Carvings on Baiheliang

Carvings on Baiheliang

The carvings on Baiheliang are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The carvings on Baiheliang are located in the Yangtze River channel north of Fuling City, Sichuan Province.

Baiheliang is a natural stone ridge, stretching 1,600 meters from east to west and over 10 meters wide from north to south. It remains submerged under water year-round, only emerging during the dry seasons of winter and spring, making it a renowned ancient hydrological site in the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River.

Since the Tang Dynasty, a total of 36 stone fish have been carved on Baiheliang, though many have become blurred over time due to age. During the Qing Dynasty, Xiao Xing, the magistrate of Fuzhou, ordered stonemasons to re-carve two carp based on the old inscriptions and to add commemorative engravings. Normally, these stone fish remain underwater, only surfacing during dry spells. Around the stone fish are markings indicating the lowest water levels recorded over 72 years from the first year of the Guangde era of the Tang Dynasty (763 AD) to the early 20th century — a span of 1,200 years. According to decades of measured hydrological data from the main stream of the Yangtze River, the river’s lowest water levels tend to occur roughly every ten years, which aligns well with the records on the stone fish. As a result, these carvings hold significant historical value for studying drought patterns in the middle and upper Yangtze, as well as for informing production, construction, and navigation. There is an old saying: “When the stone fish emerge, a bountiful harvest follows.” In 1953, 1963, and 1973, the stone fish on Baiheliang emerged three times, and in those years the local area enjoyed bumper harvests. As a result, the stone fish came to be regarded as an indicator of agricultural yields.

In addition to the fish and hydrological carvings, the stone ridge also features more than 160 inscriptions of poetry and prose by literary figures and poets throughout various dynasties, such as Huang Tingjian, Chao Gongsu, Zhu Ang, and Wang Shizhen. These works display a full range of calligraphic styles including regular, cursive, clerical, and seal scripts, carved along the contours of the stone in a dazzling array. Hence, Baiheliang has also earned the reputation of being an “underwater forest of steles.” (National Cultural Heritage Administration)

Chongyi Subdistrict: Emerged as a result of the administrative division adjustments in May 2008, Chongyi Subdistrict in Fuling District was formed by merging the former Qiaonan Development Zone — which previously had combined governmental and economic functions — with six communities from the original Chongyi Subdistrict. It serves as the western gateway connecting Chongqing’s influence to the main urban area of Fuling and is a major component of the southern bank area of Fuling’s main city, as well as the core growth pole of the western urban economic belt. Its office is located at No. 4 Shuangbao Road, Fuling District. The jurisdiction covers an area of 11.24 square kilometers, includes 10 community neighborhood committees and 1 resettlement community management committee, and has a permanent population of 83,000. The area has… Chongyi Subdistrict detailed information++

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units