Baiyun Rock

　　Baiyun Cliff is located in Qijia Mountain, about ten kilometers from Fushan Mountain, in Bamei Township, Zongyang County, facing Fudu Mountain across the water. The mountain is rugged and is known as the "Little Huangshan" or "Second Fushan." According to the *Transmission of the Lamp Record*, the eminent Song Dynasty monk Shouduan resided at Baiyun Temple on the mountain, using the western cliff of Baiyun Mountain as an inner courtyard belonging to Baiyun Temple, hence the name "Baiyun" (White Cloud).

　　Baiyun Cliff features eight cliffs, three caves, eleven peculiar peaks, eight bizarre rocks, two springs, two pools, and historically had five hermitages and two temples. Today, the Baiyun Rock Temple still remains.

　　Tianyin Cliff, commonly known as Swallow Cliff, is nestled among the rocky outcrops at the summit of the mountain. Also called One-Line Sky, looking up here, one can see the sun, moon, and sky.

　　Emei Cliff is located halfway up Qingzhang Peak. Its cliffs are sheer and rise thousands of feet high, spanning half a li in depth and width, with a fissure running horizontally through the middle. In the late Ming Dynasty, Wu Chaqiang excavated the site, and Wu Daoxin, an official from the Ministry of Works, lived in seclusion here. Two rocks overlap front and back, with clouds emerging and vanishing between them. Ruan Zihua inscribed the name "Han Yun Cave" (Sealed Cloud Cave), while Zhao Fanfu named it "Han Yun Pass" (Sealed Cloud Pass). To the left of Han Yun lies a stone corridor wall dozens of feet long, called "Sa Shou Lang" (Letting-Go Corridor). At the perilous spot there is a stone platform where Huang Daozhou once climbed and inscribed five characters for Wu Daoxin: "Yi Ye Xiang Zhen Yu" (A Single Leaf Soaring True Feathers). Wu Daoxin wrote a text recording this event. Behind Han Yun are historic sites such as Moon Niche, Crane Immortal, Lü Dongbin’s Sword-Pulling Cave, Fishing Terrace Rock, and Green Vine Cave. At the top of Han Yun is Dragon Embracing Cave.

　　Xuelang Cliff, also called Corridor Cliff, resembles Xuelang Cliff of Fushan Mountain. Tomb Cliff is located to the left of Xuelang Cliff.

　　Louzi Cliff is situated on the western summit of Xuelang Cliff, to the left.

　　East Cliff is located halfway up the front of the mountain. It is as large as Jin Valley of Fushan Mountain. A eminent Song Dynasty monk, Baiyun Yan, once built a hermitage here. Later, a Tibetan monk from Yuan Dynasty, Liaowu, served as its abbot. It was destroyed by lightning fire during the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty.

　　Baiyun Rock, located to the west of East Cliff—hence also called West Cliff—has cavities larger than Huisheng Cliff of Fushan Mountain. It is the foremost cave of Baiyun Rock and features a wooden building in front of the cave and the Goddess of Mercy Pavilion behind it. When the eminent Song Dynasty monk Yiqing served as abbot at Huayan Temple on Fushan Mountain, he used this cave as his abbot’s quarters. Today, inscriptions from the Song Dynasty on the cliff summit read “Qinghua Yan Fangzhang” (Abbot's Quarters of Qinghua Yan). Both Song Dynasty monks Yiqing and Yanyun, Yuan Dynasty monk Liaowu, and others have presided over this temple, spreading Buddhist teachings, with its Buddhist lineage traceable to Fushan Mountain. Legend has it that during the Yuanfeng era of the Song Dynasty, thousands of bluebirds carried mud to sculpt a statue of Guanyin in the cave. After the statue was completed, a female bird stayed behind, nesting behind the shrine. Every spring, a male bird would fly in from Fushan Mountain, raise two chicks, and then depart. “Baiyun Bluebird” is one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Old Tongcheng. Liu Dakui recorded in *Fushan Records*: “In the mountains there are bluebirds whose calls are melodious, often shuttling between Baiyun and Jin Valley—never seen in other mountains.” To this day, bluebirds continue to shuttle between Fushan and Baiyun after hundreds of years, a truly marvelous sight. There is also a divine spring within Baiyun Rock, emerging from a crevice in the cave wall. Its water flows like silk, a thin but ceaseless stream that never dries up in drought nor overflows in rain, extraordinarily clear and cool, providing enough for a hundred people per day. It is called “One-Drop Spring.” Additionally, if you observe the stone patterns on the cave walls closely, the western side resembles dragon scales, while the eastern side looks like tiger fur—a true “dragon-coiled, tiger-crouched” land.

