Cliff Carvings at Leipo Ridge

Cliff Carvings at Leipo Ridge

The Leipo Ridge Cliff Carvings are a cultural relic protection unit of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Leipo Ridge Carvings

The Yongning District cultural relic protection unit, dating from the Qing Dynasty, is located on the northern side of Leipo Ridge, east of Namong Village, Zhenlong Township, Yongning District. It is currently managed by the Yongning District Cultural Relics Management Office and under the jurisdiction of the Yongning District Culture and Sports Bureau. The Leipo Temple Cliff Carvings are found on Leipo Ridge, which rises to an elevation of 209 meters in the eastern part of Zhenlong Township, Yongning District, approximately 1 kilometer southwest of Namong. The surrounding area consists of mountainous terrain, with the carvings primarily located within a large fissure on the northern side of the ridge’s summit. The fissure extends about 50 meters in length and reaches heights of around 7 meters, with cliff faces on both sides. Nearby grow ironwood trees, banyans, and camphor trees. According to the “Leipo Temple Stele Inscription,” every year on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, scholars and visitors of all ages would gather to enjoy the scenery and participate in Taoist rituals. Afterwards, they would carve inscriptions into the cliff face as mementos. This tradition began in the 24th year of the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty (1819 AD) and has continued to this day. The inscriptions mostly praise the beauty of the landscape, though some also commemorate virtuous individuals and deeds. Examples include “A Paradise on Earth,” “Famous Mountain and Immortal Cave,” “Virtue Shines Brightly on the Peak,” “Great Tao and Vast Virtue,” “The Pingling Battle Struck Fear into the Enemy’s Heart, the Hanlin Fight Broke the Demon’s Stronghold,” and others. The carving area covers approximately 350 square meters, with a total of 43 separate works. The earliest dates back to the 24th year of the Jiaqing reign (1819 AD), with subsequent additions spanning the Daoguang era. The carvings come in various formats, including vertical scrolls, circular designs, fan shapes, and couplet styles. About 90% of the carvings are in stone, with the largest measuring 3.18 meters in length and 1.24 meters in width, while the smallest is a circle with a diameter of 0.46 meters. The scripts used include regular script, running script, Wei-style script, and clerical script, with the largest characters measuring 53×49 cm.

Nalou Town: Nalou Town is located in the southeastern part of Yongning District, Nanning City. The town government is based in Nalou Street, which is 26 kilometers from the district center and 45 kilometers from the city center. Nalou Street, the location of the town government, is a bustling market in Yongning District and serves as a regional hub for nearby areas such as Liuxu Town in Qingxiu District, and Bajie, Xinjiang, and Zhonghe Townships in Yongning District, covering a population of over 100,000. The town covers an area of 1.3 square kilometers, with a permanent resident population of 13,200. Transportation is convenient, with the county-crossing road from Pumiao to Taiping running through the entire area. The town administers 22 village (residential) committees, 97 natural villages (pō), and 719 villager groups. In 2010... More detailed information about Nalou Town++