Former Site of Chen Baisha’s Fishing Terrace

　　    The former site of Chen Baisha’s Fishing Terrace is located at the junction of Diaotai Road in Jiangmen City. Built in the third year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty, it is said to be the place where Chen Baisha used to fish in his leisure time. Wang Zhi, the then magistrate of Xinhui County, once composed a poem praising the terrace: “The moon and breeze of Jiangmen all gathered on this one terrace; Gazing afar, one sees boats both near and far. Who dares peer into the jade-like charm within? I’d ask the clouds over the pool where they rise. My fishing rod stretches straight to heaven’s root; My bait does not drift along the water’s flow. Why seek a painted portrait on the wall? The master’s spirit dwells in old Gangingzhou.” Within the original site hangs a horizontal plaque inscribed with the words “The One Man of Lingnan.” It is said that after Chen Baisha passed away, in recognition of his virtue, the imperial court decreed his enshrinement in the Confucian Temple. His spirit tablet was placed in the Confucian Temple in Qufu, Shandong Province, where he received worship alongside sages of successive dynasties. Among ancient renowned figures from Guangdong who were honored with enshrinement in the Confucian Temple, Chen Baisha was the only one—hence the saying “The One Man of Lingnan.” At the center stands a marble statue of Chen Baisha, erected when the site was renovated during the Republican era.

　　    The original fishing terrace had three sections leading all the way to the riverside. In 1926, when a road was constructed, the first two sections were demolished, leaving only the rear section of the terrace as it stands today. The cultural relics group of the city’s cultural center has turned it into an exhibition space for cultural relics. On display are reproductions of calligraphy and poems by Mr. Chen Baisha, Bai Sha Mao Long writing brushes, Eastern Han Dynasty pottery, photos from the excavation and preservation process of a well-preserved female corpse unearthed in Baishi Township, precious ceramics and famous paintings from various dynasties—all for visitors to admire.