　　Qijia Mountain is filled with towering, peculiar peaks and scattered bizarre rocks. Famous double-peaked summits resemble tubes carved to depict the sky; Iron Barrier Peak rises high with a purple hue; Iron Ship Peak strikingly resembles a boat; Crimson Cloud Peak looks like rows of spears and halberds; Elderly Man Peak resembles a Taoist in ancient dress walking with a cane; Flame Peak looks like a torch burning in the sky; there are also Golden Wheel Peak, Buddha’s Coiffure Peak, Swan Peak, Precious Tripod Peak, and Dragon-Embracing Peak, each with its own charm. Bizarre rocks include Fishing Stone (also called Jiang Taigong’s Fishing Terrace), Rabbit Stone, Camel Stone, Accidental Arrival Stone, Solitary Sitting Stone, White Tiger Stone, Divine Rat Crossing the Sky Bridge, and Golden Turtle Climbing the Wall.

　　Baiyun Cliff spans over ten kilometers, with its 2.2-square-kilometer main scenic area included in the planning of Fushan Mountain Scenic Area as a first-level protected zone, and is designed for a one-day tour.

　　Baiyun Bluebird

　　Baiyun Cliff is located in Bamei Township of our county, over 40 kilometers from the county seat. Historically named after the hermitage of Monk Baiyun Yan, it became known as Baiyun Cliff. A temple was built here during the Song Dynasty, capable of holding a thousand people, hence also called Baiyun Temple. Since the Southern Dynasties, it has been a Buddhist sacred site. The mountain is covered with peculiar rocks and cliffs, and its extraordinary peaks are all captivating. Moreover, the “Baiyun Bluebird,” with its resplendent feathers and melodious calls, is one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Old Tongcheng.

　　Most visitors come to Baiyun Rock because of the “Baiyun Bluebird” attraction. The Bluebird is a bird of entirely azure color. As one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Old Tongcheng, Liu Dakui, one of the Three Patriarchs of the Tongcheng Literary School, wrote in *Fushan Records*: “In the mountains there are bluebirds whose calls are melodious, often shuttling between Baiyun and Jin Valley—never seen in other mountains.”

　　The famous Tang Dynasty poet Li Shangyin wrote: “To Penglai, the road is not far; the bluebird eagerly goes to scout.” The Bluebird is a legendary divine bird, regarded by the people as a symbol of good fortune and happiness. It is said that those who see a Bluebird will encounter good luck. In olden times, many Bluebirds nested inside the caves of Baiyun Rock. They lived amid the green mountains and clear waters, bathing in the morning dew, grooming by the mountain springs at dusk, and singing sweet melodies at midnight. But Bluebirds come and go without trace, rarely seen by ordinary people. As the saying goes, “Baiyun is easy to find, but Bluebirds are hard to glimpse.” They often vanish like the wind through the forest just as we search for them.

　　The sky is azure, waiting for the rain, and I am here waiting for you. Will the Bluebird bring us a beautiful encounter in our hopes?

