Forest of Stone Tablets of the Four Sages of Shangshan

　　The Forest of Stone Tablets of the Four Sages of Shangshan is located in the western section of Xinjie Street, 7.5 kilometers west of Danfeng County, Shangluo. It is a provincial-level key cultural relics protection unit. The park features rows of large ancient tombs, surrounded by old cypress trees and numerous stone tablets.

　　The Forest of Stone Tablets of the Four Sages of Shangshan houses the burial sites of four scholars from the Qin Dynasty over two thousand years ago: Zhou Shu, Wu Shi, Cui Guang, and Yan Bing. These four elders, known for their noble character and venerable white beards, fled to Shangshan to escape the Qin Dynasty’s book burnings and persecution of scholars, and thus became known as the “Four Sages of Shangnan.” They led a simple life, foraging for wild herbs like shanzhi and living in caves. They are credited with composing the famous “Song of Gathering Herbs,” which has been passed down through generations. Later, despite their contributions to stabilizing the Han Dynasty, they refused noble titles and continued to live in seclusion on Shangshan. After their deaths, Emperor Hui of Han personally erected a memorial forbidding officials to ride in sedan chairs or on horseback near the site, ordering all civil and military officials to pay their respects by sweeping the tombs in all seasons as a mark of reverence. To this day, during the Spring Festival in the Longju area of Shangzhou, folk performances such as “story plays” and “shehuo” (lantern festivals) still feature dances celebrating the “Four Demigoddesses” (the four daughters of the Four Sages).

　　Throughout history, poets and literati who traveled through Shangshan left behind over a hundred poems and essays praising the Four Sages for their indifference to fame and wealth and their unwavering moral integrity. The famous poems “Passing by the Tomb of the Four Sages” by the great Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai and “Visiting the Temple of the Four Sages” by Bai Juyi have been widely celebrated and have endured through the ages. The newly built Forest of Stone Tablets of the Four Sages includes 50 standing tablets, featuring carefully selected poems from historical literati that praise the Four Sages. Contemporary master calligraphers such as Shen Peng, Zhang Biao, Liu Yi, Zhong Mingshan, and cultural figure Jia Pingwa were invited to inscribe these verses on stone tablets mounted on the walls. This integration of classical poetry, historical relics, calligraphy, and carving art creates a unique cultural experience.