Xiangshan

Xiangshan

Xiangshan is a major mountain located in the southern part of Chongren County, historically known as Bashan. Situated about 10 kilometers west of present-day Xiangshan Town, it covers an area of 35 square kilometers, with its main peak reaching 1,219.2 meters above sea level, making it the highest peak in the county. Known as a famous mountain in eastern Jiangxi, legend has it that during the Eastern Han Dynasty, Yan Ba, the governor of Yuzhang, was a man of high moral character who fought evil and promoted virtue. Under his governance, the people lived in peace and prosperity. He once traveled to this area and, captivated by its scenery, chose to settle here until the end of his days. To commemorate him, later generations named the mountain Bashan, the administrative region Bashan Commandery (later renamed Chongren County), and the county seat Bashan Town.

By the Song Dynasty, Magistrate Sun Mao changed the name to Xiangshan to avoid the naming taboo of the character “Ba,” as Yan Ba had distinguished himself in office and had served as the Prime Minister of Han Pei.

Speaking of the origin of Xiangshan, there is also a beautiful legend. Long, long ago, due to the hot and humid mountain climate, many people suffered from edema, becoming immobile and eventually dying after years of suffering. The locals yearned for a skilled doctor to cure their ailments. Later, a young doctor surnamed Xiang from Yuzhang City came to the area. He trekked through mountains and rivers to gather medicinal herbs, treated patients free of charge, and often provided free care to poor families. In no time, he cured many people. People praised his exceptional medical skills and noble virtues.

There was a local man named Magistrate Ma who was cruel and vicious. His daughter also suffered from edema. Ma’s daughter, named Furong, was around seventeen or eighteen, with delicate features, but was weak and sickly. After much pleading from Magistrate Ma, Doctor Xiang stayed at their home for about a month, constantly adjusting her treatment until Furong regained her health and her face glowed with vitality. Hoping to keep Doctor Xiang all to himself as a source of wealth, Magistrate Ma cheerfully laid out a banquet and presented a large bundle of silver, saying admiringly, “Doctor Xiang, you are truly the reincarnation of Bian Que and Hua Tuo. What do you say? Stay with us. I’ll let my daughter Furong marry you, and half of my fortune will be yours...” Although Doctor Xiang had grown deeply fond of the kind, gentle, and beautiful Miss Furong during their time treating her, and she had fallen for the handsome, diligent, and capable Doctor Xiang, he hesitated but ultimately decided to firmly refuse, saying, “A doctor should treat the illnesses of many families...

...and serve many households. Please let me go. She… she will understand.”

Knowing that Magistrate Ma would not let him go easily, before leaving, Doctor Xiang found Furong and gave her a packet of black seeds. With deep reluctance, he said, “These are medicinal seeds that are very effective against edema. They are hard to find in the mountains. If anything happens to me, please scatter them on my grave so the people can keep using them to treat illness.”

The next day, on his way back to town, Doctor Xiang was ambushed and assassinated by killers sent by Magistrate Ma. The local people, in tears, buried him by the roadside and built a round-domed tomb for him. When Furong heard the news, she was heartbroken. She went to his tomb, scattered all the seeds on the grave, and cried out three sorrowful times, “Doctor Xiang…” before passing away on the spot.

The cruel-hearted Magistrate Ma had no choice but to accept his misfortune. He took Furong’s body back home and built a pointed earthen tomb for her. Strangely enough, from then on, the two tombs grew taller and taller, bigger and bigger, until they became two mountains that could see each other. Later, to commemorate Doctor Xiang and Furong, the locals named the round-domed tomb “Xiangshan” and the pointed one “Furong Mountain.” The seeds sprouted and grew into golden needle flowers, whose roots and leaves have diuretic and anti-edema properties. Because Xiangshan was said to be formed from the spirit and virtue of the young and talented Doctor Xiang, the mountain boasts beautiful scenery and abundant medicinal herbs. There is a local folk rhyme at the foot of Xiangshan: “Xiangshan has eighteen ridges / Each ridge holds treasures to gather / If one ridge has none / It must be either coptis or licorice.”

Indeed, as the legend goes, Xiangshan boasts breathtaking scenery and majestic peaks. The county records describe it as having, up close, “cliffs, rocks, lakes, waterfalls, and bridges,” as well as “many strange rocks and unusual plants”; from afar, “twin peaks tower, reaching straight into the sky.”

The Xiangshan mountain range features layers of peaks, each with its own charm—such as Xianglu Peak, Meixian Peak, Cha Peak, Miaofeng Peak, Zhuoqi Peak, and Longshi Peak—all rugged with rocks, dense shrubs, and lush flowers and plants. From the mountaintop, one can gaze over the ranges of hills, and looking northeast, there are picturesque fields and rivers like ribbons, creating a blissful, idyllic atmosphere reminiscent of a fairyland. Halfway up the mountain lies “Yangtian Lake,” spanning over ten acres. Named for its mirror-like flatness and its position facing the sky, the lake has a large cave in its center, as big as a wok, with aquatic plants inside and unfathomable depths. When people jump on the lake surface, the surrounding flowers and grass seem to move with their steps—a truly marvelous sight.

In ancient times, the mountain was dotted with scenic spots and temples, including Xin Dian, Lao Dian, Mengshan Guan, Yin Zhen Guan, Zhu Di Ci, Ling Bao Dian, Guang Jiao Dian, Ji Xian Guan, He Shi, Zu Xian Tan, He Xian Guan, Xian Ying Dian, Si Xian Ci, and Bao An Guan. The most famous among them is the Si Xian Ci (Four Immortals Shrine), built atop Yunya Peak, the highest summit. This Taoist shrine enshrines the statues of four revered figures: Mei Fu, Yan Ba, Deng Zitao, and Ye Fashan. Why were they honored as “immortals” and worshipped? Yuan Dynasty scholar Wu Cheng wrote in “Record of the Four Immortals Shrine of Xiangshan”: “The so-called immortals are not necessarily those who ride the clouds and travel the heavens, but rather those whose virtuous deeds and meritorious acts benefited the people... thus they are worshipped.” In other words, the people honored not mythical, ethereal beings, but real individuals who did good for the populace. Mei and Yan cared for the people in their official roles, while Deng and Ye were knowledgeable in yin-yang and geography, leading the people in constructing irrigation channels and dams, and thus were remembered fondly after their deaths. The Si Xian Ci was first built during the Southern Song Dynasty under the decree of the famous poet Zhang Xiaoxiang, who was serving as the prefect of Linchuan at the time.

The beauty of Xiangshan can be glimpsed through a poem by Yu Su, a historian of the Yuan Dynasty: “In those days, remonstrations were submitted to the Han palace; today, their fame spreads across every peak. The scripture platform is half-hidden by tri-flower trees, and the cinnabar mortar leans beside five-seed pines. Near the water, clothes are moistened by hazy fog; standing on the cliffs, artistry is veiled by white clouds. Because of you, I recall Fei Feizi even more, and with my walking stick, I’ve climbed here time and again.”

In the past, Xiangshan was a sacred site of Taoism. Shrines and temples abounded, incense burned brightly, and the constant sound of wooden fish and prayers from devout worshippers cloaked the entire mountain in an aura of mystery. Today, Xiangshan has taken on a new look. If you’re inspired to visit Xiangshan with its history and legends in mind, listening to the rustle of pines and the roar of waterfalls along the way, watching flowers bloom and grass dance, ascending to witness the radiant sunrise, and admiring the terraced fields and tea oil forests painstakingly cultivated by the mountain folk of the new era—you’re sure to be enchanted and reluctant to leave.