Ashihada Cliff Inscriptions

　　The Ashihada Cliff Inscriptions are situated on the mountainside north of the Songhua River in Ashihada Village, about 15 kilometers southeast of Jilin City, Jilin Province. They comprise two cliff inscriptions from the Ming Dynasty. The first inscription is carved into a steep cliff face, facing south, overlooking the river from a height of about 10 meters above the water surface. The stele stands 135 cm tall and 70 cm wide, with three lines of text. The second stele is located 30 meters west of the first one and faces west.

　　Surrounding the cliff inscriptions is a rectangular border with a circular top and square bottom, resembling the shape of a stele. It is 122 cm tall at the center, 108 cm at the sides, 61 cm wide at the top, and 62 cm wide at the bottom. Seven vertical lines of upright script are engraved within. The inscriptions describe how Liu Ji, the Ming Dynasty's Liaodong Regional Commandant, led troops to this location three times—in the 18th year of the Yongle era (1420), the 1st year of the Hongxi era (1425), and the 7th year of the Xuande era (1432). During his first visit, he oversaw the construction of a Dragon King Temple, and during his third visit, while also serving as the Commander-in-Chief of shipbuilding, he renovated the temple. Volume 90 of the "Ming Veritable Records" states: “When the eunuch official Yishihā and others were sent on a mission to places such as Nurgan, the Regional Military Commander Liu Qing was ordered to lead troops along the Songhua River to build ships and transport grain. Now that the officials have returned to the capital, 500 soldiers remain.” The cliff inscriptions confirm that Jilin City served as a Ming Dynasty base for shipbuilding and grain transport, playing a vital role in managing the Heilongjiang River basin and developing the northeastern region.

　　To better protect the cliff carvings, a pavilion was built around the first stele and a gazebo around the second in 1983. Today, an exhibition room is located in front of the cliff site. In May 2006, the Ashihada Cliff Inscriptions were designated as part of the sixth group of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level by the State Council.