Cliff Carvings at Fulong Mountain

Cliff Carvings at Fulong Mountain

The Cliff Carvings at Fulong Mountain are a cultural relic protection unit of Cixi City.

Fulong Mountain is situated on the southern edge of Hangzhou Bay, within Longshan Town, Cixi City. According to the *Zhenhai County Annals* from the Republican era: “Fulong Mountain, also known as Ruoshan, straddles the gateway between the East China Sea and the West China Sea, resembling the shape of a dragon’s head and tail, or a dragon rushing toward the sea—hence its name. The mountain features the Governor’s Gate, Stone Altar, Milk Well, Thousand-Zhang Cliff, Sea-Eye Well, Self-Sufficient Granary, and Jade Lotus Rock. At its base lies Longshan Town, and atop it stands Fulong Chan Temple.” As early as the Tang and Song dynasties, Fulong Mountain was already a renowned scenic spot in the southeast, attracting many high-ranking officials, celebrities, and scholars throughout history. Figures such as Wang Anshi, Su Dongpo, Huang Zhen, Qi Jiguang, and Li Shutong came here to gaze at the sea from the heights, composing poems and inscriptions that left behind numerous immortal works. In December 2003, it was designated as part of the fifth batch of cultural relic protection units by the Cixi Municipal People’s Government.

The carvings are located halfway up the northern side of Fulong Mountain. A few dozen meters west of the Immortal Bridge, the first characters “Jian Ru” (Gradually Entering) come into view on the cliff face. As the words suggest, one is gradually entering a perilous cliffside realm—or perhaps a “sacred Buddhist site.” The second carving, “Mo Tui” (Do Not Retreat), is horizontally engraved on a sheer cliff, seemingly advising observers to overcome hardships and not give up, carrying profound Buddhist philosophy. The third carving, towering 8 meters high on the cliff face, features the four characters “Wu Liang Shou Fo” (Amitabha Buddha) facing east, emphasizing the imagery of the rising sun bathing the Buddha and the boundless lifespan of the deity. The fourth carving, “Yong Chan” (Surging Radiance), uses the ancient character “Chan,” which can be interpreted as the wondrous natural phenomenon of surging waves and radiant sunlight, or extended to signify a realm in Buddhist philosophy. The fifth carving, “Yu Lian Yan” (Jade Lotus Rock), is etched into a massive, stacked rock formation that resembles white lotuses emerging from rolling waves, akin to the lotus pedestal upon which Amitabha Buddha sits in meditation. The cliff carvings at Fulong Mountain are spiritually cohesive and majestic, representing a masterpiece that skillfully blends Buddhist concepts with the beauty of the landscape.

The identity of the person who inscribed the cliff carvings at Fulong Mountain and the exact time of their creation remain unknown, as no signatures were found during surveys, and local chronicles make no mention of them. According to *The Northern Mountain Local Collection* by Fan Guanlian, a Qing Dynasty scholar: “A small path beside the cliff leads the brave down to Banjing, where the characters ‘Yong Ru’ (Courageously Enter) are carved on the wall. Further down, near the tidal waters, are the characters ‘Bo Tao’ (Waves), each seven or eight feet tall, traditionally attributed to the brush of Poet Su [Su Dongpo].” He also composed a poem: “Su Dongpo, the literary giant of a hundred generations, once playfully confronted these waves. His vast and profound writings surge like the sea, their brilliance bursting forth from his brush.”

The Thousand-Zhang Cliff is rugged and precipitous, rarely dared by climbers. In 1988, villagers from Longshan ventured onto the cliff while excavating tree stumps for potted plants, discovering the cliff carvings amidst the jagged rocks. This centuries-sealed cultural heritage was thus rediscovered. However, it remains puzzling that several cultural relic surveys have failed to locate the “Yong Ru” and “Bo Tao” carvings described by Fan Guanlian, while the five carvings seen today—including “Wu Liang Shou Fo”—were not mentioned in his records. Mysterious Fulong Mountain leaves behind many unanswered questions.

Address: Paragliding Training Base, Longshan Town, Cixi City, Ningbo

Type: Activity Base

Opening Hours:

Daily 8:00–17:00

Ticket Information:

Door Price: 560.0 RMB