Imperial Stele Pavilion on Mount Lu

Imperial Stele Pavilion on Mount Lu

The Imperial Stele Pavilion on Mount Lu is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Imperial Stele Pavilion on Mount Lu was built in the 26th year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1393 AD) by Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Yuanzhang constructed the pavilion not only to express gratitude and commemorate Zhou Dian, who contributed to the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, but also to promote the idea of the "divine right of kings" — that his ascension to the throne was "mandated by heaven." This was a means to manipulate public sentiment and deceive the populace.

The Imperial Stele Pavilion is situated on Bailu Shengxian Platform near the Immortal's Cave on Mount Lu. Legend has it that Zhou Dian ascended to immortality on a white deer from this very spot. A poem about the platform reads: “A rustic like me is truly like a deer, / Wearing a fur coat in June, enjoying bliss. / Upon waking, I rest my head on stone, sleeping with the clouds, / Surrounded by celestial herbs and flowers. / Butterflies often alight upon my body, / Yet only fragrant clouds are seen, not the person. / Had I known the world beyond tolerates my indolence, / I’d regret the forty springs spent in the mortal realm.” (Qing Dynasty · Shu Tianxiang, “Bailu Shengxian Platform”) Zhu Yuanzhang chose to build the pavilion here primarily because this was said to be where Zhou Dian ascended to heaven on a white deer. Furthermore, the site’s feng shui is considered excellent: it backs onto the surging Yangtze River flowing eastward and the strategic town of Jiujiang (then called Dehua), which guards the river’s throat. To the right (west), at the foot of the mountain, lies the ancient Donglin Temple and the distant undulating mountain ranges. To the left and south are layers of beautiful peaks veiled in mist.

The pavilion stands 6 meters tall, with no pillars on any of its four sides, and is entirely built from strip-like massive stones. Outside the main entrance of the pavilion are two pairs of couplets. The outer couplet’s upper line reads: “From here, one may seek their traces.” The lower line reads: “But who else can proclaim peace?” The inner couplet’s upper line reads: “Four walls of clouded mountains, boats on the Jiujiang.” The lower line reads: “A pavilion in misty rain, pines in every valley.” Inside the pavilion, the “Imperial Stele” is 4 meters high, 1.5 meters wide, and 0.25 meters thick. The front of the stele features an inscription personally written by Zhu Yuanzhang titled “The Legend of the Immortal Zhou Dian,” while the back bears his poem “To the Four Immortals”: “At the peak of Mount Kuanglu lies a deep valley, / Where golden immortals make caves their dwellings. / For how many years have they refined elixirs to aid the people, / Plowing the white clouds at dawn and planting bamboo at dusk?” The four immortals referred to here are Zhou Dian the Immortal, the Venerable [Zunzhe], Xu Daoren, and the Barefoot Monk.

Zhou Dian was born in Jianchang, Jiangxi (now Yongxiu County). As a child, he was clever and quick-witted, able to memorize poetry, songs, the Five Classics, and the Four Books after a single reading. Unexpectedly, at the age of fourteen, he fell seriously ill and developed a bizarre, eccentric demeanor, earning him the nickname “Zhou Dian” (meaning “Crazy Zhou”). Later, he wandered the land, behaving wildly and erratically, constantly singing the “Song of Peace.” Whenever he encountered people — especially officials — he would shout: “Declare peace…!” At the time, due to the brutal rule of the Yuan Dynasty, with its oppressive taxes and levies, the people suffered immensely, and peasant uprisings sprouted across the country. Rebel factions also fought and absorbed each other. Eventually, Zhu Yuanzhang and Chen Youliang emerged as the two most powerful peasant forces. The two engaged in multiple battles in what is now Nanchang, Poyang Lake, and even on Mount Lu. Initially, Zhu Yuanzhang suffered setbacks. After successfully evading Chen Youliang’s pursuing army on Mount Lu, Zhu regrouped and returned to fight the decisive battle against Chen on Poyang Lake. In this pivotal conflict, Zhou Dian played a significant role.

Legend says Zhou Dian possessed extraordinary abilities and was no ordinary man. He tracked Zhu Yuanzhang all the way from Nanchang to Nanjing, constantly demanding to see him. When summoned by Zhu Yuanzhang, he would only utter the puzzling phrase “Declare peace.” After several such encounters, Zhu grew annoyed. Unable to scare or burn him into submission, Zhu had him boiled in a cauldron. Zhou not only refused to relent but sang the “Song of Peace” even louder inside the pot. The hotter the fire beneath the cauldron burned, the more vigorously he sang. Amazed, Zhu ordered the fire to be intensified to see how long he could endure. By midnight, the cauldron finally grew quiet, leading people to believe the lunatic had finally been tamed. The next day, when Zhu Yuanzhang came to inspect, he opened the lid expecting to find the madman subdued — only to see Zhou Dian fast asleep inside. Onlookers were astonished. Their gasps woke the sleeping Zhou, who rubbed his bleary eyes, stretched, and grumbled irritably: “Why are you all making so much noise? You’ve disturbed my good sleep…” When Zhu asked how he felt, Zhou cheerfully replied: “I haven’t bathed in ages — boiling and washing in the cauldron was incredibly refreshing…” From then on, Zhu Yuanzhang realized Zhou Dian was no ordinary man and began to take him seriously.

As Chen Youliang’s power grew, Zhu Yuanzhang grew uneasy but dared not attack him rashly. While Zhu hesitated, the seemingly insane Zhou Dian once urged him to break an old barrel and build a new one. Zhu didn’t understand the meaning. His strategist, Liu Bowen, explained that Zhou meant for Zhu to overthrow the Yuan Dynasty and establish a new one. A barrel symbolizes unity or rule. Breaking the old barrel (rule) and building a new one would achieve national unification. Zhu said, “Chen Youliang has vast forces and strong generals — I fear I’m no match.” Zhou pointed to the sky and said: “He has no place there, no place there!” implying heaven would not allow Chen to rule. Delighted, Zhu soon set sail from the Anqing area toward Jiujiang. The sea was calm, and the boat moved slowly. When he consulted Zhou again about whether to proceed by water or go ashore, Zhou said: “Just keep going. No courage, no wind…” No sooner had he spoken than a fierce wind arose, filling the sails and propelling the boat swiftly forward. Zhou even had the power to command the wind and rain, astonishing Zhu, who thought, “Truly, Heaven aids me!” Zhu’s massive army arrived near Jiujiang and fought the decisive battle with Chen Youliang on Poyang Lake. Zhu emerged victorious, pressed on to capture Nanjing, and established the Ming Dynasty.

With his “mission accomplished,” Zhou Dian prepared to leave Nanjing and wander the land. Zhu Yuanzhang asked where he could be found later. Zhou said he would be at Zhulin Temple in Jinxiu Valley on Mount Lu. Later, when Zhu sent people to look for Zhou Dian, they couldn’t find Zhulin Temple. People began to say Zhou Dian had ascended to heaven on a white deer from Bailu Shengxian Platform. In commemoration, Zhu Yuanzhang built the Imperial Stele Pavilion on that very platform to honor Zhou Dian, claiming he was sent by “Heaven” to help Zhu conquer the realm. Ultimately, this was just another ploy to promote the “divine right of kings” — to assert that his rule was heaven’s will.

Time Needed

Half an hour

Free

Opening Hours

All day

Location

On Bailu Shengxian Platform beside the Immortal's Cave on Mount Lu

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units