Dolomite

Baiyun Cliff

Baiyun Cliff is located in Bai Mei Township, Zongyang County, within the Qijia Mountains, ten kilometers from Fushan Mountain, facing Fudu Mountain across the water. The mountain is rugged and steep, earning it the nicknames "Little Huangshan" and "Fushan’s Junior." According to the *Transmission of the Lamp*, the eminent Song Dynasty monk Shouduan resided at Baiyun Temple on the mountain, designating the western cliff of Baiyun Mountain as the inner courtyard belonging to the temple, hence the name "Baiyun" (White Cloud).

Baiyun Cliff features eight cliffs, three caves, eleven unique peaks, eight peculiar rocks, two springs, two pools, and historically had five hermitages and two temples, with Baiyun Cliff Temple still standing today.

Tianyin Cliff, commonly known as Swallow Cliff, is nestled among the rocky outcrops at the mountain’s summit and is also called One-Line Sky, where one can gaze at the sun, moon, and sky above.

Emei Cliff is situated halfway up Qingzhang Peak, with sheer cliffs thousands of feet high, spanning half a li in depth and width, split by a central fissure. In the late Ming Dynasty, Wu Chaqiang excavated the area, and Wu Daoxin, an official from the Ministry of Works, made it his hermitage. Two rocks overlap front and back, with clouds swirling in between. Ruan Zihua inscribed the words "Han Yun Cave," while Zhao Fanfu named it "Han Yun Pass." To the left of Han Yun lies a stone corridor stretching dozens of feet, called "Sa Shou Corridor." At its most perilous point stands a stone platform where Huang Daozhou once climbed; Wu Daoxin inscribed the five characters "Yi Ye Xiang Zhen Yu" (A Single Leaf Soaring True Feathers) for him, and Wu documented the event in writing. Behind Han Yun are ancient sites such as Moon Niche and Crane Immortal, as well as Lü Dongbin’s (Dongping) Sword-Drawing Cave, Fishing Terrace Rock, Four-View Cave, and Green Vine Cave. At the top of Han Yun is Baolong Cave.

Xuelang Cliff, also called Corridor Cliff, resembles Xuelang Cliff at Fushan Mountain. Tomb Cliff is located to the left of Xuelang Cliff.

Louzi Cliff is situated atop the western cliff to the left of Xuelang Cliff.

Dongyan (East Cliff) is located halfway up the mountain at the mountain’s front, roughly the size of Jin Valley at Fushan Mountain. The eminent Song Dynasty monk Baiyun Yan built a hermitage here, and the Tibetan monk Liaowu of the Yuan Dynasty once presided over it. It was destroyed by lightning fire during the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty.

Baiyun Cliff, located to the west of Dongyan, is thus also called West Cliff. Its cave is larger than Hui Sheng Cliff at Fushan Mountain. It is the foremost of Baiyun Cliff’s caves, with a wooden structure in front of the cave and the Dashi Pavilion behind it. When the eminent Song Dynasty monk Yiqing presided over Huayan Temple at Fushan Mountain, he used this cave as his abbot’s quarters. Today, the cave’s summit bears a Song Dynasty inscription reading "Qing Hua Yan Fang Zhang" (Abbot’s Quarters of Qinghua Yan). Both monks Baiyun Duan and Baiyun Yan (master and disciple), along with the Yuan Dynasty’s Liaowu, once presided over the temple, spreading Buddhist teachings, with its lineage traced to Fushan Mountain. Legend has it that during the Yuanyou era of the Song Dynasty, thousands of bluebirds carried mud to sculpt a statue of Guanyin inside the cave. After its completion, a female bird remained, nesting behind the shrine. Each spring, a male bird would fly in from Fushan Mountain to raise two chicks before departing. "Baiyun Bluebird" is one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Old Tongcheng. Liu Dakui wrote in *Records of Fushan*: "The mountain is home to bluebirds, whose songs are melodious, often shuttling solely between Baiyun and Jin Valley, never seen elsewhere." To this day, the bluebirds of Fushan and Baiyun remain as they were centuries ago—an extraordinary sight. Inside Baiyun Cliff is also a divine spring, emerging from a crack in the cave wall, its water as fine as silk, trickling continuously year-round, exceptionally clear and cool, capable of supplying a hundred people per day. It is called "One-Drop Spring." Additionally, the cave holds another wonder: upon close inspection, the stone patterns on the cave walls resemble dragon scales in the west and tiger fur in the east—truly a place where dragons coil and tigers crouch.

The Qijia Mountains boast towering peaks and clustered peculiar rocks. Notable sights include Shuangjian Peak, resembling a carved flute writing into the sky; Tiezhang Peak, tall and purple-hued; Tiechuan Peak, strikingly boat-like; Jiangxiao Peak, like rows of spears and halberds; Laoren Peak, akin to a Taoist elder in ancient robes walking with a cane; Huoyan Peak, like a torch ablaze in the sky; and others such as Jinlun Peak, Foxi Peak, Tian’e Peak, Baoding Peak, and Baolong Peak, each with its own charm. Peculiar rocks include Fishing Rock (also called Jiang Taigong’s Fishing Terrace), Rabbit Rock, Camel Rock, Oulai Rock, Guzu Rock, White Tiger Rock, Divine Rat Crossing the Sky Bridge, and Golden Turtle Climbing the Wall.

