Jiaozi Mountain (Jiaozishan)

　　The area around Jiaozi Mountain (Jiaozishan), by the Cat’s Leap River, is steeped in the legend of Wang Yangming teaching local children. Wang Yangming frequently visited rural villages, interacting with farmers. Wherever he went, he got along well with the locals. When the villagers learned that Mr. Yangming was not only the magistrate of Longchang Post but also a teacher, they asked him to teach their children. He gladly agreed. Since there was no classroom in the village, Wang Yangming held classes in farmers’ courtyards, using an eight-immortal table as his desk. He copied early versions of the Hundred Family Surnames, Thousand Character Classic, and selected moral quotes from the Five Classics onto local handmade paper, relying on his remarkable memory. As he was from Shaoxing and the locals spoke in regional dialects, communication was often difficult. So, Wang Yangming taught the Hundred Family Surnames and Thousand Character Classic through sung melodies in the style of Yue music (a traditional form), making them easier for the villagers to understand and remember. Because Wang Yangming arrived at Jiaozi Mountain by sedan chair, and mentioned that if time allowed, he would establish a rural academy here, locals began calling the spot where he stopped and gave impromptu lectures “Jiaozi Mountain,” which is also known as “Sedan Chair Mountain.”