Jidu Rock Cliff Carvings

Jidu Rock Cliff Carvings

The Jidu Rock Cliff Carvings are a cultural relic protection unit of Hebei Province.

The Jidu Rock Cliff Carvings are located in Dugu Village, about 3 kilometers northwest of Quyang County. Jidu Rock, commonly known as Shuidou Rock, is one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Quyang. The area is mostly surrounded by farmland, with the scenic site being a rocky ravine formed by a localized fault in the strata. The Mengliang River flows from west to east through this ravine, and the site lies east of the Dingfu Highway.

Jidu Rock is near the river’s source, with the water surface running east-west, approximately 4–5 meters from either bank. The cliffs here are steep, with rugged rocks and beautiful scenery. On the northern side, layers of perilous cliffs hang down, forming natural caves, with countless rocks vying in beauty. On the southern bank’s cliffs are ink inscriptions of the Chinese characters “浮休” (Floating Rest), handwritten by the Song Dynasty literary figure and poet Su Dongpo, vigorous and bold, serving as precious material for the art of calligraphy. On the northern bank’s cliffs, the characters “云峰” (Cloud Peak) and “谦山” (Modest Mountain) are carved halfway up the rock face. Because Su Dongpo once inscribed characters here, the Yuan Dynasty scholar Lu Zhi named the “浮休” characters on the Jidu Rock Cliff Carvings.

The “云峰” (Cloud Peak) and “坡山峡” (Sloping Mountain Gorge) characters of the Jidu Rock Cliff Carvings. On the terrace north of the carvings, there are ruins of architectural structures such as the Great Buddha Hall, the Eighteen Arhats, the Bell and Drum Tower, and the Su Shi Pavilion, along with six extant steles from the Ming and Qing dynasties. There is also a “Shuyu Pavilion” (Jade-Washing Pavilion), the founding date of which is unknown. However, according to the Qing Dynasty *Quyang County Annals*, Emperor Zhangzong of the Jin Dynasty once composed a poem titled *Shuyu Pavilion Poem*, indicating that the pavilion was built before the Jin Dynasty. None of these structures exist today.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Hebei Province