Luonan Cangsheng Shrine

　　About 22 kilometers northwest of Luonan County lies Meidi at Yuanhu Mountain, a majestic and picturesque peak. According to the *Yong Sheng Lüe*: “Cangjie created writing here.”

　　The creation of Chinese characters by Cangjie dates back to the era of the Five Emperors, over four thousand years ago. The *Ce Hai · Da Shu* states: “Cangjie ascended Yangxu Mountain and overlooked the waters of Yuanhu Luo. A divine turtle bore inscribed books, with cinnabar-red shells and azure-blue characters. The Yellow Emperor received them and thus grasped the changes of heaven and earth. By gazing upward at the curved form of the Kui star and looking downward at the turtle shells, bird tracks, mountains, rivers, as well as finger and palm prints, he created the written characters.” At the foot of Yangxu Mountain, there were originally 28 stone-carved characters handwritten by Cangjie. Ancient rubbings of these characters were treasured by many generations, but unfortunately, the originals were later destroyed in a fire and became indecipherable. During the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty (1821–1850), Wang Senwen, the magistrate of Luonan, obtained an authentic rubbing from the public, had it engraved on stone, and erected a stele in Xujiamiao Village at the foot of Yangxu Mountain. The stele stands 1.6 meters tall and 0.65 meters wide. The front is inscribed with “Tortoise and Phoenix Bring Auspiciousness,” beneath which are the bold words “Place Where Cangjie Received Writing.” The back is headed with “Bird Tracks of Yangxu,” below which the 28 characters are written. The inscription has been passed down to this day and remains a credible historical record.

　　To commemorate Cangjie, the progenitor of Chinese writing, and to honor his immense contribution to the development of Chinese civilization, the people of Luonan built the Cangsheng Shrine in the fifth year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1879) in the southeast corner of the county town. The shrine complex consists of a main hall, an offering hall, and a front hall, arranged across four courtyards. It features carved beams and painted rafters, along with ornate roof ridges and mythical animal decorations, all conveying solemn dignity. The main hall enshrines a golden plaque with a vermilion background inscribed with “The Divine Seat of Cangsheng.” Chen Shou, head of the Luoyuan Academy, inscribed the plaque above the main hall with “Originator of Culture,” while Xu Zhen?, the education inspector of Shaanxi, wrote “Cangsheng Shrine” above the offering hall in vigorous calligraphy. Inside the courtyard is the original “Place Where Cangjie Received Writing” stele, relocated from Heitan Street. To the left of the shrine stands a stele pavilion, and to the right is an incense burner inscribed with “Reverence for Written Characters Brings Boundless Merit.” These structures stand symmetrically, forming an impressive sight.

　　As the birthplace of Cangjie’s creation of Chinese characters, Luonan will always be a source of pride. Both the “Place Where Cangjie Received Writing” and the “Cangsheng Shrine” have been designated as key county-level cultural heritage protection sites.