Caishi Rock

　　Caishi Rock, also known as Niuzhu Rock, ranks first among China’s famous “Three Rocks of the Yangtze.” It stretches from Suoxi River in the east to the great river in the west, covering a defined area of about 80 hectares. It is a natural park that combines both natural and cultural landscapes. With sheer cliffs overlooking the river, rushing waters, and unique rocks, it has long been celebrated for its breathtaking scenery and picturesque surroundings, earning the title “The Finest Rock Under Heaven.” As the saying goes, “The landscape of Caishi surpasses all in the south of the Yangtze.” The great poet Li Bai visited and composed poetry here many times, leaving behind numerous immortal works, and he was eventually laid to rest in the nearby Qing Mountain. During the Yuanhe era of the Tang Dynasty, the Taibai Tower was built here. From the tower, one can gaze across the vast Yangtze River, hence its reputation as “a tower that holds the moonlight and river scenery.” For thousands of years, countless literati have visited to pay their respects and explore the area’s beauty. The literary legacy continues to this day.

　　Caishi Rock guards a strategic point along the Yangtze River and has always been a contested military site. More than twenty notable battles have taken place here throughout history. It is also one of China’s early Buddhist sacred sites; the Guangji Temple was first built during the Eastern Han Dynasty and is a renowned temple in the south of the Yangtze.

　　Today, Caishi Rock boasts the largest Li Bai Memorial Hall in the country, the renowned Sanyuan Cave in the south of the Yangtze, the majestic Santai Pavilion, the enchanting Wan Zhu Wu (Ten Thousand Bamboo Grove), the Art Museum of Lin Sanzhi—who is hailed as the “Grass Script Sage of Our Time”—as well as newly developed attractions such as the riverside plank walk, and other sites still under development, such as Jinniu Cave and Yanyuan. Visitors can take boat rides on the river to admire the “wind-swept lotus shadows”; hike along ancient plank roads in search of the “giant footprints”; enjoy the serenity of “ancient temples and Zen woods,” listening to morning bells and evening drums; or ascend the Santai Pavilion to take in the lush mountain scenery, gaze at the “sunrise over the Heavenly Gate,” and marvel at the “Yangtze River flowing eastward.” It feels like stepping into a paradise on earth—one you won’t want to leave. Caishi Rock is an ideal destination for domestic and international visitors to sightsee, explore, and relax.

　　Caishi Rock is the core scenic area of a national key scenic spot, located on the eastern bank of the Yangtze River, 5 kilometers southwest of Ma’anshan City, Anhui Province. It borders the famous rice-producing city of Wuhu to the south and connects to Nanjing, the ancient capital of six dynasties, to the north. With cliffs rising thousands of feet above the river, a long history, and numerous scenic spots, it has long been praised as “the finest beauty through the ages.”

　　The great romantic poet of the Tang Dynasty, Li Bai, traveled far and wide throughout his life, yet he never forgot Caishi Rock. He visited and wrote poetry here many times, composing over 50 popular poems such as “Songs of the River Crossing,” “Niuzhu Rock,” “Gazing at Tianmen Mountain,” and “Mooring at Night Near Niuzhu and Thinking of the Past.” Folklore also widely recounts the mythical tales of him wearing a court robe, boating under the moonlight, leaping into the river to catch the moon, and riding a whale into the heavens.

　　Originally named Niuzhu Rock, Caishi Rock has long been famed not only for its beautiful scenery but also for its strategic location guarding the Yangtze River, making it a military stronghold crucial to controlling the southeast and determining the fate of empires. The mountain gains elegance through poetry, the water shines brighter with poetic lines, the scenery becomes richer with verse, and the views gain fame through literature. Following Li Bai, more than 300 notable scholars and literati have visited Caishi Rock to pay tribute to the poetic immortal, explore its beauty, and contribute to its enduring literary legacy.

　　“There’s little land east of Fengtai, but Caishi is the foremost rock south of Niuzhu.” Since the Eastern Han Dynasty, more than twenty battles have occurred here. Among them, Yu Yunwen resisting the Jin army, Zhu Yuanzhang capturing Taiping, and the Taiping Rebellion defending Tianjing—how many heroes have bowed to its might, how many poets have sung its praises, with sword clashing and shadows of war, and towers and pavilions standing layer upon layer. The scars left by these historical battles adorn today’s landscape, resulting in numerous historic sites: Lianbi Platform, Li Bai’s Clothing Tomb, the Giant Footprint, Chiwu Well, Boya Platform, Ranxi Pavilion, Emei Pavilion, Jiangshan Haobu Ting (The Best Scenery of the River and Mountains Pavilion), Huai Xie Pavilion, and Dai Gui Pavilion—all adding grandeur and beautiful legends to Caishi Rock.

　　Caishi Rock is also one of China’s early Buddhist sacred sites. The Guangji Temple on the mountain was first built during the Chiwu era of the Three Kingdoms’ Eastern Wu period and has been a renowned temple in the south of the Yangtze since ancient times. For thousands of years, the sounds of morning bells and evening drums, incense smoke curling upwards, and frequent Buddhist activities have added a layer of mystique to Caishi Rock.

　　The naturally formed landscape of Caishi Rock, along with its unique features of beauty, wonder, danger, and culture, is a rare and exceptional tourism and cultural resource in China. One notable figure once remarked of this natural wonder: “There are many gardens in the country, but only Caishi Rock creates a garden by borrowing the green mountains, the sheer cliffs, the great river, and culture!”

　　In 1987, Caishi Rock was approved as one of the first provincial-level scenic areas; in 2002, it was listed as a national key scenic area by the State Council; in 2003, it was rated as a National AAAA-level tourist attraction. In recent years, the municipal Party committee and government have committed to the protection of the scenic area and the construction of related facilities, injecting vitality into China’s outstanding tourist city. With investments amounting to hundreds of millions, they have paved scenic pathways, restored cultural relics and ancient architecture, beautified and optimized the environment, improved tourism facilities, and brought new and old attractions of the Caishi Rock Scenic Area to vibrant life.