The largest cliff inscription in Western Beijing

　　At the summit of Xianlong Mountain near Hot Spring Village, there is a massive blackish-gray rock wall inscribed with four large characters reading "水流云在" (Flowing Water, Lingering Clouds). This is the renowned largest cliff inscription in Western Beijing. Each of the four characters spans four square meters, standing majestically and impressively. Below the main inscription is a note that reads: "Ying Lianzhi, together with his wife Shuzhong and young son, traveled here from afar and, inspired by a line from Du Fu's poetry, inscribed this to express their sentiments in the first month of the year following the abdication of Emperor Xuantong." Each character of the note is also over 0.3 square meters, with the total area covering approximately 30 square meters. The stone itself is a large slab of bluish-gray granite, hard and resistant to weathering. Despite over ninety years of exposure to the elements, the inscriptions remain clearly visible.

　　　　This site, hailed as the largest cliff inscription in the Beijing area, was calligraphed by Ying Lianzhi. Ying Lianzhi, whose given name was Hua and courtesy names Anjian and later Wansong Yesen, was a native of Zhenghongqi in Beijing. He was a renowned educator, social activist, and an honest, patriotic Catholic leader in modern Chinese history. In 1902, he founded the newspaper "Ta Kung Pao" in Tianjin, resigned in 1912, retired to the Fragrant Hills in Western Beijing, established the Furen Society, and later co-founded Furen University with Ma Xiangbo.

　　　　According to Li, one of Ying Lianzhi’s students, Mr. Ying was an open-hearted man of high moral character who often gave away books from his collection to friends and students. He would sometimes visit villages at the foot of the Fragrant Hills to chat with ordinary folks. In February 1913, Ying Lianzhi traveled with his wife and son to Hot Springs to visit relatives on his mother’s side. During his leisure time, he climbed to the top of Xianlong Mountain to take in the view. Although it was winter, the hot spring water below gushed out, flowed gently, and emitted steam, shrouding the mountain in mist and creating an expanse of white. Moved by the scene, Ying was filled with emotion and spontaneously recited lines from a poem by Du Fu: “Reclining on the river pavilion in warm sunlight, I chant long verses while gazing into the distance. Flowing water, my heart does not vie; Lingering clouds, my thoughts drift with ease.” After a moment of reflection, he picked up his brush and wrote the bold characters “水流云在” (Flowing Water, Lingering Clouds), taking the first two characters from the third and fourth lines of Du Fu’s poem. These four characters seem to convey that although the water flows endlessly day and night, the heart remains as tranquil and slow-moving as the clouds in the sky. It reflects the author’s serene detachment and leisurely state of mind.

　　　　An elderly man surnamed Liu, a native of Hot Springs, once described how Ying Lianzhi hired stonemasons to carve the “水流云在” inscription. Ying employed more than ten stonemasons, who spent half a month completing this grand work. During the Cultural Revolution, attempts were made with hammers and axes to deface it, but none succeeded. To this day, the numerous chisel marks on the rock face remain as historical imprints.

　　　　In recent years, the Huairou District Cultural Relics Management Office undertook restoration of the cliff inscription. First, the characters were repainted with red lacquer, and then the entire rock surface was sprayed with waterproof coatings such as silicone to ensure effective preservation of this cultural relic.