Dayuling

　　Dayuling, also called Yugling, Tailing, Meiling, or Dongqiao Mountain, is a mountain range in southern China and one of the “Five Ridges.” It is located on the border between Jiangxi and Guangdong provinces and forms part of the Nanling Mountain Range. This granite fault-block mountain runs northeast to southwest, with an elevation of around 1,000 meters. It serves as the watershed between the Zhen River of the Pearl River system and the Zhang River of the Gan River system. 19

　　The ancient route through Dayuling once had a grand pass built along the mountain ridge, now known as the Big Meiguan Pass. Parts of the several-mile-long ancient stone-paved post road still remain near Big Meiguan, lined with plum trees, hence also called “Meiling” (Plum Ridge), and it is a famous scenic area. The later-built Guangdong–Jiangxi Highway passes through the Dayuling area and is referred to as the Small Meiguan Pass. The Small Meiguan Pass is about 400 meters above sea level and serves as a major passage between Jiangxi and Guangdong. The Dayuling Mountain Range is a well-known tungsten mining area, accounting for more than half of China’s tungsten reserves. Just within Dayu County, there are four major state-owned tungsten mines, which is why Dayu is also known as the “Tungsten Capital of the World.”

　　In ancient times, Dayuling was called Sai Shang, Tailing, Han Ling, or Dongqiao. Legend has it that during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, a general surnamed Yu built a fortress here, hence the name Dayu Ling, or “Great Yu Ridge,” also referred to as Yugling. During the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Jiuling supervised the construction of a new road and ordered the planting of many plum trees along the roadside, which is why it is also called Meiling (“Plum Ridge”). Located on the border between Jiangxi and Guangdong provinces, it has long been a vital communication hub between Lingnan (south of the mountains) and Lingbei (north of the mountains). The post road fell into disuse during the Five Dynasties period. It was restored during the Song Dynasty’s Yuanyou era, and Cai Ting ordered the planting of pine trees along both sides of the road and the establishment of a pass on the ridge, named Meiguan (“Plum Pass”). From the Yuanhe Jiedushi Records · Lingnan Circuit · Shaozhou · Shixing County: “Dayu Ling, also called Dongqiao Mountain, was the Han Dynasty’s Sai Shang. It lies 172 li northeast of the county... Originally called Sai Shang, there was a supervising military officer surnamed Yu who built a fortress here, and all troops were under his command, hence the name Dayu.” From the Song Dynasty’s Zhu Shuzhen’s poem “Ode to Snow”: “Plum blossoms on Dayuling scatter coldly in the winter air, while willow catkins drift around Zhangguan like snowflakes.” From the Qing Dynasty’s Gu Zuyu’s Reading of Historical Maps and Chronicles · Jiangxi: “Dayu Ling is located 25 li southwest of Nanan Prefecture and 60 li north of Nanxiong Prefecture in Guangdong. Majestic and towering, it is one of the Five Ridges. The Commentary on the Water Classic states that Lianxi Mountain is Dayu Ling. In the 33rd year of Qin Shi Huang’s reign, 500,000 exiled convicts were sent to guard the Five Ridges, and Dayu was the first fortified ridge. Also according to the Qin Annals, Qin sent General Tu Sui with 100,000 troops to guard... The Han Records also call it Tailing Mountain, due to the rock on the ridge that resembles a platform.”

　　The so-called Five Ridges have varying descriptions in historical texts. Based on records from the Guangzhou Records, Nankang Records, Geographic Chronicles, and Commentary on the Water Classic, the specific locations of the Five Ridges are as follows:

　　Dayuling is located at the southern edge of Dayu County in the southwestern corner of present-day Jiangxi Province, bordering Nanxiong County in Guangdong Province. It is a vital transportation route between Guangdong and Jiangxi, and the Hengpu Pass from the Qin Dynasty was situated on this ridge... (Refer to Huang Xianfan’s General History of the Zhuang People)