Nanshan Cliff Carvings

Nanshan Cliff Carvings

The Nanshan Cliff Carvings are a cultural relic protection unit of Guangdong Province.

Tang Dynasty – Republic of China, Yingde | The Nanshan Cliff Carvings are located on Nanshan Mountain, about one kilometer south of Yingcheng Town in Yingde County. Nanshan consists of eighteen peaks, both large and small. In the fifth year of the Zhongdatong era (533 AD) during the Liang Dynasty of the Southern Dynasties, the “Wanshou Temple” was built at the foot of the mountain, named for the auspicious meaning of “living as long as the southern mountain.” During the Tang and Song dynasties, Nanshan had 32 scenic spots such as pavilions and towers, attracting poets and visitors throughout the ages to inscribe their poems and writings. In the sixth year of the Yuanhe era (811 AD) of the Tang Dynasty, Hou Zhu, the magistrate of Zhenyang County, inscribed the name of the Nanshan scenic spot “Hanhuai Cave” on a cliff, marking the first cliff carving at Nanshan. From the Tang Dynasty to the Republic of China, there were originally more than 140 cliff carvings at Nanshan, with 106 surviving today. Among them, there are 5 from the Tang Dynasty, 59 from the Song Dynasty, 11 from the Ming Dynasty, 9 from the Qing Dynasty, 2 from the Republic of China, and 20 of undetermined date. The content includes inscribed names, records, characters, and poems, with poems being the most numerous. The scripts include seal, regular, running, and cursive styles. Notable examples include “Inscription and Preface on the Opening of the Dongling Cave Valley at Zhenyang Guoye Temple” by Yuanjie of the Tang Dynasty, an inscription by the Song Dynasty literary figure Su Dongpo—who was exiled to Yingzhou and visited Nanshan’s scenic spots with his young son Su Guo—, “Ten Poems on Nanshan with Preface” by Liu Zhongkan, the magistrate of Yingzhou in the Song Dynasty, “Record of the Waterwheel at Shengshou Temple in Yingzhou” by Shi Ruli, “Record of the Newly Opened Cliff Path in the Guangdong Route” by Zhang Yu, “Record of the Zhongle Pavilion in Yingzhou” by Li Xiu, as well as poem inscriptions by Du You of the Ming Dynasty, Li Diaoyuan of the Qing Dynasty, and the “Record of the Reconstruction of Nanshan Temple” from the Republic of China. Su Dongpo’s inscription at Nanshan reads: “Su Shi of Shu, style name Zizhan, exiled to Huizhou, moored my boat beneath the cliff, and toured Shengshou Temple with my young son Guo. I met the recluse Shi Ruli, who impressed me, and we spoke of the wonders of Luofu, not parting until dusk. Written on the twelfth day of the ninth month in the first year of the Shaosheng era.” This cliff carving was destroyed in 1969 during the construction of a firewood yard. The Nanshan Cliff Carvings began in the Tang Dynasty, flourished in the Song Dynasty, and continued until the Republic of China, spanning over 1,100 years. Most of the surviving carvings are well preserved, but some have peeled off and become illegible due to severe weathering, such as “Record of the Waterwheel” and “Record of the Cliff Path,” whose full texts can now only be found in historical documents.

In July 1962, the People's Committee of Guangdong Province designated it as a cultural relic protection unit.

Further Reading:

· First Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units