Beidahuang Calligraphy Corridor Scenic Area

　　North of Beijing lies Beidahuang. Mishan, the birthplace of Beidahuang culture. Back then, General — personally ignited the first fire on the wasteland, a historic moment captured in old photos. Today, the Beidahuang Calligraphy Corridor in Mishan has engraved the history of Beidahuang into solid stone.

　　A short drive from Mishan City, within 20 minutes, you’ll see Yunshui Villa come into view. Facing water and backed by mountains, the Beidahuang Calligraphy Corridor features uniquely shaped steles where calligraphy artistry competes with nature, blending natural scenery with historical culture.

　　The Calligraphy Corridor consists of three parts. The first includes handwritten works by revolutionary predecessors who once worked in Mishan, such as —, Wu Liangping, and Wang Hai, who later became the commander of the People’s Air Force. The second features calligraphy from cultural figures who contributed to developing Beidahuang, such as Ding Ling, Ai Qing, Nie Gannu, and Wu Zuguang. The third showcases masterpieces by renowned modern Chinese calligraphers, including Qi Gong, Shao Yu, and Shen Peng.

　　This place is not just a grand hall of calligraphy art but also a blazing torch that carries forward the history, spirit, and culture of Beidahuang.

　　Stepping into the Calligraphy Corridor, you’ll find a giant statue of Wang Xizhi, the “Sage of Calligraphy,” at the center, with the base carved with his world-famous “Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion.” On the right, a stone stele displays an excerpt from Ding Ling’s diary: “Mishan, I like you. You embraced so many passionate pioneers. They saw this small place as the birthplace of life’s flame, the frontline headquarters in their battle against the earth.” On the back of the stele, Mao Zedong’s bold calligraphy of “Linjiangxian · To Comrade Ding Ling” dances across the stone: “Yesterday a literary lady, today a martial heroine.” Wu Zuguang’s “Born at the Right Time” is carved into a turtle-shaped stone, Nie Gannu’s poems, Ding Cong’s comic “Old Man Going to Work,” and Ai Qing’s “Why I Write” all inspire boundless imagination.

　　The western stele wall of the Calligraphy Corridor features over 50 steles personally inscribed by revolutionary predecessors, reflecting nostalgia, commentary on the present, motivation, teachings, philosophy, or personal expression. “Of the veterans of those years, how many still survive? A million new lives thrive, comforting the loyal spirits with their vast numbers.” The poem by Tan Youlin, former deputy commander of the 359th Brigade who fought in the liberation of Mishan, stirs the heart. The eastern stele wall is a grand exhibition of modern calligraphy art, with 155 carved works. Among them, a group sculpture featuring portraits and poems of 14 ancient calligraphers stands out for its lifelike charm.

　　On the stele wall leading to the double “回”-shaped corridor, China’s first long-form comic strip depicting the land reform struggle, “Land,” is carved, with vividly portrayed characters. The front of the screen wall bears three bold characters “Zhanyuhan” (The Battle Rages On) handwritten by Shao Huaze, former president of People’s Daily, exuding formidable momentum; the back features wild cursive script of “—,” thrilling to behold.

　　The corridor also features Liu Yi’s handscroll “The Art of War” and the maze-like scroll “Thirty-Six Stratagems,” with each of China’s 36 strategies written by a master calligrapher from each province, autonomous region, or municipality, showcasing diverse styles yet unified in grandeur.

　　Additionally, the Calligraphy Corridor boasts extraordinary wonders. The “Stone Gate Giant Brush,” 8.56 meters long, 0.83 meters in diameter, and weighing 2.61 tons, is carved from a locally quarried stone and has been recorded in the Guinness World Records. The “World’s Largest Fan,” a 20-ton fan-shaped stone, features calligraphy by the famed calligrapher Lü Ruxiong of Su Dongpo’s poem “Nian Nu Jiao · Chibi Huai Gu.” The “World’s Largest Chess Set” includes 13 stone chess pieces in a chess game, each weighing 300 jin (approx. 150 kg), with each piece in a different font. The “Holy Boat Stone Drum” is a boat-shaped stone slab supported by two stone drums, inscribed with poetry by the renowned calligrapher Chen Lingtuo.

　　Back then, General — led 100,000 demobilized soldiers to blaze trails through thorns and brambles, pioneering the history and culture of Beidahuang with fearless spirit. Today, the people of Mishan have endured untold hardships to carve out the Beidahuang Calligraphy Corridor with the spirit of land reclamation.

　　In 1995, as market economy winds shifted dramatically, Mishan City’s Yunshui Villa, a cadre sanatorium under the city’s personnel bureau, faced tough times like many across the nation. Faced with uncertainty, some considered turning to farming, breeding, starting businesses, or even selling the property. Hu Chundong, then bureau chief and a graduate of Wuxi Art School, had a deep passion for developing cultural industries. He believed that the cultural wealth left behind by numerous revolutionary predecessors, intellectuals, and educated youths who had worked and lived in Mishan should be carefully unearthed.

　　For eight whole years, he sought calligraphy pieces across the nation. One year, he made six trips south, traveling through seven provinces.

　　Today, the Beidahuang Calligraphy Corridor houses over 2,400 calligraphy works by more than 2,000 artists, covering 120,000 square meters. It includes calligraphers from all Chinese provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities except Taiwan and Macau, as well as 80–90% of the genuine works by former chairpersons, vice-chairpersons, secretaries-general, executive directors, and directors of past China Calligraphers Associations. There are also two works by Japanese calligraphers, making it the largest modern calligraphy art stele forest in the country. The Mishan municipal government has invested heavily, building roads and parking lots for the corridor and transforming the former barren land into a lush green hill dotted with fragrant flowers.

　　Over the years, leaders and masters of the national calligraphy community have visited the Beidahuang Calligraphy Corridor numerous times, universally praising its high taste, grand scale, and uniqueness. Domestic and international tourists flock here, leaving inspired and satisfied.

　　This “uniqueness” was hard-won—it is the crystallization of the sweat and devotion of the people of Mishan. Craftsmen from north and south engraved calligraphy onto stone, while the people of Mishan engraved the Calligraphy Corridor into their hearts. Especially the Mishan Personnel Bureau, whose staff have treated the corridor’s construction as part of their personal lives for years. Volunteering an hour of labor each morning before work has become a longstanding tradition.

　　The Beidahuang Calligraphy Corridor is the swan song of Beidahuang’s history and art. As night falls, climbing high and looking into the distance, the breeze is fresh, birds soar, and the moon peeks shyly from behind the water. Standing in the Calligraphy Corridor, conversing with the ancients, resting your head on culture, embracing history in your dreams—like the happy people of Mishan, this night shall not be lonely.