mountainside of Kengmenli Mountain in Dabai Zhang Village, Hepu Town, Xiangshan County, carved along the Kengmenli Stream, covering an area of over 20 square meters. The carvings feature a rich and diverse array of content, with discernible motifs including deities, fish, boats, donkeys, and more. The lines are simple and smooth, the shapes accurate and vivid, although some patterns have faded and become difficult to identify.

The exact age of the rock carvings remains uncertain, but based on the characteristics of the ingot-shaped boat, they are preliminarily inferred to be from the Song and Yuan dynasties. The meaning behind the combination of numerous different motifs requires further research and analysis. This unique form of rock art, with its rich content, is quite rare in Xiangshan and provides important physical material for the study of ancient stone carving art and fishing culture in the region. It was awarded one of the “Top Ten New Discoveries of the Third National Cultural Relics Survey in Ningbo” in 2008.

On January 7, 2011, the People's Government of Zhejiang Province designated it as a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit.

Hepu Town: Located on Nantian Island, the largest island in Ningbo, Hepu Town covers a land area of 102 square kilometers and governs 34 administrative villages and 4 neighborhood committees, with a population of 35,000. The island is rich in marine resources, boasting 195,000 mu of shallow sea, 20,000 mu of tidal flats, 22,000 mu of arable land, and 85,000 mu of forested land.

In recent years, the town’s Party committee and government have actively implemented a development strategy characterized by “specialized industry, industrialized agriculture, high-tech marine economy, ecological urban planning, and premium commercial tourism,” achieving positive progress in the town’s economic and social development. Hepu Town has gradually become... [More detailed information about Hepu Town++]

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units