　　Qijia Mountain

　　Qijia Mountain, also called Baiyun Cliff, is located in Bamei Township, 46 kilometers northeast of Zongyang County, Anhui Province, 10 kilometers west of Fushan Mountain Scenic Area. The entire mountain is 15 kilometers in circumference and features eight cliffs, three caves, eleven peaks, eight bizarre rocks, two springs, and two pools—scenic wonders that rival Fushan Mountain, earning it the titles “Little Huangshan” and “Second Fushan.” In the northwestern mountain belly of Qijia Mountain lies a square, deep, and rugged cliff rock, originally called “West Cliff.” According to the *Transmission of the Lamp Record*, the eminent Song Dynasty monk Shouduan resided at Baiyun Temple on the mountain, using Qijia Mountain’s West Cliff as an inner courtyard belonging to Baiyun Temple, hence the name “Baiyun.” Baiyun Rock, the foremost cave of Qijia Mountain, is 33.3 meters high, 50 meters wide, and 16.3 meters deep. Observing the stone patterns inside the cave, the western side resembles dragon scales, while the eastern side looks like tiger fur—an intriguing sight. From a crevice in the cave wall, a spring flows, its source tiny yet unceasing, never drying up in drought or overflowing in rain, extraordinarily clear and cool. Its daily flow can serve a hundred people. On the stone wall at the spring source are three seal-script characters “Yi Di Quan” (One-Drop Spring) carved in intaglio. In front of the cave was once a wooden building, behind which stood the Goddess of Mercy Pavilion. When the eminent Song Dynasty monk Yiqing served as abbot at Huayan Temple on Fushan Mountain, he used this cave as his abbot’s quarters. Inscribed at the cliff summit are the five characters “Qinghua Yan Fangzhang” (Abbot’s Quarters of Qinghua Yan), still clearly visible today. The Ming Dynasty local gentry Wu Daoxin once built a structure called “Baiyun Thatched Cottage.” The existing temple was built during the Qing Dynasty’s Tongzhi era, with two courtyards, brick-and-wood structure, totaling more than ten rooms. In 1963, the People’s Committee of Zongyang County designated it as a county-level key cultural relic protection unit, with a protected area extending 100 meters north-south and 100 meters east-west. Baiyun Rock boasts a rare marvel—the Bluebird. In ancient China, the Bluebird was known as a messenger; abroad, it is seen as a symbol of happiness and ideals. The Bluebirds living at Baiyun Rock are dark-colored, resembling mynas but with longer tails. They nest in the cave, bathe in the spring water every morning, groom by the mountain spring at dusk, and sing at midnight with beautiful, clear voices. The frequent presence of Bluebirds adds much charm to Baiyun Rock. “Baiyun Bluebird” was once hailed as one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Old Tongcheng. The Qing Dynasty’s Liu Dakui wrote in *Fushan Records*: “In the mountains there are bluebirds whose calls are melodious, often shuttling between Baiyun and Jin Valley—never seen in other mountains.”

　　Qijia Mountain, with an elevation of 390 meters, features steep peaks and secluded cliffs, spectacular scenery that once attracted literati to visit and compose poetry. Twenty-one cliff inscriptions remain, including four from the Song Dynasty—mostly poems, inscriptions, and signatures by visitors throughout history praising the mountain’s beauty. The calligraphy includes regular script, seal script, as well as running, cursive, and clerical scripts, all vigorous and graceful, forming a rare artistic legacy. The mountain’s rocky peaks vary in form: Double-Tip Peak resembles a tube carving the sky; Iron Ship Peak looks like a boat setting sail; Elderly Man Peak is like a Taoist in formal dress walking with a cane; Flame Peak resembles a torch burning in the sky; and there are also Golden Wheel Peak, Buddha’s Coiffure Peak, Swan Peak, and Precious Tripod Peak, each with unique charm. The mountain is strewn with peculiar rocks and cliffs everywhere: Dragon-Embracing Cave, also called Qinghua Rock, is four zhang high, over ten zhang wide, and eight zhang deep, suitable for exploration and dwelling. Divided by a central fissure in the dome, the left-side rocks are ochre-colored with vertical grain, while the right side is yellow with diagonal grain. Tapping them produces different tones—one sharp, the other deep. Beside Emei Cliff is Han Yun Cave, not large in size, but神奇的是, the mountain mist often rises from its mouth. When there is fog inside the cave, there are clouds on the mountain; when the cave fog dissipates, the mountain clouds scatter. Ruan Zihua inscribed “Han Yun Cave,” while Zhao Fanfu named it “Han Yun Pass.” To the left of Han Yun Cave is a stone corridor wall dozens of feet long, called “Sa Shou Lang.” At a perilous spot is a stone platform where the Ming Dynasty painter Huang Daozhou once climbed and inscribed five characters for Wu Daoxin: “Yi Ye Xiang Zhen Yu.” Behind Han Yun Cave are attractions such as Moon Niche, Crane Immortal, Lü Dongbin’s Sword-Pulling Cave, Fishing Terrace, and Green Vine Cave. Within the parent rock near Anshi Platform, five smaller rocks converge, forming a spectacle where one rock holds several, and one cave encloses many. Between Iron Barrier Peak and Iron Ship Peak lies a deep pool called Jie’ao Pool, now part of Qijia Mountain Reservoir. The high gorge cradles a flat lake, its emerald waters setting off the peaks and cliffs in exceptional beauty. Cliff inscriptions, thousands of rare trees on the peaks, and terraced fields in the valleys together create a serene, fragrant earthly paradise. The Ming scholar Fang Xuecan, after touring the mountain’s wonders, joyfully composed elegant verses:

