Fairy Cave – Wang Anshi’s Study Hall

Fairy Cave – Wang Anshi’s Study Hall

Fairy Cave – Wang Anshi’s Study Hall is located on Xianyan Mountain, about 2 kilometers northwest of Yihuang County. Amidst lush pines and undulating hills, deep in the forest stands a massive purple rock mountain that rises abruptly, stretching from east to west. From afar, it resembles a long rainbow lying across the waves; up close, it looks like a blue dragon soaring into the sky, head held high and tail outstretched. Legend has it that it is an unyielding stone left behind by Nüwa when she mended the heavens.

Xianyan Mountain stretches over 600 meters and has an elevation of 380 meters. The cross-section of the mountain forms an inverted trapezoid, resembling a mushroom. At the western end of the mountain is a huge cave that runs from north to south, known as Fairy Cave. On the eastern side of the mountain is a natural rock cavern that forms a natural dwelling space. This is where the young Wang Anshi studied under Master Du Ziyeh of Yihuang, and it is called the “Study Hall.” According to local chronicles: “The famous Northern Song statesman Wang Anshi studied under Master Du Ziyeh of Yihuang in his youth, ‘carrying his books to apprentice himself and studying diligently behind closed doors.’” Inside the rock cavern, he often “appreciated the rare and analyzed the doubtful” with his teacher. There is a story about him “studying by candlelight until dawn and borrowing fire from the village.” The young Wang Anshi left behind a famous five-character quatrain: “Studied hard till dawn broke, sun rose high yet forgot to eat. If I’d known the lamp was fire, how long would rice take to heat?” This poem has been celebrated for a thousand years.

Inside the rock cavern are three large characters that read “Study Hall,” inscribed in the fourth year of the Jiatai era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1204 AD).

Wang Anshi (December 18, 1021 – May 21, 1086), courtesy name Jiefu, art name Banshan, posthumous title Wen, ennobled as Duke of Jing. He is also commonly referred to as Wang Jinggong. A native of Linchuan in the Northern Song Dynasty (today’s Shangchi Village, Dongxiang County, Jiangxi Province). He was an outstanding politician, literary figure, philosopher, and reformer in Chinese history, serving as the Prime Minister of the Northern Song Empire and leader of the New Party. Ouyang Xiu praised Wang Anshi: “Three thousand poems of literary grace, two hundred years of prose mastery. In old age, I still take pride in my heart—yet who among the later generations can rival you?” His works include The Collected Works of Wang Linchuan and Supplement to the Collected Works of Linchuan, among others. He was also skilled in poetry and ci poetry, with his most famous works being widely circulated... More details about Wang Anshi ++