Tiger Head Cliff

Tiger Head Cliff

Tiger Head Cliff, located about 4 kilometers northeast of Yerenzhai. The Stone Boat, also known as Boat Rock, lies in a stream valley beneath Baiyun Cliff. The rock is about 20 meters long, and roughly 10 meters in both width and height. Its bow, hull, stern, and cargo hold are all distinctly outlined, with clear, well-defined lines. It looks as if it were hoisted by a crane and deliberately propped up with a few small stones beneath it. Gurgling spring water flows underneath the boat, barely touching it. The bow is high and proudly arched; the ravine in front of the boat drops sharply for thousands of feet, giving the impression that with the rise of the tide, it could set off and plunge straight down the river. Luo Wenbo, a Ming Dynasty scholar-official who served as magistrate of Qianshan County in Jiangxi, inscribed the bold characters “Vast and Mighty Vital Energy” on the hull of the boat. A modern visitor once wrote in admiration: “Amid the drifting white clouds stands a lonely boat carved by heaven, Its thousand-foot cliff base moored, half-floating in the shallows. Meant only for celestial travelers—or for the world’s salvation too? When will the cable be undone, and spring tides flood the ravine?”

A short walk of less than 100 meters uphill and to the right from the Boat Rock leads you to a stone niche about the size of a horse carriage, placed beside the walking path. The niche is approximately 3 meters long and about 2 meters in both height and width. It is round on the outside and square within, with smooth and neatly cut walls. It is unclear which dynasty or craftsman created it, but its lintel, sill, and pivot are still intact. Old records refer to it as “the ethereal bridle of the ancient Taoist Lu Dao Ren.” It is said the Taoist “often sat inside playing his iron flute, with all kinds of spirits waiting respectfully and immortals listening in. The sound carried on the wind and could be heard for miles.” “Inside, it resembles a curtained room; outside, it mimics the utensils used by immortal households.” Li Yuanyang, an imperial censor of the Ming Dynasty during the Jiajing era, inscribed the three characters “Iron Flute Niche” in regular script on the rear wall inside the niche, and wrote on the left-side wall: “This niche—when was it carved? The spiritual ravine holds its hidden glow. Who’d have thought in this hollow cliff Lies a celestial being’s concealed abode?...” The right-side wall is also covered with poems by Ming Dynasty literati. When people speak inside the niche, their voices echo. Outside the niche are a “Herb-Pounding Mortar” and a “Herb-Drying Platform,” said to have been used by Taoist Lu in his alchemy. Yu Shan of the Ming Dynasty called this place a “stone house” and wrote a poem about it: “Amid misty peaks veiled in green, I bring wine to the cave-heaven with a friend. A flute’s note drifts beyond the bluebird’s flight, Yet I chide the golden chamber that imprisons beauty.”

Address: Inside Tianzhu Mountain Scenic Area, Qianshan County, Anqing City

Type: Geological Landform

Recommended Visit Duration: 1–2 hours

Opening Hours:

7:00-17:30

Ticket Information:

No separate ticket required. Included in the scenic area admission.