Horse Peeing

Horse Peeing

Horse Peeing

At the foot of the majestic Liuwang Mountain Range lies a little-known earthly paradise: a clear spring gushes out from a crevice in the rocks more than ten meters high, cascading straight down to the valley floor. The pristine water seems to fall from the heavens, with the sparkling, crystal-clear stream producing a refreshing, sweet taste. The unusual scenery here—with its unique rocks and distinctive waters and picturesque landscapes—attracts countless passersby who marvel at and linger to admire its extraordinary charm. This is the breathtaking sight at Songwang Town, nestled at the foot of Mazi Ridge, one of the Three Great Ridges of Bobai—Horse Peeing.

Approaching Horse Peeing, you’ll find lush green trees and captivatingly clear blue waters all around. Seeing this scene, one can’t help but recall a beautiful local legend: It is said that Guanyin (the Goddess of Mercy) wanted to keep an eye on happenings in the human world every day. One day, she specially selected a tall, handsome, and battle-hardened steed from Tianma Pool to patrol the mortal realm. Upon receiving the command, the steed dutifully set off on its mission to survey the human world from the distant heavens. Along the way, it endured great hardships, braving thunderstorms and lightning, yet the steed faced everything fearlessly, forging ahead bravely and remaining loyal to its duty.

One day, as the steed was patrolling, it grew extremely tired and decided to find a place to rest. Suddenly, it spotted a nearby area covered in blooming flowers, alive with birdsong and fragrant with blossoms. The fields were abundant with crops, and the people—hardworking, simple, and kind—were engaged in farming and weaving, singing and dancing, creating a peaceful, idyllic scene reminiscent of a heavenly paradise. Feeling that this was a perfect spot to rest, the steed chose to stay there for the night. But as it approached the edge of the village and prepared to relieve itself, this decision turned out to be a grave mistake—one it would never undo. From that moment on, the steed remained here, never able to return to the heavens, forever bound to the mortal world. Today, when you enter Songwang along the Boshahai Coastal Passage and look westward, the silhouette of a proud steed comes into view—a magnificent, gallant horse indeed.

This horse lies to the north of Songwang Town, stretching for dozens of miles with extraordinary momentum. Its head faces Sheguang Ridge, while its tail extends toward Hepu. “Horse Peeing” is located right at the tail of this steed. Initially, curious visitors came to see this unusual place and flocked here to find out more. As the extraordinary sight spread by word of mouth—from one person to ten, then ten to a hundred—it became widely known locally. Each day, a growing stream of people came to witness it, gradually making the site famous. Hence, travelers began calling it

“Horse Peeing.”

Strangely enough, this heavenly steed seemed to possess a deep understanding of human nature. During hot summer days, the “urine” it produced was particularly cool and refreshing, offering relief from the heat to people and watering the surrounding farmland to nourish the crops. The “urine” flowed downward into vast expanses of fertile fields, bringing a perpetual spring-like atmosphere of peace, joy, birdsong, and floral fragrance. This equine “urine” eventually formed what is today the mother river of the region—the Songwang River.

According to local folklore, the “urine” flowing from “Horse Peeing”

could even ward off disasters, cure illnesses, and prolong life if consumed by villagers. Once, a child from a farming family cried incessantly, had been sick for a long time, and appeared pale and thin. Despite visiting many doctors and trying numerous remedies with no improvement, the situation changed dramatically one day. As the farmer returned home from a medical visit with his child, they happened to pass by “Horse Peeing.” The thirsty child asked for water, so the farmer, in a hurry, fetched some spring water from “Horse Peeing” to quench the child’s thirst. After drinking it, the child never needed further medical treatment and soon recovered completely. The farmer found this incident very puzzling, and when he told others, they were equally baffled.

Legend has it that during the Ming and Qing dynasties, a prominent family surnamed Zhu lived by the river. The Zhu family was known for their loyalty, generosity, diligence in farming and studying, and for producing generations of scholars. Among them were individuals who achieved success in the imperial examinations, becoming juren (presentative degree holders) and jinshi (advanced scholars). Yet despite their achievements, the Zhu family did not seek fame or wealth, living modest, peaceful lives. By the early 20th century, however, a historical figure emerged from this family—Zhu Guang. An upright and learned man, Zhu Guang followed Mao Zedong and others in the fight to establish New China. During the Long March, he endured countless hardships and battles, surviving life-and-death struggles through southward and northward campaigns, making immortal contributions to the liberation of the Chinese nation. His fellow villagers take great pride in him, glorifying the fact that their blessed homeland nurtured such an outstanding historical figure.

Ancient legends and beautiful earthly paradises have endowed today’s rich and vibrant Songwang. The local people are now riding the waves of the booming Beibu Gulf development, seizing a second wave of opening-up opportunities. By liberating their thinking, updating concepts, opening their mountainous region, and actively integrating into the sweeping tide of the Beibu Gulf’s openness, they are accelerating development and making the magical “Horse Peeing” even more spectacular:

In 2006, the town’s fiscal revenue exceeded 3 million yuan, ranking first among Yulin City’s economically progressing towns (streets) for that year. Taking advantage of the greening, beautification, and illumination of the government’s small courtyard and the campus construction of Zhuguang Middle School, efforts to accelerate small-town urbanization have intensified. More than 2 million yuan was invested in installing streets and improving street greening and lighting. Over 3 million yuan went into new urban area development, speeding up the pace of small-town construction. Infrastructure construction has also been significantly enhanced, with funds raised to build rural roads and outbound rural roads. Currently, the town has paved roads from Hengtang to Dadong and from Songwang to Jishui. A planned road from Longdong to Hepu’s Zhangjia coastal passage and river-crossing route will commence construction this year. The four-lane Yulin–Tieshan Port Expressway, which will run through Songwang and connect with Longtan, is on the verge of completion and will begin construction this year, bringing the rural roads at the foot of “Horse Peeing” closer to the sea.

Songwang is fully committed to creating an ecological “back garden” of the Beibu Gulf, featuring “green mountain coverage, tree-lined market towns, and green farmsteads.”

Now, the mountains are greener, the waters clearer, and the roads smoother. Outside investors have recognized Songwang’s ecological “back garden” as a true “fengshui treasure land”: a Hong Kong businessman, Liu Guangping, invested over 40 million yuan to build a large plywood factory in Zhoubei, while a Hunan businessman, Wang Gongsheng, invested more than 10 million yuan to develop a lead-zinc mine, among other enterprises that have settled here. Today, thanks to the beautiful and legendary story of “Horse Peeing,” Songwang enjoys thriving businesses—rice mills are exported across Southeast Asia, and bamboo and rattan products are shipped overseas.

Additionally, the “hometown of culture” is vigorously building a brand in education: since 1995, over 3 million yuan has been raised to construct “Zhuguang Middle School.” By leveraging the influence of a “celebrity,” the school has grown significantly and become a highlight of Bobai County’s education system. In recent years, Songwang’s middle school entrance exam results have consistently ranked among the top in the county, with a number of outstanding students advancing to prestigious national universities such as Tsinghua University and the University of Science and Technology of China, bringing everlasting pride to the people of this “hometown of culture.”