First Mountain Stele

First Mountain Stele

The First Mountain Stele is a cultural tourism attraction.

A short walk of less than a hundred steps uphill from the foot of Zhaobao Mountain will bring you to an ancient stele inscribed with “First Mountain,” situated on the steep slope to the right. Formerly known as Hundred Steps Street, the stele stands 1.85 meters tall and 1 meter wide, with the bold characters “第一山” (First Mountain) carved into its face. Below the stele is a platform where visitors can pause.

The three characters “First Mountain” are powerful and vigorous. The signature at the bottom, “Written by Xiao Tianyin of Luling,” is accompanied by two stone seals but lacks specific dates or further text. According to the "Jinshi" (Inscriptions) section of the Republican-era "Zhenhai County Annals," the stele was engraved during the Ming Dynasty.

Lu Tang, a famous general who fought against Japanese pirates and a Ming Dynasty regional military commander, once used the phrases “a place where six nations converge” and “the first pass in pacifying the pirates” to describe and praise the historical geographical significance and role of Zhaobao Mountain. Qing Dynasty poets wrote lines such as “Do not underestimate Hou Tao Mountain (an old name for Zhaobao Mountain), it is the first pass eastward.” Later generations came to honor Zhaobao Mountain as the “First Mountain.”

The “First Mountain” stele was designated as a district-level cultural heritage site in December 2000.

Address: Starting point of the Ancient Path of Zhongfeng, Zhaobao Mountain, Zhenhai District, Ningbo City

Type: Historical Site

Recommended Visiting Time: 10–20 minutes

Ticket Information:

No separate ticket required. Included in the Zhaobao Mountain scenic area ticket.