Huainan Xiashankou

Huainan Xiashankou

Introduction The mighty Huai River flows eastward but is blocked by Bagong Mountain, causing it to reverse course here, splitting the Xiashi rock in two as it forces its way downstream. This is the first gorge of the Huai River—Xiashankou. Known in ancient times as Xiashikou, it was a mountain gorge excavated during Yu the Great’s flood control efforts. It was also a strategic military stronghold in ancient times, referred to as a “key Huai River crossing,” and is one of the ancient battlefields of the Feishui Campaign. Standing on the banks of the Huai River, looking up at the cliffs, they appear as if hewn by an axe. The “Wall Construction Record” inscribed by Xia Song of Shouyang during the Song Dynasty’s Xianchun era can still be deciphered. On Xiashishan Island stands a pavilion, the “Weinong Pavilion” rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty, commonly known as the “Yu the Great Pavilion.” To the west of the pavilion grows an ancient Chinese honey locust tree, which is the symbol of the Xiashi scenic area.

Anhui Huainan City