Jiangcheng Baxian Mountain

Jiangcheng Baxian Mountain

Departing by bus from Tiandong County, cross the You River and drive 50 kilometers south along the winding mountain road, and the picturesque town of Jiangcheng comes into view. It is a market town inhabited by the Zhuang people. The ancient Rongjiang River meanders through the area, irrigating the fertile fields on both banks; the delicate and beautiful mountains resemble a natural ancient city wall, encircling a vast flat basin. Hence the name “Jiangcheng” (River Town). It not only boasts beautiful scenery and a long history but also rich cultural and artistic heritage. The Jiangcheng cliff carvings, listed as a key cultural relic protection site of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, are masterpieces of cliff stone carving art from the Song Dynasty. The cliff carvings are located on the natural steep cliff at the front peak at the foot of Baxian Mountain in Jiangcheng Township. On a 20-meter-wide and 10-meter-high rock face, eight vividly sculpted human figures are finely carved, alongside a cow-headed, human-bodied figure.

The figures are over one meter tall. Judging by the images, these eight figures are the Eight Immortals from ancient Chinese mythology: Iron-Crutch Li, Han Zhongli, Zhang Guolao, He Xiangu, Lan Caihe, Lü Dongbin, Han Xiangzi, and Cao Guojiu. The cow-headed, human-bodied creature is referred to by the local Zhuang people as the “Cow-Headed Immortal.” According to local folklore: in ancient times, the immortals were commended for their efforts in moving mountains around Jiangcheng, and the Jade Emperor summoned them for an audience to grant them titles. When asked how many immortals there were, the cow-headed figure only reported eight, forgetting himself. The Jade Emperor then bestowed the title of immortality on those eight. As a result, the cow-headed figure was not granted a title. Later generations, to commemorate this being who remembered others but forgot himself in the face of honor, called him the Cow-Headed Immortal and carved his image into the cliff.

Regarding the age and carving details of the cliff carvings, according to historical records (Xiangdu Jiangcheng Guangji): “Baxian Mountain has eight peaks, which are steep and stand closely together, rising abruptly from the ground and exceeding 120 feet in height. The cliff in front of the peaks is as if cut by knives and axes. During the Song Dynasty, a local chieftain surnamed Huang, named Jiuxiao, was captivated by this mountain, believing it to be a fairyland, so he commissioned stonemasons (note: artisans who made millstones) to carve figures in accordance with the mountain’s form.” The Jiangcheng cliff carvings, which embody the essence of the painting and carving artistry of the ancestors of the Zhuang people, have withstood over 800 years of wind and rain and have been preserved to this day, now becoming a rare artistic treasure in Guangxi.