[SPRING 1628]

When Xu Xiake returned home to Jiangyin in 1623 after his trip to Mount Taihe, his mother was over eighty. Mindful of his filial obligations, he planned no other sightseeing trips. His mother, however, had different ideas. Seeing that her son’s wanderlust spirit had not waned, in 1624 she agreed to accompany him on a sightseeing excursion to some scenic sites near Jiangyin. She passed away the following year. Over the next two years, while he observed the obligatory mourning period for his deceased mother, an unstable political situation on a national level, instigated by the notorious eunuch Wei Zhongxian (1568–1627), led to the death by suicide of Xu Xiake’s good friend Gao Panlong. The political situation finally stabilized after the suicide deaths of the Xizong emperor and Wei, both in 1627. Early the following year, under the reign of the new Chongzhen emperor, Xu Xiake headed south for a sightseeing tour of Fujian, or Min.

In the second month of spring in the wuchen year under the new Chongzhen reign [1628], I was in high spirits to undertake a sightseeing trip to Min and Guang but did not set off until the twentieth day of the [second] month [25 March].¹ Reached Blue Lake in Jiangshan County on the eleventh day of the third month [14 April], where I took the overland route into Min.² Proceeded fifteen li and came out at Rock Gate Market, which faces Mount Jianglang. It seemed like I was meeting up again with an old friend.³ Proceeded fifteen li and reached Gorge Mouth [Xiakou] at sunset. Proceeded another fifteen li and then stopped to spend the night at Mountain Hollow [Shankeng].

Twelfth day [15 April]: I proceeded twenty li and climbed to Transcendent Sunglow Clouds Ridge [Xianxia Ling] then proceeded thirty-five li and climbed to Red Maple Tree Ridge [Danfeng Ling]. The area south of the ridge marks the border of Fujian. Proceeded seven more li, where to the west is a trail that comes across a ridge. As it turns out, this is the road to Yongfeng County in Jiangxi. From here, there were still eighty li to Yongfeng. Following a stream, I turned and headed east for eight li and reached the foot of Plowshare Ridge [Liling]. Proceeded four li and climbed to its apex. Six li beyond there, I stopped to spend the night at Nine Shepherds [Jiumu].

Thirteenth day [16 April]: I proceeded thirty-five li, passed a ridge, and then had a meal at Transcendent Solarity Ridge [Xianyang Ling]. Transcendent Solarity Ridge is not very high, but its mountain azaleas are beautiful and adorable in the sunshine. After a meal, I found a sedan chair, and after riding thirty li reached Pucheng County before mid-afternoon.⁴ At that time, all road traffic was diverting to Quanzhou Prefecture, while in Xinghua Prefecture, bandits were raising mayhem.⁵ So going upstream to Yong’an County through Yanping Prefecture seemed best.⁶ Since I have long been interested in visiting Jade Flower Cavern [Yuhua Dong], I hired a boat to Yanping.⁷

Fourteenth day [17 April]: The boat sailed for forty li and reached Before the Abbey [Guanqian]. The boatman was on his way to visit family, so we moored earlier than expected. I crossed a pontoon bridge and climbed Gold Dipper Mountain [Jindou Shan], following the left side of the stream. Its stone steps are in good repair; nearby tall pines and gorgeous grasses stealthily assailed my sleeves. Passed Three Pavilions [Santing] and went into Arcane Emperor Palace [Xuandi Gong]; then I climbed a ridge from the rear of the palace. Wobbling and waving, seemingly poised in midair, the mountains encircle and encompass the palace while the stream’s swift flow belts around it. As the evening fell into darkness and the mist rose, I was more reluctant to leave with each step.

Xu Xiake now reboards the boat.

Fifteenth day [18 April]: At the crack of dawn, the boat immediately set out, rushing headlong with the current to the beat of the oars. Proceeded 120 li and moored at a waterside promontory. Wind and rain lasted throughout the morning. The stream roared like thunder.

Sixteenth day [19 April]: Proceeded sixty li and reached Double Streams Mouth [Shuangxi Kou], where it joins with the Chong’an River [Chong’an Shui]. Proceeded another fifty-five li and reached Jianning Commandery.⁸ The rain never stopped.

