Cluster of Cliff Inscriptions in Tonggu County

Cluster of Cliff Inscriptions in Tonggu County

The cluster of cliff inscriptions in Tonggu County is a cultural heritage protection unit of Jiangxi Province.

The cluster of cliff inscriptions was designated as part of the first batch of key cultural heritage protection units in Tonggu County in 1983.

The “Tonggu Stone” inscription is the most renowned in our county, and our county is named after it, thus becoming famous throughout history. According to the *Records of Yining Prefecture*: “Tonggu Stone is located in the 24th Township of Wuxiang, standing several zhang tall, shaped like a bronze drum. Legend has it that Xu Jingyang chased a flood dragon past here, heard a sound from within the stone, thought it strange, and slashed at it with his sword. Now the stone is split in two, just as if cut by a blade. The surrounding rocks stand tall and dense, like an orderly formation, hence the establishment of an official post here due to the scenic beauty.”

The “Sword Testing” inscription was written by Deng Zilong during the Longqing era of the late Ming Dynasty, on the same rock as the “Tonggu Stone,” also known as “Sword Testing.” Below it are the characters “Wu Qiao,” Deng Zilong’s alias.

The “Pan Zhou Guo Hua” (Pan and Zhou Civilize the Land) inscription, on the same rock as the “Tonggu Stone,” was written by Deng Zilong in the late Ming Dynasty and is one of the important inscriptions in our county. “Pan Zhou Guo Hua” means: After Jiangxi Provincial Governor Pan Jixun and Patrol Intendant Zhou Sijing dispatched Poyang Guard Commander Deng Zilong to the western border of Jiangxi to suppress the peasant uprising led by Li Daluan, the Tonggu region became civilized. To commemorate the achievements of Pan and Zhou, the four characters “Pan Zhou Guo Hua” were carved into the cliff.

This inscription reflects a bloody struggle between the feudal dynasty of the late Ming period and the rebel peasants, showing that Tonggu has always been a strategic military location.

The “Deng Zilong’s Poem upon Passing Tonggu Stone” inscription was written by Deng Zilong in the fifth year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1577). The poem reads: “A massive rock by the river road, some mistake it for a southern mountain tiger. Laughing at the Han general who only shot a feathered arrow—what’s so impressive about not piercing it? It’s also said this rock is called Tonggu, responding to the North Star as the site of the military headquarters. A hero’s sword pierced through the core, propping up heaven and earth, guarding the regions of Wu and Chu.” Signed: Written by Deng Zilong.

The “Stationed in Tonggu to Suppress the Reds” inscription was carved in the summer of the 23rd year of the Republic of China (1934 AD), when the reactionary Kuomintang forces encircled and suppressed the Tonggu Soviet Area. It was written by Zhuang WenShu, commander of the 103rd Regiment of the 19th Division of the Kuomintang, during his stay in Tonggu—a reactionary engraving.

The “Baoshan Stone” inscription resembles a coffin, and was long referred to by locals as the “Coffin Stone.” It was said that officials sent to Tonggu often died soon after arriving, their coffins shipped back to their hometowns. Therefore, County Magistrate Ge Mingyou deemed it inauspicious and inappropriate, deciding to rename it Baoshan Stone. He thus carved the characters “Baoshan Stone” onto the cliff face previously known as “Coffin Mountain.”

The “Ten Thousand Ritual Tablets Facing Heaven” inscription is located one li from the county seat. The rock is egg-shaped and stands towering toward the clouds. A winding stone staircase leads all the way to the mountaintop. On the Dragon Boat Festival of the Dingchou year during the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty, someone carved the four characters “Ten Thousand Ritual Tablets Facing Heaven” onto the cliff face.

The “In Memory” inscription was created in the 14th year of the Republic of China. County Magistrate Peng Chengbao (from Nanchang), upon being transferred to Chongren, had local gentry including Lu Rizao lead efforts to hire stoneworkers to carve the two characters “In Memory” onto the cliff by the main road at the end of Xiacao Street in the county seat, expressing the people’s deep longing for Magistrate Peng after his departure from Tonggu.

The “Road Altered” inscription is located to the left of the “Tonggu Stone.” It reads: “In the summer of the Wuxu year of the Wanli era, the Tonggu Camp renovated this road, with Jiangtou Shuai Yanzhen contributing farmland.” This commemorative engraving was established to honor the noble act of Jiangtou Shuai Yanzhen, who generously contributed land to pave the road.

The “Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Heavenly King” inscription is on the upper half of the cliff above the “Baoshan Stone.” According to the *Chronology of Major Events in Yifeng*: “In May of the fifth year of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (1855), when the Taiping general Shi Dakai captured Yining (also called Ningzhou, encompassing Xiushui, Tonggu, and Wuning), he conquered Yining, attacked Badie Ridge, took the county seat, and established local governance.” This inscription was casually carved by the Taiping troops after multiple incursions into Tonggu and the eventual capture of the region.

The above ten cliff inscription sites are located within Shuaijiaba in Yongning Town, Tonggu County.

The “Deng Zilong’s Poem upon Passing Xianyang Fort” inscription dates to the late Ming Dynasty, when a peasant rebellion army led by Li Daluan, numbering fifty to seventy thousand, was active in Tonggu, impacting the entire western Jiangxi region and striking fear into the Ming Dynasty. The court ordered Jiangxi Provincial Governor Pan Jixun and Patrol Intendant Zhou Sijing to urgently “suppress the rebels.” Pan and Zhou sent Poyang Guard Commander Deng Zilong to lead a large force in a major “encirclement and suppression” campaign against Li Daluan’s rebel army. During this time, Deng Zilong camped at Xianyang Fort and inscribed a poem on its cliff face: “The immortal sheep left how many years ago? I come again to be master of Xianyang. Summoning immortals to pour wine, immortal boys sing, immortal flowers fill the valley, immortal birds call. A smile brings immortal winds from all directions, immortal rosy clouds turn to rain over a thousand mountains.” Signed: Written by Deng Zilong, winter of the seventh year of the Wanli era, Dingchou.

This inscription is located in Xintang Village, Wenquan Town, Tonggu County.

The “Another World” inscription has the left-side signature “Xiangqing Zhu Gangwei.” Zhu Gangwei was commander of the 54th Brigade of the 18th Division of the Kuomintang Army. In the 27th year of the Republic of China (1938 AD), he stationed his troops in Daduan and visited the scenic Lingshi An. Admiring the landscape of this natural rock cave, he wrote the three characters “Another World.”

This inscription is located in Guangxiang Village, Daduan Town.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Jiangxi Province Cultural Heritage Protection Units