It is said that the legendary Dizhu (Pillar) is located in Sanmenxia.

It is said that the legendary Dizhu (Pillar) is located in Sanmenxia.

The Midstream Pillar is situated in the turbulent waters beneath the Sanmenxia Dam. Boatmen on the Yellow River also call it "Come Toward Me," and it is about 30 kilometers from the city center. In winter, when the water is shallow, more than two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) of it emerges above the surface; during flood season, only a tip is visible, seemingly on the verge of being swallowed by the surging waters — a truly thrilling sight. For thousands of years, whether facing the onslaught of natural disasters or the battering of raging waves, it has steadfastly held back the floodwaters, standing firmly in the middle of the Yellow River like a fierce lion perched atop a cliff — unyielding and fearless. Since ancient times, it has been regarded as a symbol of the Chinese nation's spirit. In 638 AD, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin, visited this site and composed the verse: "Looking up at the Pillar, gazing north to the Dragon Gate, the vast traces of Yu the Great, the boundless vitality of spring." He ordered the eminent minister Wei Zheng to have the inscription engraved on the shaded side of the pillar. The renowned calligrapher Liu Gongquan also wrote a poem about it, which includes such memorable lines as: "A lone peak floats on the water’s surface, a pillar nails the heart of the waves. It braces against the treacherous Three Gates, its roots linked deep within the winding river. Its towering shape pierces the sky, rising abruptly, riding the waves as it drifts up and down."

It is said that the Pillar was either a stone left behind by Yu the Great to tame the river during his flood control efforts, or the embodiment of an old ferryman of the Yellow River. Long ago, an elderly ferryman led several cargo boats downstream. When they reached the mouth of Shenmen Gorge, the weather suddenly turned violent, with fierce winds and torrential rain. In an instant, the canyon was engulfed by towering white waves and thick mist, making it impossible to discern the currents or directions. As the old ferryman navigated through Shenmen, his small boat was on the verge of being driven toward the rocks by the wind and waves. With a loud shout, he cried, "Hold the rudder steady, come toward me!" Then he leapt into the churning waves. The boatmen were still bewildered when they heard someone ahead shouting, "Come toward me, come toward me!" It was the old ferryman, standing in the midst of the rapids, guiding the boat. As the boatmen approached to pull him aboard, a wave pushed their boat downstream, away from danger. After securing the boat downstream, they returned to look for the old ferryman, only to find that he had transformed into a rocky islet, standing tall in the rapids, guiding passing vessels. Thus, this rocky islet — the "Midstream Pillar" — is also called "Come Toward Me."

Since then, the Midstream Pillar has served as a navigational beacon in the canyon. After passing through the Three Gates, boats would steer directly toward the Pillar. Just as it seemed the vessel would collide with the Pillar, the backwash from the waves in front of it would push the boat safely to the side, avoiding hidden reefs and leading it smoothly out of the gorge.

At the confluence of two rivers, a massive rock rises from the middle of the water, standing about a hundred feet high. It alone can be worthy of the title "Midstream Pillar," holding back the surging waters just as they are about to overwhelm everything. Only this huge rock truly deserves the distinction. During the Ming Dynasty, the censor Cai Chao built a pavilion on this rock, naming it the "Stride Over the Turtle" Pavilion, and inscribed it with the words "Pillar Firm in Midstream."

The Copper Rock Stride Over the Turtle Pavilion was first built during the Ming Dynasty’s Zhengde era. In the 49th year of the Kangxi reign, the regional administrator Su Qixin constructed two additional pavilions, upper and lower, renamed the site "Little Golden Mountain," and inscribed the cliffs with the phrase: "Twin pavilions sway amid the sea of clouds, a single pillar stands firm against the wind and waves."