Prince Zhanghuai Cave

Prince Zhanghuai Cave

On the western side of Hezuo Township in the northeastern part of Yilong County, near the border with Bazhong, there stands a majestic and picturesque mountain called Tianping Mountain. With its main peak reaching nearly 700 meters in elevation, it stretches across the regions of Ba and Yi for dozens of miles, boasting rugged terrain and extraordinary beauty, as well as unparalleled steepness and seclusion. Since the Tang and Song dynasties, Zhanghuai Temple was built on the main peak of the mountain. Since then, Zhanghuai Temple replaced Tian...

Tianping Mountain, later also known as Zhanghuai Mountain, has an ancient temple on it called "Zhanghuai Temple." Why are both the mountain and the temple named "Zhanghuai"? According to the "History of the Tang Dynasty" and the "Twenty-Two Histories Notes," Empress Wu Zetian, the beloved consort of Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Li Zhi, bore him four sons: the eldest was Li Hong, the second was Li Xian, the third was Li Zhe, and the fourth was Li Dan. The eldest son, Li Hong, was the crown prince, known for his kind-hearted nature. Emperor Gaozong wanted to abdicate the throne to him, but Wu Zetian sought to usurp the throne and declare herself emperor, so she poisoned the eldest, Hong, to death with medicinal wine. In 675 AD, Emperor Gaozong then appointed his 22-year-old second son, Li Xian, as the crown prince, who was ordered to oversee national affairs. Li Xian was dignified in demeanor, diligent and studious, and highly talented in literature. He once gathered Confucian scholars of the time to jointly annotate the "Book of the Later Han" written by Fan Ye of the Southern Dynasties. In handling state matters, he also displayed remarkable competence. Wu Zetian, unable to achieve her ambitions, bore a deep resentment toward him in secret. Once, Li Xian offended a taboo, and although Emperor Gaozong wanted to pardon him, the Empress said, "To uphold righteousness even at the expense of one's kin is unforgivable," and thus had Xian demoted to a commoner and exiled to the remote and barren Tianping Mountain at the border between northern Sichuan’s Bazhong region. There, he lived in thatched cottages and survived on wild fruits and spring water.

After being driven to the desolate mountains of Bazhou, Crown Prince Li Xian did not abandon his studies but studied diligently day and night. Deeply affected by his father’s passing and his mother’s estrangement, he composed a poem titled "Ode to Melons on Huangtai," which read: “Melons are planted beneath Huangtai / When ripe, the fruits hang plump and spry / Pluck one, the rest still fare alright / Pluck two, and they begin to thin out / Even plucking three might pass the test / But pluck four, and all you’ll get is vines.” This poem soon reached the capital of Chang’an. When Wu Zetian learned of it, she felt that her authority had been challenged and grew resentful. She dispatched Jinwu General Qiu Shenji to Bazhou, ordering Li Xian to take his own life. Li Xian was only 31 years old at the time.

Later, after Wu Zetian’s death, Li Xian was posthumously honored as Prince Zhanghuai. Starting from the Song Dynasty, temples were constructed on the sites where Li Xian stayed while wandering through the Ba-Yi region as a tribute to him, and these temples came to be known as "Zhanghuai Temple." Throughout the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, the temple experienced periods of flourishing and decline. The dilapidated ruins of Zhanghuai Temple that can be seen today are structures from the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty. In the past, the temple was divided into a front hall, main hall, rear hall, and left and right side halls. In the main and side halls of Zhanghuai Temple, apart from enshrining statues of Sakyamuni, Skanda, the Four Heavenly Kings, Wenchang, and the Plague God, there were also specially crafted gilded clay statues of Empress Wu Zetian and Crown Prince Li Xian, placed in the Guomu Hall.

About 200 meters away from Zhanghuai Temple, on the edge of a mountainside, there is a smooth and protruding large rock. Resembling a giant magical mushroom that descended from the sky, it perches precariously on the steep cliff. Legend has it that in the past, when Crown Prince Li Xian lived alone on the mountain, every morning at sunrise, he would rise and carry books to this rock, facing the rising sun to recite and chant poetry. On the eastern side of the rock, there is a naturally formed recessed cliff, and at the center of this cliff is a cave. There is no path leading to it other than that which birds could use to reach it. From afar, it looks like a large silvery-white mirror hanging on the side of Zhanghuai Temple’s mountain cliff, and people call this rock the "Crown Prince Rock."

The Crown Prince Cave is embedded within the walls of Crown Prince Rock, which itself clings to the eastern edge of Zhanghuai Mountain. The cave and the rock, and the rock and the mountain, complement each other beautifully. The round boulder atop Crown Prince Rock kisses the elements of wind, frost, rain, and snow day and night. Over the long river of history, the stubborn...

surface of the stone gradually turned grey-black. No vegetation grows on it, save for some moss. Walking around the outer edge of the rock covers roughly 180 steps. In the center of the rock’s top are the three characters “Pu Tuo Yuan” (Putuo Courtyard), each over 33 centimeters in size, arranged horizontally. There are many poems inscribed nearby, all written by visitors. Among them is a seven-character verse that reads:

Lofty crags guard the Nine Dragons’ might, Glistening waves reflect peaks bright. Scaling cliffs, no toil I fear, Mist-kissed scenes into the crystal sphere.

This short poem captures the grandeur of Crown Prince Rock, the strategic steepness of Jiulongchang, the wonder of Zhanghuai Mountain’s peaks, and the turquoise waters of Hezuo Reservoir, painting them into a...

natural tapestry that inspires travelers to explore the boundless beauty of Crown Prince Valley.

About 20 meters below the Crown Prince Cave, on the edge of a mountain cliff, lies a narrow stretch of overgrown meadow where remnants of temple foundations remain. In the past, locals built a temple nestled against the mountain and rock here to worship...

Crown Prince Li Xian.

Upon this lush and verdant Zhanghuai Mountain—aside from the time-honored fame of Crown Prince Rock and Crown Prince Cave—there are also countless oddly shaped small and large peaks and caves scattered across the mountain’s front and back. There are 82 ravines and 72 mounds in total. Some of the more well-known caves include: Lotus Cave, Dragon King Cave, Three-Eared Cave, Sparrow Hawk Cave,...

Cliff-Carving Cave, Ox Horn Cave, Twin-Linked Cave, Fire East Cave, Rear Ridge Cave, and Rock- penetrating Cave. The more famous peaks include: Wooden Fish Peak, Pagoda Peak, Sharp Mountain...

Peak, Purple Tour Peak, Rooftop Peak, Golden Horn Peak, Beak Peak, Chicken Mountain, Tile Peak, Epidemic Ox Peak, Big Fold Peak, and Ox Back Peak. Zhanghuai Mountain has indeed become a domain of...

mounds and caves.

A veritable kingdom of peaks and caverns.