Xiushui NanYa—Majiuzhou Scenic Area

Xiushui NanYa—Majiuzhou Scenic Area

The Xiushui NanYa—Majiuzhou Scenic Area is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

The NanYa—Majiuzhou Scenic Area is located in Xiushui County, Jiangxi Province, and is composed of attractions such as NanYa (including the Huang Tingjian Memorial Hall, NanYa cliff inscriptions, etc.), Wenfeng Pagoda, Yunyan Chan Temple, the Xiushui Gorge plank walkway, the old city section of the Xiushui River, and Majiuzhou Park, covering a total area of over 1,100 acres. The scenic area is connected through the Xiushui plank walkway and walking paths, forming a destination that integrates landscapes, lakes, and cultural heritage. In 1995, it was designated as a provincial-level key scenic spot; in 2011, it was rated as a national AAA-level scenic area; and in 2014, it was promoted to a national AAAA-level scenic area.

Major Attractions

NanYa

NanYa is situated on the southern bank of the Xiushui River in Xiushui County, in the eastern part of the scenic area near Nanshan Cliff. It is known as the “First Mountain along the 700-Li Xiushui River” and was once a place where Huang Tingjian studied and relaxed in his youth. The site features an ancient Firmiana simplex tree planted by Huang Tingjian himself, which is listed as a national first-class protected ancient tree.

Huang Tingjian Memorial Hall

Covering an area of 45.29 acres, the Huang Tingjian Memorial Hall is located on the southern bank of the Xiushui River. It is one of Jiangxi’s Top Ten Celebrity Memorial Halls and was built to commemorate Huang Tingjian, a renowned poet, calligrapher, and founder of the “Jiangxi Poetry School” of the Northern Song Dynasty. The memorial hall was completed and opened to the public in 1985. Its name was inscribed by the late Zhao Puchu, former Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, former President of the Buddhist Association of China, and celebrated calligrapher. It is the only memorial hall dedicated solely to Huang Tingjian in China.

The hall includes attractions such as the Lianshan Academy, the Huang Tingjian Calligraphy Stele Corridor, and the NanYa Cliff Inscriptions. In 2006, it was named one of Jiangxi’s Hundred Most Beloved Scenic Spots. In 2011, it was recognized as a Jiangxi Provincial Garden Unit.

Xiushui Gorge Plank Walkway

The Xiushui River is known as one of the most beautiful rivers in China. The Xiushui Plank Walkway mainly runs from NanYa along the Xiushui River to the Hongkeng River scenic belt. The cliffs on both sides of the walkway are steep, and the scenery is unique. Along the path, visitors pass by Yunyan Chan Temple, Nanshan Tea House, the Hongkeng River scenic belt, and the Xiushui pontoon bridge. Cyclists can also tour the area along the plank walkway.

Majiuzhou Park

Majiuzhou Wetland Park is located in the middle of the Xiushui River to the south of Xiushui County. Surrounded by water on all sides, the park is shaped like a carp—with its head to the east and tail to the west—and covers a total area of over 430 acres. The park is functionally divided into eight major zones: the Entrance Plaza Area, Waterfront Plaza Area, Elderly Recreation Area, Ecological Sightseeing Area, Special Botanical Garden Area, Children’s Play Area, Tea Culture Plaza Area, and Eco-Parking Area. The landscape greening combines dot, block, and strip planting methods. While maximizing the protection and utilization of the original wetlands and existing plant communities, various types of trees and ground cover plants have been added, including 73 species of ornamental trees such as ginkgo, camphor, magnolia, osmanthus, and michelia figo, forming an ecologically sound and seasonally colorful sightseeing area. Additionally, the park features themed garden spaces such as peach blossom gardens, plum blossom gardens, tea gardens, osmanthus gardens, and bamboo gardens. The entire park is in bloom three seasons of the year, remains green all four seasons, and has a green coverage rate of 83.5%.

Cultural Relics

Wenfeng Pagoda

Originally built in the Tang Dynasty (800 AD), Wenfeng Pagoda is a shining jewel of Xiushui County’s rich historical culture and the sole symbol of the thousand-year-old county. In the ninth year of the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty (1804), Wan Chengfeng, a local scholar from Tangqiao and tutor to Emperor Daoguang, led 25 local dignitaries in donating 300 taels of silver each to rebuild the pagoda. It was completed in the eleventh year of Jiaqing (1806) in July and has a history of over 200 years. This pavilion-style stone pagoda has a hexagonal base, seven stories, and is over 20 meters tall, featuring windows and allowing visitors to climb and enjoy the view. A Wenchang Pavilion originally stood next to the pagoda. From 1805 until it was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution in 1966, Wenfeng Pagoda stood for over 160 years through wind and rain, overlooking the surging Xiushui River from “the sunny side of the eastern ford, atop Fengzhu Ridge.”

The rebuilt Wenfeng Pagoda is located on the mountain south of NanYa. Its overall design retains the original characteristics. The pagoda is a solid brick-and-stone structure with a hexagonal pavilion-style wooden imitation form, consisting of 13 levels (11 of which remain). The base is a regular hexagon with a perimeter of 22.8 meters and an area of 33 square meters. The first level has double eaves with bracket sets underneath, and there is a door on the north side. Levels two through seven gradually decrease in size, each with four windows, single eaves, and clay bracket sets supporting the eaves below.

Yunyan Chan Temple

Yunyan Chan Temple covers an area of about 50 acres, with a construction area of approximately 1,000 square meters. All the halls feature red walls and yellow tiles, giving off an antique charm. With incense smoke lingering in the air all day and the scent of sandalwood permeating the surroundings, set against a backdrop of green mountains and trees, the temple exudes a sense of mystery and solemnity.

According to historical records, Yunyan Chan Temple was first built in the second year of the Zhenyuan era during the Tang Dynasty (786 AD). Its founding patriarch, Tan Sheng, was a renowned monk. The temple was destroyed during the wars of the Five Dynasties period. It was gradually restored during the Song Dynasty and ranked among the six major temples in Xiushui, including the Huanglong Chan Temple. Huang Tingjian also had interactions with Yunyan Chan Temple. During the Ming Dynasty’s Jiajing era, Lin Chunze, the prefectural administrator, inscribed the plaque “First Chan Forest of Xiushui” for the temple. In the late 1950s after the founding of the People’s Republic, the temple was destroyed. Yunyan Chan Temple was grandly reopened on September 19, 1994, under the leadership of Abbot Shi Falin, attracting a continuous stream of worshippers and tourists.