Xiaogushan Stone Carvings

Xiaogushan Stone Carvings

The Xiaogushan Stone Carvings are a cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province.

Xiaogushan Stone Carvings

Xiaogushan has long been hailed as the "Pillar of Heaven at the Sea Gate." Legend has it that when Yu the Great was taming the floods, he carved stone here to commemorate his achievements, or some say that Emperor Qin Shi Huang inscribed the four characters “中流砥柱” (Pillar in Midstream) on the rock during his eastern tour. However, over the long passage of time, the inscriptions have faded away, with only the historical account in *Commentary on the Water Classic · Explanation of Geography* preserving the story. The existing stone carvings include “The First Pass at the Sea Gate” and “Qixiu Temple,” inscribed by Yu Han of the Yuan Dynasty; an ancient poem and an imperial poetry stele decreed by Emperor Jiajing, both written by Emperor Xianzong of Ming; poems inscribed by Ye Menghong (“Climbing Xiaogushan”) and Shu Fen (“Visiting Long’er Cave”); the seal script “Spirit Illuminates the River Isle” by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty and the cursive script “Fragrant Clouds and Jade-like Greenery” by Liu Weifa; as well as inscriptions by Peng Yulin such as “Peaks Rise Above the River, the Song Ends But the View Remains.” There are also couplets like “Jade Cliffs Drip with Emerald Hue,” “My Virtue Is Such, the Buddha’s Life Is Boundless,” and “Comb Longevity Crane Hair, Adorn the Ageless Peak.” In addition, there are literary works by individuals from the Tang Dynasty such as Gu Kuang and Lu Tong, the Later Liang Dynasty’s Monk Dingfa, the Song Dynasty’s Xie Fangde, the Yuan Dynasty’s Fu Ruojin and Jie Xisi, the Ming Dynasty’s Liu Ji, Xie Jin, and Li Dongyang, and the Qing Dynasty’s Zhu Shu, Wang Wentao, Peng Yousheng, and Shi Shengli—all engraved during the Qing Dynasty. These stone carvings feature vigorous and graceful calligraphy, encompassing a variety of scripts including regular, cursive, clerical, and seal scripts, each with its own distinctive style. In total, there are 29 stone carvings on the mountain, which authentically record the beautiful scenery of Xiaogushan and the history of human activities.