Shamaw Rock

In the center of Wuseyang (Five-Colored Ocean), there stands a prominent stone pillar. Viewed from above, it closely resembles a black gauze hat from the Ming Dynasty, hence the name “Shamaw Rock” (Gauze Hat Rock). Legend has it that a local county magistrate once passed by this place. Overwhelmed by the beautiful mountain and water scenery, he lamented the ups and downs of officialdom and was moved to retire from public life. He threw his official hat into the water, where it turned into this rock. The transcendental spirit of Chinese literati—found in the idyllic Peach Blossom Spring, in Wang Wei’s Wangchuan Villa, and echoed in the ancient longing for home inspired by the taste of water shield and perch—is poetically embodied here at Shamaw Rock. As the poem goes: “Leaving the official world to roam here alone, I’m drawn solely to the tranquil stream. Washing away worldly dust on the day I retreat, I cast my gauze hat lightly into the midstream flow.” Depending on your viewing angle, the shape of the rock appears to change. When seen from the left and looking upward, it resembles a giant turtle carrying a pile of treasures on its back — known as “Golden Turtle Carrying Treasures.” Overall, it also looks like a fully billowed sail, hence called “Smooth Sailing.” Therefore, this scenic spot also bears an extremely auspicious name — “Golden Turtle Carrying Treasures, Smooth Sailing.”