Dashimen Cliff Carvings

Dashimen Cliff Carvings

The Dashimen Cliff Carvings are a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangxi Province.

The Dashimen Cliff Carvings are located beside the road in Menqian Natural Village, Dashimen Village, Shuangxi Township. To the south, they border the road from Shangyou to Shuangxi, and to the north, they face the Shuangxi River, situated 1.5 meters above the riverbed. The inscribed area is about one square meter in size and features a four-character poem consisting of fourteen lines. The text is arranged top to bottom and right to left. The stone wall at the edge is relatively narrow, making the characters appear somewhat small—about the size of one finger, though some gradually become larger toward the left, reaching up to three fingers in width. The script is in standard regular style, neat and graceful; the carving technique is intaglio, bold and forceful. The content of the text is: "Green mountains in rich hues, lush and towering; shallow rocky rapids, dragons soaring; cliffs standing like pillars, waves surging fiercely; shaped like a sacred turtle, tracing the origins of Xiwen; shining through myriad ages, bestowed by heaven’s boundless grace; flourishing human culture, echoing the songs of Yu; oh, what a splendid site, where traces are left behind. Written by Yu Quhu in the second year of Jianxing."

Based on the analysis of the text, this is a poem that praises the beauty of mountains and rivers while expressing the emotions of a literati. It was likely written by a frustrated scholar-official of the time. Reflecting on the chaotic state affairs and frequent warfare of the era, the author conveys his discontent and frustration at being unable to fully utilize his talents. Yet, faced with the stunning landscape before him, he hopes that literati will emerge to depict such scenes and compose enduring literary works. He also expresses a wish for a new era where scholars are valued and culture flourishes.

The inscription is dated to the second year of the Jianxing era. According to the *Brief Chronology of Chinese History*, there were three historical periods known as Jianxing: one under Liu Shan, the last ruler of the Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period; one under Sun Liang, the King of Guiji of the Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms; and one under Emperor Min of Jin, Sima Ye, of the Western Jin Dynasty. Preliminary research suggests that this inscription dates to the Western Jin Jianxing era, specifically the year 314 AD, making it 1,600 years old and one of the earliest cliff carvings discovered in the province. It was listed as one of the first batch of county-level cultural relic protection units in 1983.

Additionally, about one meter to the left of this cliff carving, on the lower right corner of another rock face, the two characters “Taishan” (Mount Tai) are carved in the same script and style, each character being about the size of four fingers.

Source: Propaganda Department of the Shangyou County Committee

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Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units