Goddess Peak

(Photograph: China)

　　    Goddess Peak, also called Wangxia Peak or Beauty Peak, is one of the Twelve Peaks of Wushan. It is located on the northern bank of the Yangtze River in the Wu Gorge, about 15 kilometers east of Wushan County. A massive rock stands abruptly amid green peaks and rosy clouds, resembling a graceful and beautiful young maiden, hence the name Goddess Peak. Ancient people said, "The peak towers above the clouds, its base plunging straight into the river. Some say that none of the Five Great Mountains—Tai, Hua, Heng, and Lu—can compare to its wonder."

　　    When clouds and mist shroud the peak, the humanoid stone pillar, draped as if in gauze, appears even more tender and enchanting. Being the first to greet the brilliant morning glow and the last to bid farewell to the gorgeous evening sunset, it is thus named "Wangxia Peak" (Peak That Gazes at the Rosy Clouds).

　　    Each of the Twelve Peaks of Wushan has its own unique charm—some resemble a golden dragon soaring, others a lion raising its head, some a graceful maiden standing tall, and still others a phoenix spreading its wings. With their myriad forms and captivating beauty, among them all, Goddess Peak is the most exquisite and famous.

　　    After the impoundment of the Three Gorges Dam, visitors boating beneath the Goddess’s skirt still have to look up to admire her graceful figure.

　　    The fame of Goddess Peak throughout history and across time stems from three sources: the fictional tale in Song Yu’s “Ode to the Goddess,” describing a secret rendezvous between King Xiang of Chu and the goddess; the legend of the heavenly maiden Yao Ji descending to earth to help Yu the Great control the floods; and the fact that there indeed stands a stone column beside the peak, shaped like a young girl.

　　    In ancient Chinese mythology, Goddess Peak is the incarnation of the Queen Mother of the West—Yao Ji—who once assisted Yu the Great of the Xia Dynasty in carving out waterways and draining floods. After the waters were tamed, she resolved to remain in Wushan to safeguard passing ships, thereby earning the reverence and worship of later generations. According to the “Wushan County Annals,” “Yao Ji, daughter of the Red Emperor, died before marriage and was buried on the sunny side of Wushan, becoming the Goddess.” Beneath Flying Phoenix Peak opposite the Goddess Peak lies the present-day Book-Granting Terrace, believed to be the place where Yao Ji granted books to Yu the Great. On the eastern and western sides of the county town, there used to be a Goddess Temple, which was later renamed the Ningzhen Taoist Temple.