Cliff Carving of the Jingjiang Prefecture City Map

Cliff Carving of the Jingjiang Prefecture City Map

The Cliff Carving of the Jingjiang Prefecture City Map is a cultural tourism attraction.

The "Jingjiang Prefecture City Map," carved on the mountainside of South Parrot Mountain in the northern part of the city, is the largest surviving ancient cliff carving city map in China. It reflects the scientific planning and formidable defenses of Guilin’s city construction at the time. The dense and numerous cliff carvings spread across Guilin's famous mountains and caves are unique among southern Chinese cities.

In the late Southern Song Dynasty, when Mongol rulers launched military campaigns into Guangxi, Guilin—known as the “nerve center for deploying troops and generals”—undertook a 14-year city defense project from the sixth year of the Baoyou era (1258) to the eighth year of the Xianchun era (1272). Upon completion of the city fortifications, this map was carved. The map is 3.21 meters high and 2.98 meters wide. It depicts major streets and scenic mountains and rivers, but focuses primarily on military camps, government offices, and bridges and ferries. It also labels sites such as Nanding Stockade, Shujun Stockade, Shujiang Ya, Wanghuo Tower, Duzuoying, Xiaojiaochang, Guilin Post, Majun Stockade, Youjun Stockade, and Shoubing Stockade, presenting a bird’s-eye view of a heavily garrisoned military stronghold. The top of the map includes an inscription detailing the construction process, dimensions of the city walls, labor, and materials used. This city map is second in age only to the existing "Pingjiang Prefecture City Map" in Suzhou.