Viewing Fish Platform of Duke Yin of Lu

Viewing Fish Platform of Duke Yin of Lu

The Viewing Fish Platform of Duke Yin of Lu is a cultural relic protection unit of Shandong Province.

The Viewing Fish Platform of Duke Yin of Lu is located west of Wutai Village, Zhanghuang Town, Yutai County. It was the seat of Tangyi during the Spring and Autumn Period. In 718 BC (the fifth year of Duke Yin’s reign in the Spring and Autumn period), Duke Yin of Lu came to Wutang Pavilion to watch fish. The current site covers an area of 1.2 hectares, measuring 125 meters from north to south and 96 meters from east to west, with a height of 3 meters. The soil layers consist of black-patterned soil, gray soil, and black silt soil. Artifacts unearthed include leg fragments of li tripods, leg parts of ding cauldrons, and pottery shards with coarse and fine rope patterns. At the northern cliff, stone tools from the Shang Dynasty have been excavated; at the northwest top up to 1.5 meters deep, a stone coffin tomb was dug out, containing Han Dynasty pottery and Han Dynasty pictorial stones. On April 17, 1985, it was announced as a key cultural relic protection unit of Jining City, and on June 20, 1992, it was designated as a key cultural relic protection unit of Shandong Province.

Inside the pavilion stands Chaohua Temple, located at the top of the Wutang Pavilion ruins. It was first built in 864 AD (the fifth year of the Xiantong era of the Tang Dynasty). After years of erosion by rainwater and human damage, its area has shrunk by nearly one-third. In 2006, the Sangharama Hall was renovated, and on August 18, Buddhist activities were officially resumed. The incense burning has never ceased, Buddhist chants linger in the air, and visitors come in an endless stream.

On the Viewing Fish Platform, there remains a stele inscribed with “Duke Yin of Lu’s Fish-Watching Spot.” The front side of the stele was engraved in the ninth year of the Chongzhen era (1639), while the back side, inscribed with “Record of the Renovation of the Duke of Lu’s Fish-Watching Spot at Wutang Pavilion,” was written in the third year of the Yongzheng era of the Qing Dynasty (1725). It is quite rare and considered a remarkable tale that steles from the Ming and Qing dynasties, 99 years apart, share the same stone.

There used to be over a hundred ancient cypresses on the platform. During the Cultural Revolution, the thick, large, and straight ones were cut down for building houses and boats, leaving only 14 now. To strengthen the protection of the site, the cultural relics management department has assigned personnel to guard it and planted pines, cypresses, flowers, and grass for greening. It has now become a garden-style scenic spot integrating cultural relic preservation and tourism.

The scenic area is 10 kilometers from Yutai County town, 300 meters from Wu-Zhang Highway, and 1.5 kilometers from the Yutai section of the Jixu Expressway.

Zhanghuang Town: Located in the northern part of Yutai County, Shandong Province, Zhanghuang Town sits at the junction of Yutai, Weishan, and the central district of Jining City. It borders Weishan Lake to the east and is the hometown of Min Ziqian, one of Confucius’ seventy-two disciples. The town covers a total area of 96 square kilometers, with 75,000 mu of arable land, administers 54 administrative villages, and has a population of over 60,000.

Zhanghuang Industrial Park is located within Zhanghuang Town and is one of the specialized chemical industrial parks approved by the Jining Municipal Government. It serves as a circular economy demonstration park for coal-salt chemicals and chlor-alkali chemicals in Shandong Province. The park’s greatest advantage lies in its resource endowment. 1. Coal resources. The Luwawa Coal Mine has an annual output of 1.2 million tons... More details about Zhanghuang Town++