Shipi Mountain

　　    Shipi Mountain, also known as Ce Chuan Di, is situated in the center of Sanshan Lake in Huanggang Village, Huanqiao Town, Daye City. Legend has it that the mountain was created when Emperor Qin Shi Huang, while pushing mountains into the sea, used his divine whip to pull the peak of Wugua Mountain (located within Huanqiao Town, about ten li from Sanshan Lake) into the lake. Rising a thousand zhang above the lake surface, the mountain spans approximately seventy to eighty mu, expanding to over a hundred mu when the water recedes. Surrounded by water on all sides, it shimmers under the sunlight amid the vast blue waves, resembling a bright pearl in the lake. On clear days, with calm winds and serene waters, it looks like a white jade plate cradling a green snail; on rainy days, mist and clouds envelop the area, making it hard to discern its true features. Around Shipi Mountain are four famous scenic spots: Jinggang Cloud Sails, Reed Islet Wild Geese Landing, Huangpo Fishing, and Nine Turtles Descending to the Sea. The lake teems with gulls and egrets, and lotuses fill the air with fragrance. The interplay of lake and mountain scenery creates a naturally stunning landscape. The surrounding area boasts fertile fields and abundant resources; there are plump mandarin fish, strong crabs, leaping fish, bountiful grain, rich oil crops, and fragrant lotus flowers, earning it the reputation as the “Land of Fish and Rice in the South,” renowned throughout the Chu region and beyond. Shipi Mountain is not only picturesque and rich in produce but also home to many beautiful and moving legends. It is said that in the first year of the Duanping era (1234 AD) during the Southern Song Dynasty, a high monk from Sichuan, named Banlan, wandered here and chose Shipi Mountain as his secluded dwelling. With the support of local villagers, he built two temples on the mountain, one above the other, naming them Shuiyue Palace. The Shuiyue Palace was grandly constructed, with towers, pavilions, and halls standing tall, adorned with red bricks and green tiles, resplendent and magnificent, filled with exquisite details. The temple housed numerous Buddha statues and enjoyed ceaseless incense offerings. Later, it gained further fame for producing Lü Yangbo, a Grand Secretary and Prime Minister who studied at the Wenyuan Pavilion. Every first and fifteenth day of the lunar month, scholars and pilgrims flocked to the site. The clever couplet left by Lü Yangbo during his time studying at Shuiyue Palace — “Fish swim and rabbits run in Shuiyue Palace; tigers roar and dragons roar at Shanhaiguan” — is still celebrated to this day. Shipi Mountain is an ideal destination for leisure, vacation, and sightseeing.