Chengmai Shigu Ridge

Chengmai Shigu Ridge

Shigu Ridge is located 2 kilometers south of Xinwu Market in Chengmai County. The stone drum is situated on the ridge, from which the ridge gets its name. The area is covered with rugged, upright boulders scattered irregularly. Among them, there is a massive rock supported by several smaller stones, jutting out over the ground — this is the stone drum. There are two such rocks, standing tall from south to north. The one in the front closely resembles the head of a carp just emerging from the water — it is over 3 meters high, more than 2 meters wide, and about 4 meters long. The one behind is semi-circular and drooping, with angular protrusions on top, and has a diameter of about 3 meters. The county annals record: “...there are two stones standing side by side, which produce a sound like drums or bells when struck. During festivals, many people would strike them for amusement.” Locals enjoy hitting the stones as a pastime.

According to folklore, in ancient times, the stone drums would produce sounds by themselves at night — including the noise of gongs, drums, and even eight-tone instrumental music, playing throughout the night until dawn. This phenomenon stopped after the family of Zhang Yuesong, a top imperial scholar from Ding’an, moved their ancestral grave to a spot not far in front of the stone drums in the ninth year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty (1744). Nowadays, when struck with a stone, the drums produce different resonant “dong-dong” sounds. Both Shigu Ridge and Shigu Village derive their names from these stone drums.

Source: Party History Research Office of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee