Three Visits Cave Cliff Inscriptions

Three Visits Cave Cliff Inscriptions

The Three Visits Cave Cliff Inscriptions are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Three Visits Cave Cliff Inscriptions are located on Yemingzhu Road in the northern suburbs of Yichang City, at the confluence of the northern bank of the Xiling Gorge’s mouth on the Yangtze River and the Xiajiang Stream. In the 14th year of the Yuanhe era during the Tang Dynasty (819 AD), three renowned poets and men of letters—Bai Juyi, Bai Xingjian, and Yuan Zhen—first explored the cave. Bai Juyi composed the “Preface to the Three Visits Cave,” which he inscribed on the stone wall, and from then on, the cave became known as the Three Visits Cave. Since then, generations of literati, scholars, and poets have flocked here in search of its serene beauty, competing to leave poetic inscriptions and literary works. Currently, there are 43 cliff inscriptions preserved in the cave, dating from the Song Dynasty to the Republic of China period, including 12 from the Song Dynasty, 2 from the Ming Dynasty, and 3 others. Among them are poem steles by famous literary figures such as Ouyang Xiu, Huang Tingjian, and Su Shi. In the 6th year of the Ming Dynasty’s Wanli era (1578), Kuang Duo, the magistrate of Yiling, re-engraved Bai Juyi’s “Preface to the Three Visits Cave,” and there is also an inscription by Feng Yuxiang that reads, “Who killed our fellow countrymen’s parents and brothers?”

The Three Visits Cave Cliff Inscriptions have left behind a wealth of precious historical materials and handwritten texts, making them important resources for studying Chinese calligraphy art.

In 2006, the State Council designated them as part of the sixth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Address: Xiling Mountain, Nanjin Pass, Xiling District, Yichang City, 443002

Type: Historical Site

Further Reading:

· First Batch of Hubei Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units