Baiyun Cliff spans over ten kilometers, with its main scenic area of 2.2 square kilometers incorporated into the Fushan Scenic Zone as a first-class protected area, featuring a one-day tour route.

Baiyun Bluebird

Baiyun Cliff is located in Bai Mei Township of our county, over 40 kilometers from the county seat. Historically named after the hermitage of Monk Baiyun Yan, it was established as a temple in the Song Dynasty, capable of accommodating a thousand people, hence also called Baiyun Temple. Since the Southern Dynasties, it has been a sacred Buddhist site. The mountain is replete with peculiar rocks and peaks, all captivating. Among them, the "Baiyun Bluebird," with its resplendent plumage and melodious calls, is one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Old Tongcheng.

Most visitors to Baiyun Cliff come drawn by the "Baiyun Bluebird" spectacle. The bluebird is a vividly azure-feathered bird. As one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Old Tongcheng, Liu Dakui of the Tongcheng Literary School wrote in *Records of Fushan*: "The mountain is home to bluebirds, whose songs are melodious, often shuttling solely between Baiyun and Jin Valley, never seen elsewhere."

The renowned Tang Dynasty poet Li Shangyin wrote: "To Mount Penglai, the road is not long; the bluebird eagerly goes to scout." The bluebird is a mythical sacred bird, regarded by the people as a symbol of good fortune and happiness. It is said that those who see a bluebird will encounter good luck. In ancient times, numerous bluebirds nested within Baiyun Cliff’s caves, living amid the green mountains and clear waters, bathing at dawn, preening by the mountain springs at dusk, and singing sweetly at midnight. Yet, the bluebirds come and go without trace, rarely seen by mortals. As the saying goes, "Baiyun is easy to find, but the bluebird is hard to glimpse." Often, in our search, they vanish like the wind through the forest.

The sky is azure, waiting for the rain, and I am waiting for you. Bluebird, will you bring us a beautiful encounter in our hopes?

Qijia Mountain

Qijia Mountain, also called Baiyun Cliff, is located in Bai Mei Township, 46 kilometers northeast of Zongyang County, Anhui Province, ten kilometers west of the Fushan Scenic Zone. The mountain has a circumference of 15 kilometers and features eight cliffs, three caves, eleven peaks, eight peculiar rocks, two springs, and two pools—scenic wonders that rival Fushan, earning it the nicknames "Little Huangshan" and "Fushan’s Junior." Within the northwestern mountain’s core lies a square, deep, and rugged rock face, originally called "West Cliff." According to the *Transmission of the Lamp*, the eminent Song Dynasty monk Shouduan resided at Baiyun Temple, designating the western cliff of Qijia Mountain as the inner courtyard belonging to the temple, hence the name "Baiyun" (White Cloud). Baiyun Cliff, the foremost cave of Qijia Mountain, stands 33.3 meters high, 50 meters wide, and 16.3 meters deep. Upon close inspection, the cave’s stone patterns resemble dragon scales in the west and tiger fur in the east, full of charm. A tiny spring seeps from a crevice in the cave wall, its flow slender and continuous, never drying up in drought or overflowing in rain, exceptionally clear and cool, with a daily yield sufficient for a hundred people. On the stone wall at the spring’s source are three seal-script characters "Yi Di Quan" (One-Drop Spring) carved in relief. In front of the cave once stood a wooden structure, with the Dashi Pavilion behind it. When the eminent Song Dynasty monk Yiqing presided over Huayan Temple at Fushan Mountain, he used this cave as his abbot’s quarters, and the cave’s summit bears the inscription "Qing Hua Yan Fang Zhang" (Abbot’s Quarters of Qinghua Yan), still clearly visible today. The Ming Dynasty local gentry Wu Daoxin once built halls here, named "Baiyun Thatched Cottage." The existing temple was built during the Qing Dynasty’s Tongzhi era, with two courtyards, brick-and-wood construction, and over ten rooms. In 1963, the Zongyang County People’s Committee designated it as a county-level key cultural relic protection unit, with a protected area extending 100 meters north-south and 100 meters east-west. Baiyun Cliff boasts a rare marvel—the bluebird. In ancient China, the bluebird was known as a messenger of communication, while abroad it is seen as a symbol of happiness and ideals. The bluebirds living at Baiyun Cliff are dark indigo, starling-like but with longer tails. They nest in the cave, bathe in the spring at dawn, groom by the mountain stream at dusk, and sing melodiously at midnight. Their frequent presence adds much charm to Baiyun Cliff. "Baiyun Bluebird" was once hailed as one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Old Tongcheng. The Qing Dynasty’s Liu Da wrote in *Records of Fushan*: "The mountain is home to bluebirds, whose songs are melodious, often shuttling solely between Baiyun and Jin Valley, never seen elsewhere."