Seventeenth day [20 April]: The water level in the stream rose several rods, and all the boats traveling like ours had to stop, unable to proceed. I found a sampan in the morning, boarded it, and proceeded. After forty li is the Grand Peace Relay Station [Taiping Yi], and after another forty li is the Grand Transverse Relay Station [Daheng Yi], which we swiftly passed like a soaring bird. Another thirty li is the Dim and Dismal Rapids [Andan Tan], where the force of the water surges and gushes. During my earlier sightseeing trip to Nine Carp Lake, I only saw domed rocks and mountain bluffs towering aloft, through which boats passed. At first, I did not think the rapids to be dangerous. But now, with its white-capped waves and mountains standing erect and the outlines of the rocks completely submerged, it is twice as dangerous as when I was here before. After ten li reached Yanping Prefecture.

Eighteenth day [21 April]: With a light pack, I left Yanping through its west gate for a sightseeing trip to Jade Flower Cavern. Crossed a stream to the south. I had the servant take my traveling bags and go upriver to Yong’an County from Sha County, where he was to wait for me. I then proceeded overland for forty li, crossed Sand Stream, and headed west. The stream from Jiangle County, which approaches from the west, and the stream from Sha County, which approaches from the south, merge when they reach here, in the same way that Jian Stream merges in Yanping.⁹ I then cut south and went into the mountains. Proceeded sixty li and stopped to spend the night at Three Links Inn [Sanlian Pu], on the border of the three counties of Ouning, Nanping, and Shunchang.

Nineteenth day [22 April]: Proceeded five li and crossed White Sands Ridge [Baisha Ling], which falls within the boundary of Shunchang County. Proceeded another twenty-five li and reached the county. The county overlooks the riverside. The river from Shaowu Prefecture approaches from the west and flows through to Guangze County; the river from Guihua County approaches from the south. They join at the southeastern corner of the Shunchang County wall. I gazed across the river at the county wall, where the current seemed to belt around the stream’s embankment. Following the river south, I proceeded thirty li and reached Duyuan, where snowflakes as big as the palm of a hand suddenly began to fall. Proceeded fifteen li and reached the boundary of Jiangle County. It turns out this is the home county of Yang Shi (1053–1135).¹⁰ Proceeded another fifteen li to High Rapids Post Station, where the dark haze had completely scattered, where the blue sky seemed to wash everything clean, where brilliant sunshine was dazzling and radiant, and where piled snow on the massed peaks seemed to be wearing jade bracelets. For it to snow in Min is extraordinary. For it to snow in late spring is especially extraordinary. Villagers and old ladies at the market basked in the sun while holding incense burners.¹¹ But for me, to jump and frolic about in my bare feet was positively fantastic! Proceeded twenty-five li and stopped to spend the night with a village family at Mountain Stream Crossing [Shanjian Du].

Twentieth day [23 April]: Crossed at Mountain Stream and proceeded south, going against the current of a big stream. Two mountains along the stream seem to form a gate called Ju Gorge [Juxia]. There was nowhere to get a foothold by the cliffs along the stream, so I followed the mountain’s midpoint. After ten li, only when I came out at Ju Gorge Post Station [Juxia Pu] did the mountains begin to open. Proceeded another ten li and passed into Jiangle County. When I came out at a pass to the south, crossed a stream, and headed south. Then I cut east, passed into a mountain, and climbed Galloping Ridge [Tengling]. Proceeded south for three li to Jade Flower Cavern. Earlier, when I passed Galloping Ridge, I gazed at two peaks to the southeast, towering and standing erect, with blue-green cliffs in tier after tier, whose form, structure, and color are utterly different from the other peaks. When I reached the foot of these peaks, I could see that, like a single tail, they stretched and heaved, encircling and protecting the entrance to the cavern. The entrance is inside a mountain depression that is not open and spacious, but blue-green forests on its summit crisscross, while a clear stream flows out below it. Before I knew it, my spirit and bones had turned completely chill!

