Iron Oxen of the Jing River

Iron Oxen of the Jing River

Located on the inner side of the Yangtze River embankment in Jiangling County, Hubei Province, about 2 kilometers from the county town. It is a historic site and scenic spot for sightseeing. Due to frequent flooding of the Jing River, to pray for divine protection, Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty issued an edict in the 53rd year of his reign (1788 AD) to cast nine iron oxen to guard the river. These were placed at key perilous sections of the Jing River embankment such as Guanyin Jetty. In the 9th year of the Xianfeng era (1859 AD), another iron ox was placed by the riverbank in Haoxue. It is said that the water dragons that stir up waves fear iron. According to the Five Elements theory, the ox belongs to earth, and earth can control water. The iron ox combines both elements, hence it was used to guard the river embankment. Inscriptions on the backs of the iron oxen read: “Lofty and unyielding, their virtue is pure and true; they produce beauty and nurture treasures, guarding the riverbank; fierce waves do not rise, and strange creatures are all tamed; for thousands of years, they bless our people.” The inscriptions on the iron oxen have become historical testimonies to the floods of the Yangtze River and are rare and precious cultural relics in the flood prevention history of the Jing River.