Qijia Mountain, with an elevation of 390 meters, features towering, perilous peaks and secluded cliffs, offering spectacular views that once attracted literati to compose poetry. Twenty-one cliff inscriptions remain, including four from the Song Dynasty—mostly poems, verses, and names left by visitors praising the mountain’s scenery, rendered in regular, seal, running, cursive, and clerical scripts, all vigorous and graceful, forming a rare calligraphic heritage. The mountain’s peaks vary in form: Shuangjian Peak, like a carved flute writing into the sky; Tiechuan Peak, resembling a ship setting sail; Laoren Peak, like a robed Taoist walking with a cane; Huoyan Peak, like a torch aflame; and others such as Jinlun Peak, Foxi Peak, Tian’e Peak, and Baoding Peak, each with unique charm. Peculiar rocks and cliffs abound: Baolong Cave (also called Qinghua Cliff), four zhang high, over ten zhang wide, and eight zhang deep, suitable for exploration and habitation, with its dome split down the middle—left rocks ochre, right yellow, one side with vertical grain, the other sloped, producing sharp or deep tones when struck; Emei Cliff’s neighboring Han Yun Cave, small in size, where mountain mist often rises from the entrance, mirroring the fog above—when the cave’s mist clears, so does the mountain’s cloud. Ruan Zihua inscribed "Han Yun Cave," while Zhao Fanfu named it "Han Yun Pass." To the left of Han Yun Cave stretches a stone corridor dozens of feet long, called "Sa Shou Corridor." At its most perilous point is a stone platform where Ming Dynasty painter Huang Daozhou once climbed; he inscribed "Yi Ye Xiang Zhen Yu" (A Single Leaf Soaring True Feathers) for Wu Daoxin. Behind Han Yun Cave lie Moon Niche, Crane Immortal, Lü Dongbin’s Sword-Drawing Cave, Fishing Terrace, and Green Vine Cave. Within the mother rock near Anshi Terrace, five smaller rocks converge, forming a spectacle of one rock housing many, one cave within many. Between Tiezhang Peak and Tiechuan Peak lies a deep pool, now called Jieniu Reservoir, where high gorges cradle a tranquil lake, its emerald waters setting off the peaks and cliffs in exceptional beauty. Cliff inscriptions, ancient trees atop the peaks, and terraced fields in the valleys combine to form a serene, fragrant earthly paradise. The Ming scholar Fang Xuecan, after touring the mountain’s wonders, composed this verse:

Stone paths slant through green, cliff flowers brush the clouds; a lone bird vanishes in sight, the Chu River parts at the horizon.

Drunk, I lean on the tower under moonlight, as valleys darken unseen; a laugh escapes my lips—who could hear a sage’s delight?

Baiyun Cliff Temple

Baiyun Cliff Temple is located in Qijia Mountains, Zongyang County, Anhui Province, with a long history. In the first year of the Jianning era of the Song Dynasty (1064), the eminent monk Yiqing, abbot of Huayan Temple at Fushan Mountain, used Baiyun Cliff as his abbot’s quarters and inscribed "Qing Hua Yan Fang Zhang" (Abbot’s Quarters of Qinghua Yan) at the cave’s summit—the five characters remain clearly visible today. Later, monks Baiyun Duan, Baiyun, and the Yuan Dynasty’s Liaowu all presided over the temple, promoting Buddhist teachings. During the Cultural Revolution, the temple suffered severe damage but was later restored by monks from Jiuhua Mountain. Monthly temple fairs on the first and fifteenth days grow increasingly popular, especially on the first, seventh, and fifteenth days of the first lunar month, when the mountain teems with visitors. Pilgrimage to the cave has become a traditional folk celebration of the Lunar New Year.

Wu Daoxin

Wu Daoxin, a late Ming Dynasty official and poet, was the grandson of Wu Yijie, hailing from Tongcheng, Anhui (now Qianqiao Township, Zongyang). His courtesy name was Tangri, and his pseudonym Wuzhai. A *juren* (successful candidate in the imperial examinations) in the seventh year of the Tianqi era, he served as an official in the Ministry of Works. After the fall of the Ming Dynasty, he lived in seclusion at Baiyun Cliff, earning the name Master Wuzhai. His major works include: *Poetry Collection of Qian De Ju* (50 volumes); *Longmian Fengya* (1 volume, 75 poems); *Tongji Collection* (1 volume, 17 poems); *Collected Writings of Qian De Ju* (10 volumes); and *Records of Fushan* (10 volumes).

Record of Baiyun Cliff: To the left of Han Yun lies a stone corridor stretching dozens of feet, called "Sa Shou Corridor." At its most perilous point is a stone platform where Ming Dynasty painter Huang Daozhou once climbed; he inscribed "Yi Ye Xiang Zhen Yu" (A Single Leaf Soaring True Feathers) for Wu Daoxin. Wu Daoxin documented the event in writing.