Cliff Inscriptions and Steles at Langya Mountain

Cliff Inscriptions and Steles at Langya Mountain

The Cliff Inscriptions and Steles at Langya Mountain are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Cliff Inscriptions and Steles at Langya Mountain

The Zuiweng Pavilion, Fengle Pavilion, and Langya Temple currently house over 400 cliff inscriptions and steles, including seven from the Tang Dynasty and the rest from the Song and Ming Dynasties. Among the seven Tang Dynasty cliff inscriptions, three are five-character poems and four are inscribed tablets. These Tang cliff inscriptions are rare finds in the Jianghuai region.

Precious cliff inscriptions from the Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties include Song Dynasty works such as Xin Qiji’s “A Tour of Langya Mountain,” Ding Jiayan’s “A Return Visit to Langya Mountain,” Yan Du’s “Touring Langya Together,” Zheng Dong’s “An Autumn Tour of Langya,” Wang Chen’s “A Visit,” Wang Ao’s “Travel Notes,” Du Fuqing’s “Visiting Kaihua Temple at Langya” and “Visiting Langya Mountain,” and Yan Nangongbi’s “Visit in the Year of Bingyin.” From the Ming Dynasty, there are Xiao Chongye’s “An Autumn Tour of Langya’s Scenic Spots,” Hao Liangchen’s “A Second Visit to Langya Temple,” Shao Fu’s “Renovation of the ‘Chongxi Cave’,” Wei He’s “Poem on Touring Langya,” Yin Congjian’s “Resting and Drinking at Sanyou Pavilion,” Huang Yanyong’s “Poem on ‘Prosperous Years’,” Jiangzuo Yin’s “Climbing Langya and Touring,” Wang Ziheng’s “Poem on ‘Langya Mountain’,” and Liu Bingren’s “Poem on Visiting Langya and Praising Plum Blossoms.” Major Qing Dynasty cliff inscriptions include “Namo Shakyamuni Buddha,” “Buddha,” “Namo Amitabha Buddha,” “Friend of Cloudy Mountains,” “Old Rock in the Cloudy Wasteland,” and “The Mind Is Buddha.”

The cliff inscriptions and steles at Langya Mountain form another significant treasure in China's stone carving heritage, centered thematically around the Zuiweng Pavilion, Fengle Pavilion, and Langya Temple, and featuring a unique style and system. Stylistically, they encompass poetry, ci (lyric poetry), fu (rhapsody), prose, couplets, and official documents; in terms of calligraphy, they display various scripts including regular, seal, clerical, running, and cursive; and artistically, they depict figures, flowers and birds, landscapes, and animals.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units