Danxia Mountain Cliff Carvings

Danxia Mountain Cliff Carvings

The Danxia Mountain Cliff Carvings are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Danxia Mountain Cliff Carvings

Danxia Mountain is located about 45 kilometers northeast of Shaoguan city center. It has a long history — as early as the Neolithic Age, ancient Yue people lived here, leaving behind the Niuyuzhuan cultural site.

Danxia Mountain has relatively abundant historical and cultural resources and a wealth of cultural attractions. It currently has 74 immovable cultural relics, including one provincial-level cultural relics protection unit — the Danxia Mountain Cliff Carvings Complex, which consists of the Tongtian Gorge Cliff Carvings, the Biechuan Temple Cliff Carvings, the Mengjue Pass Cliff Carving, and the Jinshiyan Cliff Carvings Complex. There are also 16 county (city, district)-level cultural relics protection units, mainly comprising a number of ancient buildings, ancient tombs, ancient sites, and rock paintings.

The Tongtian Gorge Cliff Carvings are located on the upper level of Laozhai Peak in the main scenic area of Danxia Mountain. They are mainly distributed across four sites: Danti Tielsuo, Yufeng Pavilion, Hailuo Peak, and Longwang Rock. There are a total of 15 stone carvings, including the largest cliff carving in the Danxia Mountain scenic area — the “Bieyou Tian” (A World Apart) Cliff Carving. “Bieyou Tian” is a precious cultural heritage dating back to the 23rd year of the Kangxi reign (1684), measuring 10.9 meters in length and 3.6 meters in height, with the largest character spanning 2.84 meters. The calligraphy is exquisite and the composition majestic, making it of great historical, cultural, and calligraphic research value.

In May 2013, the Danxia Mountain Cliff Carvings were listed as part of the seventh batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units