The "Comforting Farmers Pavilion" and Cliff Inscriptions at Xieshankou

The "Comforting Farmers Pavilion" and Cliff Inscriptions at Xieshankou

The "Comforting Farmers Pavilion" and Cliff Inscriptions at Xieshankou are a cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province.

The "Comforting Farmers Pavilion" and Cliff Inscriptions at Xieshankou are located in Shankou Village, Liujie Township, about 3.5 kilometers southwest of Fengtai County.

Xieshankou, anciently known as Xieshi Kou, originated as a mountain gorge carved during the legendary Yu the Great’s flood control efforts. The western gorge once housed the Temple of Yu the Great and was also called the First Gorge of the Huai River. Historically, it served as a strategic military stronghold and was referred to by strategists throughout the ages as the "Critical Pass of the Long Huai." It was one of the ancient battlefields of the Battle of Fei River. On the cliffs of the western gorge, there still remain rare cliff inscriptions—a cultural relic from the Huai River region—namely the "Record of City Construction" inscribed in 1274 by Xia Song of the Southern Song Dynasty. About 50 meters to the north, at the summit of the western gorge (now located on an 80×40 meter isolated island in the middle of the Huai River), stands the Comforting Farmers Pavilion, which was restored in the third year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty (1877).

In 1991, due to water conservancy construction needs, Xieshankou underwent rescue excavations by the Provincial Institute of Archaeology, unearthing more than 250 cultural relics. These have been identified as belonging to an early Neolithic cultural site.

(1) "Comforting Farmers Pavilion."

Protected area: The isolated island where the Comforting Farmers Pavilion is located.

Construction control zone: Same as the protected area.

(2) Cliff Inscriptions.

Protected area: The large rock where the cliff inscriptions are located.

Construction control zone: Same as the protected area.