Xuan Shi Po & Li Ma Feng

Xuan Shi Po & Li Ma Feng

Xuan Shi Po is located within Changtu Xili Sumu in Sonid Left Banner (Mandula Town), Xilin Gol League, on a small hill about 3.5 kilometers northwest of the local township government office. Xuan Shi Po is actually three characters carved into a stone here, and next to it is another stone inscribed with the three characters “Li Ma Feng” (meaning “Horse-Standing Peak”). Beside these two stones is a third one, which bears a carved incense burner, four horse hoof prints, and an inscription explaining that this set of stone carvings was commissioned by the Ming Emperor Chengzu, Zhu Di, during his northern expedition in the eighth year of the Yongle era (1410).

There is a large recumbent ox-shaped rock, locally referred to by herders as “Tamaga Yuan Hada” (meaning “the stone with imprints”). On the sunny side of one such rock, the three bold regular-script characters “Xuan Shi Po” are horizontally carved, each character about 60 cm square and 4 cm deep. The stone has natural steps, and the lowest step features a 10 cm-deep incense burner carved for ritual purposes. Nine meters north of the Xuan Shi Po inscription is another recumbent ox-shaped rock about 1 meter high, bearing the equally large characters “Li Ma Feng.” Behind the cliff of this rock are four horse hoof prints, each 17 cm in diameter, symbolizing the spot where the supreme military commander once stood atop his horse. Ten meters east and six meters southwest of Xuan Shi Po, inscriptions in regular script are carved onto other ox-shaped rocks, each character about 10 cm in size. These inscriptions document the origin of the “Xuan Shi Po” and “Li Ma Feng” carvings.

Historical records indicate that this set of stone carvings was commissioned by Emperor Chengzu, Zhu Di, in 1410 (the eighth year of the Yongle era). At that time, northern nomadic tribes, led by the rebel leader Arughtai, launched attacks against the Ming Dynasty. In the seventh year of Yongle, the Ming general Qiu Fu led 100,000 troops on a northern campaign but suffered a major defeat, with Qiu Fu himself killed in battle. In the eighth year of Yongle, Emperor Chengzu personally led a grand army from Beijing on a second northern expedition, achieving successive victories along the way. To demonstrate imperial might, the emperor conducted heaven-and-earth worship ceremonies at each location he passed and erected stone tablets to commemorate the events. The two historical sites mentioned above are relics of Emperor Zhu Di’s ceremonial worship during his northern military campaign.

The terrain around Xuan Shi Po is flat and open, with numerous recumbent ox-shaped rocks scattered across the vast grasslands, making them highly conspicuous and striking. Visitors who climb onto these rocks to gaze into the distance often find themselves filled with a sense of historical reflection.

The great cliff of Li Ma Feng is located along the hiking route, about five li (approximately 2.5 km) beyond Ciguang Pavilion, near the Li Ma Bridge. Looking up from the bridge, you can see a towering cliff face plunging down from the opposite Li Ma Peak — this is the grand cliff of Li Ma Feng. The “Li Ma Feng Great Cliff” features “sheer cliffs on both sides, with nothing but the abyss below,” yet it is here that ten bold characters were carved: “Riding to Empty the East Sea, Ascending High to Gaze upon Peace.” These are considered the finest cliff inscriptions on the entire mountain. Carved at great risk to their lives, these characters by the stonemasons of old have now become a “monument” celebrating the diligence, bravery, and wisdom of working people.

Mandula Town: A town under the jurisdiction of Sonid Left Banner and the seat of the banner government. “Mandula” is a transliteration from Mongolian, meaning “prosperity.” It was designated as the Second Sumu in 1945, renamed Beilemiao Sumu in 1962, established as Mandula Town in 1968, changed to Chengguan Town in 1981, and reverted to its current name in 1982. Located in the central part of the banner, it covers an area of 325.6 square kilometers and has a population of 11,000. The Hohhot-Xilinhot and Xilinhot-Erenhot highways pass through the town. The town is divided into new and old districts. It administers Bayan Baolage, Shugaitu, Bayan Mengke, Saihan, Hugjiltu, Da... More detailed information on Mandula Town++