Sanzhou Rock

　　    named after the meaning of "the third island of Penglai," is located beside National Highway 321 within Jiushi Town. The cave features bizarre and fantastic rocks in a myriad of shapes. The Stone Bell and Earth Drum produce sound when struck, while the Cinnabar Furnace and Inkstone Pool seem to emit a smoky hue. Scenes such as a cat, a white elephant, a giant turtle, a celestial sheep’s den, and the reflection of Guanyin are strikingly lifelike. Throughout history, numerous literati and scholars have left inscriptions here, with 174 individuals from the Song and Ming dynasties contributing 190 inscriptions alone. Renowned figures such as Su Dongpo, Zhou Dunyi, Li Gang, and Chen Baisha have all composed poems and carved their calligraphy at Sanzhou Rock. The recently compiled *Dictionary of Scenic Spots in China* also lists Sanzhou Rock as a national historic site and introduces it accordingly.

　　    Sanzhou Rock is regarded as an immortal paradise and is also called Immortal’s Island. According to the state annals: there was an immortal man with white eyebrows and hoary hair, sometimes gathering firewood, sometimes fishing—no one knew his name. In the spring of the third year of Tang Tianyou (906 AD), the scholar-official Li Jinwei was appointed to Pan Yu and moored at Sanzhou shore. At midnight under a high moon, he heard singing, and saw a fisherman in a red boat who bowed deeply and invited him to drink together. The fisherman said, “I’ve heard your laughter and poetry—you have the ambition to govern the country. By chance, I meet you. The world is about to fall into chaos; you should retreat to the noble seclusion of forests and clouds to preserve your years. Within a hundred years from now, the Central Plains will be united under one rule, and only then can you plan for the good fortune of your descendants.” After speaking, he vanished. It wasn’t until the Song dynasty unified the land that people realized the truth of his words.

　　    Li Jinwei was a native of Jinkang, who became a *jinshi* (advanced scholar) during the Tianyou era (904–906 AD) and was appointed as magistrate of Pan Yu. He was the first person from Deqing to pass the imperial examination. It is said that after hearing the fisherman’s words, Li chose not to pursue an official career. The Tang dynasty fell in 906 AD, and after nearly 60 years of warfare, Emperor Taizu Zhao Kuangyin of the Song dynasty unified the country. That mysterious white-browed, hoary-headed "immortal man" could indeed be considered a wise figure who clearly foresaw the great trends of the world. A Song-dynasty scholar, Tang Gongzuo, wrote a poem titled *Sanzhou Rock* specifically about this story:

　　    How many springs have passed within the cave’s time?

　　    Ancient trees before the cave hang a thousand fathoms high.

　　    Who knows what happened in that empty valley back then?

　　    Who recognizes the heart of the white-browed recluse?