　　Stone paths slant through green, cliff flowers reach halfway to the clouds; a lone bird vanishes in the distance, the Chu River parts at the sky’s edge.

　　Drunk, I lean on the layered tower under the moon, darkness descends into the valleys; I burst into laughter, but who allows sages to hear?

　　Baiyun Rock Temple

　　Baiyun Rock Temple is located in Qijia Mountain, Zongyang County, Anhui Province, and has a long history. In the first year of the Jianning era of the Song Dynasty (1064), the eminent monk Yiqing, abbot of Huayan Temple on Fushan Mountain, used Baiyun Rock as his abbot’s quarters and inscribed “Qinghua Yan Fangzhang” at the cave’s summit—these five characters are still clearly visible today. Later, monks Yiqing, Yanyun, and Yuan Dynasty monk Liaowu all presided over the temple, spreading Buddhist teachings. During the Cultural Revolution, the temple was severely damaged. After the reform period, monks from Jiuhua Mountain took over, renovated the temple, and visitor and worshipper numbers gradually increased. The first and fifteenth days of each lunar month see especially bustling Buddhist activity, but the first, seventh, and fifteenth days of the first lunar month are the busiest, with crowds of visitors and worshippers covering the mountains. Visiting the rock has become a traditional folk celebration for the Lunar New Year.

　　Wu Daoxin

　　Wu Daoxin was a late Ming Dynasty official and poet. Grandson of Wu Yijie, he was from Tongcheng, Anhui (now Qianqiao Township, Zongyang County). His courtesy name was Tangri, and his pseudonym was Wuzhai. He passed the imperial examination in the seventh year of the Tianqi era and served as an official up to the rank of Ministry of Works Director. After the fall of the Ming Dynasty, he lived in seclusion at Baiyun Rock and was known as Master Wuzhai. His major works include: *Qian De Ju Shi Ji* (Poetry Collection of Hidden Virtue Abode) in fifty volumes; *Longmian Fengya* (Elegance of Longmian) in one volume (containing seventy-five poems); *Tong Ji Ji* (Collection of Old Tong) in one volume (containing seventeen poems); *Qian De Ju Wen Ji* (Prose Collection of Hidden Virtue Abode) in ten volumes; and *Fushan Zhi* (Records of Fushan) in ten volumes.

　　Baiyun Rock Record: To the left of Han Yun is a stone corridor wall dozens of feet long, called “Sa Shou Lang.” At a perilous spot is a stone platform where the Ming Dynasty painter Huang Daozhou once climbed and inscribed five characters for Wu Daoxin: “Yi Ye Xiang Zhen Yu.” Wu Daoxin wrote a text recording this event.