Chengmai Shigu Ridge

　　Shigu Ridge is situated 2 kilometers south of Xinwu Market in Chengmai County. The Shigu (Stone Drum) is located on this ridge, which derives its name from it. The ridge is covered with jagged clusters of massive rocks scattered irregularly across the landscape. Among them, a group of large rocks, seemingly propped up by several smaller stones and jutting out halfway into the air, forms what is known as the Stone Drum. There are two such stone drums, standing tall and facing each other from south to north. The front one resembles the head of a carp just emerging from the water — it stands over 3 meters high, more than 2 meters wide, and about 4 meters long. The rear one is semi-spherical with slightly protruding angular edges at the top, and has a diameter of around 3 meters. The local chronicles record: “…There are two stones standing side by side. When struck, they sound like drums or bells. During festive occasions, many people enjoy striking them for amusement.” Locals still find amusement in tapping the stone drums.

　　According to folklore, in ancient times, the stone drums would emit sounds on their own at night — there were noises resembling gongs, drums, and even eight-tone instrumental music, playing through the night until dawn. However, after the year 1744 during the Qing Dynasty, when the family of Zhang Yuesong, a top imperial scholar from Ding’an, relocated their ancestral tomb to a spot not far in front of the stone drums, the sounds ceased. Nowadays, when struck with stones, the stone drums produce various deep “dong dong” resonances. Both Shigu Ridge and Shigu Village derive their names from these stone drums.

　　Source: Party History Research Office of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee