Ruins of Yaozhou (Medicine Island)

Ruins of Yaozhou

The Ruins of Yaozhou are designated as a Cultural Relics Protection Unit of Guangdong Province.

The Ruins of Yaozhou are located on Jiaoyu Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou City, China, also known as Jiuyao Garden. In the third year of Qiánhēng during the Southern Han Dynasty (919 AD), Liu Yan, the founding emperor of Southern Han, excavated a long lake measuring 500 zhang (approximately 1,600 meters today) in what is now Xihu Road and Jiaoyu Road, utilizing an existing natural pond. Historically referred to as Xihu (West Lake) or Xiān Hú (Fairy Lake), an island was created in the lake where alchemy was practiced in quest of elixirs, hence the name Yaozhou (Medicine Island). There were nine uniquely shaped rocks in the lake, known as the Jiuyao Rocks (Nine Luminaries Rocks). The lake was surrounded by pavilions, towers, halls, and terraces, offering beautiful scenery. In 1989, it was announced as a Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit of Guangdong Province. The renowned writer Mr. Zhu Qianhua gave a detailed account of “Yaozhou” in his essay collection on garden culture, *Rain on Banana Leaves Falling into Idle Courts: Records of Painted Boats in Lingnan*.

During the Southern Han period, there were nine famous rocks known as the "Jiuyao Rocks," later commonly referred to as "Jiuyao Garden." During the Five Dynasties, Liu Yan established dominance over Lingnan, founded the Southern Han Dynasty, made Guangzhou its capital, built the royal palace, and constructed detached palaces and villas. He dug a lake over 500 zhang to the west of the city, connecting to the southern palace grounds. The sandy islets in the lake were planted with flowers and medicinal herbs and named Yaozhou (Medicine Island), where...

...a large lake and unique rocks from three rivers were gathered. This area, with its lake, bridges, stones, and flowers, formed an exceptionally scenic garden landscape, marking a splendid chapter in the history of ancient gardens in Guangdong. After the Northern Song Dynasty unified Lingnan, Yaozhou became a popular destination for literati to cruise, compose poetry, and escape the summer heat, known as West Lake. In the first year of Jiading during the Southern Song Dynasty (1208), Regional Commander Chen Xian renovated the area, planted white lotuses on the lake, renamed it White Lotus Pond, and built the Ailian Pavilion. During the Ming Dynasty, the scene "Spring Dawn at Yaozhou" was listed as one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Yangcheng (Guangzhou). However, after the Ming and Qing dynasties, the lake gradually became silted and shrank.

By 1949, the Ruins of Yaozhou covered only a little over 2,000 square meters, including a lake area of 440 square meters, with only eight Taihu rocks remaining. Restoration of the Ruins of Yaozhou began in 1988, bringing buried scenic rocks to the surface and expanding the lake westward to recover part of its original expanse. In 1993, a gatehouse and stele corridor in the architectural style of the Five Dynasties were redesigned and reconstructed. The gatehouse is seven meters wide and 4.8 meters deep, featuring a flush-gable roof. Dozens of stone inscriptions related to the Jiuyao Rocks of Yaozhou, including poems and essays, are embedded in the newly built stele corridor on the north side of the lake.

Eight Remaining Rocks

The eight remaining rocks are:

1. The “Yaozhou” Rock with Mi Fu’s Inscription. Located on the north bank of the pool, this rock is 1.5 meters high and bears the inscription “Yaozhou” by Mi Fu, a famous calligrapher of the Song Dynasty, signed “Mi Fu Yuanzhang.” During the Qing Dynasty, this rock was once moved to the East Courtyard of the Guangdong Provincial Administration Commission and the Office of the Viceroy of Liangguang, but it was returned to its current location in the 1950s.

2. The “Haishang Zhou” Rock. On the northwest bank, this two-meter-high round-topped rock resembles a bull’s head, with over ten holes around it. During the Xining era of the Song Dynasty, Xu Yanxian inscribed a poem on the rock: “Flowers and herbs waft over the sea isle; cloud shadows drift over the water with sand flow. It seems the path connects to the Silver River; celestial visitors often come, challenging the stars.”

3. The “Pool East Rock.” At the eastern end of the lake, this rock consists of two layers: the upper rock looks like a black pig, and the lower one resembles a giant turtle, with small bubble-like holes on the surface.

4. The “Immortal Palm Rock.” Located south of the Pool East Rock, it bears an inscription by Mi Fu: “From the blue sea rises a mirage tower; from the green sky summer clouds ascend. Wondrous and strange rocks lie scattered, stirring patterns in heaven.” A Ming Dynasty figure, Guan Peng, inscribed the characters “Immortal Palm” next to the palm veins on the rock.

5. The “First of the Jiuyao Rocks.” On the east side of the stone embankment, this 3.4-meter-high rock resembles a sea turtle. During the 1988 restoration, the rock was lifted about two meters. At its base is an inscription from the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty reading “This is the First of the Jiuyao Rocks.” There are also seal script inscriptions such as “Bai Shi” (Worship the Rock) and clerical script “Long Ku” (Dragon Cave) by the Qing Dynasty calligrapher Weng Fanggang.

6. The “Yaozhou Rock.” Located slightly west in the lake, this bamboo-shoot-shaped rock is 2.4 meters high and bears the inscription “Yaozhou” by Weng Fanggang.

7. The Hollow White Rock. Located west of the “Yaozhou” Rock, it features two inscriptions from the Qing Dynasty.

8. The “Pearl Spring Rock.” Situated southwest in the lake, it has the inscription “Zhu Quan” (Pearl Spring) on the west side and “Diao Ji” (Fishing Rock) on the east.

In addition, several larger rock fragments remain scattered in the southwest corner and along the western shore of the lake.

In June 1989, the Guangdong Provincial Government declared it a Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit of Guangdong Province.

Beijing Street: 2013 Administrative Division Adjustment: New Beijing Street

Guangwei Street + Beijing Street

Office Address: No. 7 Yuehua Road (former site of the Guangwei Subdistrict Office)

Historically, Beijing Subdistrict was part of the oldest ancient city walls of Guangzhou — the “Renxiao City,” “Panyu City,” and “Zhao Tuo City” — and has been a scenic spot for hundreds of years. Today’s Xihu Road was once an ancient lake called “Xihu,” which hosted the “Jiuyao Rocks” in the lake, remnants of the nine uniquely shaped rocks on the “Xihu Yaozhou” from the Southern Han Dynasty. Also, the former site of the Guangzhou Culture Bureau at Zhongshan 4th Road now houses the “Qin…” [Beijing Subdistrict Detailed Information++]

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units