Dachong Karman

Dachong Karman

Dachong Karman

The Dachong Karman below Huludong in Jiahe Heping Village is also one of the key western fortifications of Baini Tun built by Shui Wen Ankun alongside Budong, Hou'er Pass, and Lanma Wall. This area is steeped in fascinating legends.

The Dog Bridge made of seven large stones

The Dimu River section beneath the Karman, located in the upper reaches of the Nayong River, serves as the boundary river between Nayong and Shuicheng, as well as Liuzhi Special District, to the southwest of Baini Tun. The area features steep slopes and deep valleys with rapid currents. Mountain ranges such as the Eighteen Arhats Mountain, Giant Panda Mountain, Duonier Small Peak, and Tiegai Liangzi stretch for dozens of miles along the western side of the river. These majestic and towering peaks stand proudly across the river right before the Karman. When viewed from the top of Huludong, they resemble a general deploying his troops. The Zhengjia Ferry on the river was an important waterway connecting Shuicheng and Liuzhi Special District to Baini Tun. When Ankun established the Eighteen Forts, he built a post road that passed from Nuoxi Maya, through the Karman, down to the Zhengjia Ferry, and directly to Azha Tun in Shuicheng. This post road could then continue northeast via Hou'er Pass, Guizong Nazhi, Wozhe, and across Mukong River to reach Dading City—the capital of the Water West region during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

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Today’s Dafang County

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and its Jiuceng Ya, served as a vital land and water thoroughfare from the northeast to the southwest within the Water West region at the time.

Back then, the Zhengjia Ferry was a large swirling pool with deep and fast-flowing waters. When the post road reached this point, Ankun constructed a stone bridge here.

The bridge was

5

zhang tall,

16

zhang long,

1

zhang wide, and

2

chi in additional measurement. Skilled stonemasons were hired, and all construction used bluestone. Each day, over a thousand workers labored on site. In less than half a year, a single-arch stone bridge was erected between the foot of Luohan Mountain and the large swirling pool. Just as the bridge’s apex stone was about to be placed to complete the structure, an elderly man suddenly appeared—dressed in tattered clothes, leaning on a cane, with white hair and beard. He claimed to the overseer that he wanted to cross the bridge. The overseer, seeing the old man’s destitute appearance resembling a beggar, looked down on him and said the man was unfit to cross the bridge. No sooner had the overseer spoken than the old man vanished abruptly. Instantly, violent winds blew, thunder roared, lightning flashed, heavy rain poured, and the river surged violently, sweeping the stone bridge away. Once the storm subsided and the waters calmed, the old man reappeared at the construction site. He murmured to himself, “People’s hearts have grown unkind, thus they are punished. Let me simply pick up a few stones and build you a makeshift bridge to see.” With that, the old man waved his cane, and in the blink of an eye, seven large stones of varying sizes and shapes, each weighing tens of thousands of pounds, flew in from all directions. They leaned against one another and floated steadily on the water surface where the bridge had been, with clear water flowing peacefully beneath them. The old man then pointed to the seven stones and said to those present, “My makeshift bridge can not only be used by pedestrians, but even dogs can leap across it.” Having spoken, he vanished gracefully. The overseers were terrified and stared at each other in shock. From then on, the place became known as “Dog Bridge.”

Later, it was said that the celestial Taibai Star Lord had made an appearance. Travelers who passed by were amazed that such heavy stones could float on the river without sinking, believing it beyond human capability and a rare wonder in the world. To this day, the foundation of the stone bridge built by An Xuanwei remains, and there are still unused construction stones from that time on both banks that were not washed away by the flood. During the dry seasons of autumn and winter, when the water level is low, travelers indeed walk across the seven large stones.

1981

In a certain year, Wang Dexue and Wang Zufa from Wangjiazhai in Shuicheng pooled funds to build a wire board bridge here.

1988

In another year, the board bridge was replaced with an iron cable suspension bridge, using hanging buckets for crossing, making it even more convenient for pedestrians traveling between the two banks.

Stone Dragon Spouting Water

On the mountain west of Dog Bridge stand eighteen peaks, each resembling a uniquely shaped large Buddha, collectively called the Eighteen Arhats. Legend has it that upon hearing the miraculous tale of the Taibai Star Lord building the bridge, the Eighteen Arhats, stirred with curiosity, rode a stone dragon to the Dimu River to see for themselves. They were deeply impressed by the uniqueness of the Dog Bridge.

Indeed, right next to the west side of the bridge is a cliff face resembling the gaping mouth of a dragon’s head, complete with realistic depictions of horns, eyes, whiskers, and claws. About a zhang above the river surface, a spring as thick as a bucket gushes out like a silver ribbon. Its color remains unchanged year-round, flowing directly from the dragon’s mouth into the river, merging with the waters of the Dimu River. It is said to be the dragon’s saliva spouted by the stone dragon ridden by the Eighteen Arhats. This sight complements the Dog Bridge, creating a spectacular view known as “Stone Dragon Spouting Water.”

Rhino Water along the cliffs near Jiafengyan, upstream along the east bank of Dog Bridge for

200

meters, features a towering stone wall that reaches into the clouds. Legend says that in ancient times, a phoenix flew from afar and landed on the stone wall, which suddenly split apart and crushed the phoenix to death—hence the name “Jiafengyan” (Clamped Phoenix Rock). To the right of Jiafengyan lies Lijiashulin (Li Family Woods), a towering stone mountain that resembles a mighty ox rearing proudly on the eastern riverbank. Near the shore is a cave that extends deep inside. The cave entrance is two meters high and unfathomably deep. At a height of

10

meters from the ground, on the “head” of the ox, there are two nostril-like openings on the left and right. From these, springs spout water that cascades through the air like a fairy scattering blossoms. The water does not flow from both nostrils simultaneously but alternates—left for seven days, then right for seven days. This alternating spouting is puzzling and fascinating.

Above Lijiashulin in Jiake Heping, during the Qing Dynasty, belonged to the Eighth Unit of Jiahe Li in Dading Prefecture. The river slope to the right of the woods served as the community’s year-round grazing land for cattle, covered with tender green grass, fragrant sumac, and small beanbrush, while the riverbanks were lined with reeds. According to legend, during the Kangxi era, villagers from Hepingba grazing their cattle on the river slope found one evening that a calf-like creature had mingled with the herd. No family claimed it. Later, the village head (

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an ancient local official) locked the calf together with his own water buffalo in the pen. The villagers found this strange. The next day, when they took the cattle out to graze, everyone followed to the river slope to investigate. As soon as the herd reached Lijiashulin, the calf suddenly darted into the cave and disappeared. Only then did people realize it was actually a rhinoceros. Henceforth, the spring emerging from the nostril-like cave openings came to be known as “Rhino Water.”

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They shut the calf in the pen with the family's water buffalo. The villagers found it strange. The next day, when they let the cattle out to graze, everyone followed them up to the riverbank to watch. To their surprise, as soon as the herd reached the woods of the Li family’s property, the calf suddenly darted into a cave and disappeared. Only then did people realize what had happened—it was actually a rhinoceros. That’s how the spring water flowing from the cow-nose cave came to be called Rhino Water.