Crane Hill

Crane Hill

Crane Hill is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

Crane Hill is located on the banks of the Fuchun River, east of Fuyang City. It is a solitary peak that stands by the river, where a rocky outcrop resembles a crane standing facing the river—hence its name. Legend has it that during the Three Kingdoms period under the Eastern Wu dynasty, a Taoist temple was built at the summit, which also earned the hill the name Guan Shan (Temple Hill). The hill rises over 40 meters, featuring unique and picturesque terrain, densely forested with ancient trees, mostly camphor trees. Halfway up the hill, overlooking the river, stands the "First Tower on the Spring River," rebuilt during the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty, where visitors can lean on the railing and gaze out over the picturesque Spring River. To the east is the "Songjun Villa," built by the local patriotic figure Yu Hua (also known as Mantuo) for his 0 to enjoy a peaceful retirement. Upon its completion, Li Yuanhong bestowed a plaque inscribed with "Integrity Stands Firm Like Pine and Bamboo," from which it got its name.

The tower is built with brick and wood in a simple, classic style. Its interior now displays calligraphy and paintings by renowned artists as well as historical materials related to the Yu family. Mantuo, the elder brother of the modern literary master Yu Dafu, was assassinated in 1939 by Wang Jingwei's thugs for severely punishing a Han traitor assassin. Six years later, Yu Dafu was killed by the Japanese in Sumatra, and the two are remembered as the "Martyred Pair." Not far from the tower stands the "Double Martyrs Pavilion" with a pointed roof. The pavilion’s plaque, inscribed with "Two Pines Stand Tall and Graceful," was written by Shen Yanbing. The pavilion walls feature two stone tablets, each engraved with a line drawing of a half-length portrait of the Yu brothers, illustrated by Ye Qianyu, accompanied by short biographies written by Huang Miaozi. There is also a poetry stele inscribed by Guo Moruo. The pillar couplets were composed using verses from the Yu brothers’ works, compiled by Yu Pingbo and Zhao Puchu: "After the calamity, who rules these lake and mountain scenes? The heroic offspring fill the land east of the river." "Do not forget our forebears who stood firm amid the currents; together we share a cup of tea in this mountain pavilion." Walking from the pavilion toward the "Tomb of Mr. Yu Mantuo’s Blood-Stained Clothes," erected in 1947 with a plaque inscribed by Yu Youren, one finds the "Inscription on the Tomb of the Blood-Stained Clothes" written by Guo Moruo and calligraphed by Ma Xulun. (Yu Dafu’s former residence is located in Dafu Lane in the city center. It features low walls, a small courtyard, and in the guest hall of the building, there are calligraphy and paintings exchanged by Yu’s family and friends, including a scroll of Lu Xun’s poem "Self-Mockery" in seven-character regulated verse.)

Following the mountain path downhill to a rocky outcrop surrounded by water on three sides, one finds a stone tablet inscribed with "Yan Ziling’s Fishing Spot." To the east lies a huge rock engraved with the words "Climbing Clouds and Fishing the Moon," left behind by the Song Dynasty poet Su Dongpo when he visited the site. Historical accounts say that on autumn moonlit nights, when boating on the river, one could often see an old turtle floating on the surface, seemingly swallowing the moon’s reflection in the water—an attraction known as "Autumn Moon over Turtle Stream," ranked first among the ancient "Eight Scenic Spots of the Spring River."