Carved Stones of the Flowing Cup Pool in Yibin

Carved Stones of the Flowing Cup Pool in Yibin

The Carved Stones of the Flowing Cup Pool in Yibin are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

To the north of Yibin’s suburbs lies Cuike Mountain (also known as Tianzhu Mountain). At the foot of the mountain, a massive boulder splits apart to form a natural gorge over 20 meters deep. At the bottom of the gorge, a clear spring flows gently, disappearing into the rocks — a remarkable natural wonder. In 1098 AD, the great poet Huang Tingjian, who had fallen out of favor with the imperial court and was demoted to the post of Prefectural Vice Magistrate, was exiled to the Qianjiang region of what is today Chongqing’s Qianjiang District. After arriving in Yibin, Huang often visited the area around Tianzhu Mountain for leisure, captivated by the landscape, waters, springs, and forests. Inspired by the story of Wang Xizhi’s Orchid Pavilion, he carved into the rugged valley to shape the terrain, channeled a spring through it, and inscribed the four large characters “Qu Shui Liu Shang” (Flowing Cup Stream) on the rocks. He would frequently invite Yibin’s cultural elite to join him here for flowing cup poetry gatherings. The creation of the “Flowing Cup Pool” added a significant cultural relic to Yibin.

Since the Song Dynasty, later generations have built structures such as “Fuweng Pavilion,” “Fuweng Tower,” “Valley of the Mountains Shrine,” and “Hanging Huang Tower” around the Flowing Cup Pool in memory of Huang Tingjian. Fuweng Tower was where Huang Tingjian once read, socialized, and practiced calligraphy, leaving behind masterpieces such as “Bitter Bamboo Shoots Ode” and “Lychee Green Praise” that have been passed down through generations. The tower was named after Huang’s alias “Fuweng” (Old Fisherman), and the plaque reading “Fuweng Tower” at its entrance was inscribed by Zhou Jianren, former Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. From the tower’s railing, one can enjoy the beautiful lotus pond to the west and the splendid view of the Flowing Cup Pool to the east. The garden vignette “Resting in the Valley” is located beside the lotus pond in the Flowing Cup Pool scenic area, depicting Huang Tingjian dressed casually, holding a book, and lost in thought by the pool. Two white cranes stand in the water beside him, giving this scene the alternate name “Two Cranes Accompany Fuweng” — an elegant, refreshing tableau rich in meaning that vividly reflects Huang’s serene and open-minded state of mind during his exile in Rongzhou. After the liberation, the Yibin Municipal People’s Government established a “Martyrs’ Cemetery” in the northeast corner of the Flowing Cup Pool and built the “Flowing Cup Pool” park. The Flowing Cup Pool and its inscribed stone carvings are located within “Fuweng Valley” in the Flowing Cup Pool Park on the north bank of Yibin. The valley stretches from east to west, approximately 5.2 meters long and 7 meters wide. Each end of the valley has a two-pillar stone gate. Stone steps lead down through the gate to the bottom of the valley. The pool, carved in the middle section of the valley’s eastern half, is serpentine in shape, about 5.2 meters long and 0.5 meters wide. The surrounding rock faces of the pool are densely covered with stone inscriptions, with 98 relatively intact inscribed stones. It was designated as a Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit in 1980.

On October 7, 2019, the Carved Stones of the Flowing Cup Pool in Yibin were included in the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Protected Area: The Flowing Cup Pool, three stone hills, and surrounding walking paths within “Fuweng Valley.”

Construction Control Zone: Extending 40 meters east to the park’s main gate, 40 meters north to the road south of the pool, 30 meters west to the path outside Fuweng Tower, and 105 meters south along the flagstone path from the security office to Mingxiang Tower.

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units