Halfway up the mountain is Bright Terrace Retreat [Mingtai An], from which one passes through to the rear entrance to the cavern [see figure 8]. I still had not eaten, so next, I emerged from the left side of the trail and climbed the ridge on stone steps embraced by pine trees. I made my way through the rocks for three li. The green hills, looking like hibiscus flowers, immediately opened. The retreat is right inside them. I had a meal at the retreat, continued my descent, and reached the front entrance to the cavern, where I hired an experienced guide. He hacked and chopped off segments of pine knots and placed them into a bamboo basket, then carried the basket on a pole over his shoulder. He had an iron door bolt in his hand, into which he placed a piece of pine knot and lit it.¹² After the pine knot burned out, he would replace it with a new one. Upon entering the cavern, I descended the stone steps one by one for several feet. This spot marks the source of the stream in the cavern. Going against the current, I twisted and turned, crossing four wooden planks, which are now narrow, vaulted, rising, and descending. As for the color of the rocks, some are white, and some are yellow. As for the rocky bones, some hang down, and some stand vertically.¹³ Only Lychee Pillar [Lizhi Zhu], Windy Teardrop Candle [Fenglei Zhu], Screening Sky Canopy [Mantian Zhang], Dharma Crosses the River [Damo Dujiang], Transcendent Being Field [Xianren Tian], Grape Umbrella [Putao San], Transcendent’s Bell [Xianzhong], and Transcendent’s Drum [Xiangu] are the truest to form. Ascending steps, seemingly poised in midair, I followed along the current until the stream ended. This is called Nine Story Tower [Jiuchong Lou]. As I gazed far off into the empty depths of the cavern, suddenly, I saw something that seemed like the first light of dawn. This is the so-called Fifth Watch Sky [Wugeng Tian]. This is the most extraordinary sight here, and it is precisely like Master Zhang’s Cavern [Zhanggong Dong] in the way it changes from dark to bright.¹⁴ Presumably, light can shine inside because of the diagonal opening at the entrance. Still, however, I could not see any blue sky. From the flank of the ridge, I looked up and fixed my gaze on a single crevice at the cavern’s entrance, where a globe of bright light shone straight through. The cavern’s entrance drops down from high above. Its expansive design embodies wonder and magnificence, just like Master Zhang’s Cavern. When one considers Master Zhang’s Cavern, it is seemingly poised above forests, eerie and beautiful, and is in a place that receives light. But this cavern dazzles in its artistry. It rivals other sites in its wonder and is secluded and mysterious everywhere. At the same time, the doorway that leads into it is even more expansive. The similarities and differences between the two caverns are much the same, like that between older and younger brothers. I climbed stairs and ascended to the cavern’s summit, where vaulted cliff walls taper into the sky. On the left and right, the walls seem like green jade and light-red skin, truly revealing a quality that Master Zhang’s Cavern does not provide.

I descended the mountain to some ridged fields. The surrounding mountains ring around and lock in the fields, so water from the mountains has no outlet. It rapidly plummets down from inside the mountains. Presumably, the stream that flows inside Jade Flower Cavern was formed similarly. Again I climbed to the midpoint of the mountain and passed Bright Terrace Retreat. A monk at the retreat said, “The rocky bones of this mountain have sharp and severe edges. In places where they are revealed and exposed, layer upon layer, they look like pared jade and trimmed clouds. But frequently, they are concealed by grass and trees, so sightseers come to know about the cavern but not the peaks.” So he led me up some stairs along a bird track, then through an opening into some jumbled vines, where we found Star Grotto [Xingku]. It has tapered cliff walls crowded together and overhanging on three sides while it plummets down for several rods below. Beside the grotto are three wild sour peel tangerine (ju) trees, hanging down countless clusters of its fruit.

At the midpoint of the mountain, I turned right and proceeded for one or two li. Suddenly, at a place where the ridges of two mountains join, I was surrounded by thorns and bushes. Inside them are stone steps lined up neatly like teeth, which loop and coil between both sides of the rocks. I gazed up at the peak’s summit, where an exquisite bamboo shoot-like thicket of trees stood alone. In due course, from the top of the vaulted wall behind the cavern, I again transited to Rock Gate, then descended to have a bath at the retreat. I spent the night there.

Twenty-first day [24 April]: Following the same route as before, I reached the south gate of Jiangle, where I took the road to Yong’an County.

Twenty-fourth day [27 April]: I did not reach Yong’an until today. My servant, who took a boat from Yanping, had not yet arrived.

Twenty-fifth day [28 April]: I sat and waited for the servant at a traveler’s inn in Yong’an. I bought some Shunchang wine at a market and drank it downstairs in the inn. Suddenly, I heard a commotion that would not stop. It was the servant who had come from Yanping. So I made plans for us to head out early the following day.

Twenty-sixth day [29 April]: Following along the county wall and heading upstream, I proceeded twenty li, then turned south. After another twenty-five li, I climbed to Big Leak Ridge [Daxie Ling], which is towering and tall, and then proceeded through clouds and mist. It was like this for fifteen li until I found a flat embankment called Lin’s Field [Lintian]. Lin’s Field has two streams that approach from the south: the one to the east is muddy and red like blood; the one to the west is entirely green. When they reach here, their currents merge.

Twenty-seventh day [30 April]: I proceeded against the current of Carmine Stream [Chixi]. After some time passed, I abandoned Carmine Stream. I continued against the current of Transparent Stream [Chengxi]. Altogether, proceeded twenty li, crossed the upper and lower bridges at Hollow Source [Kengyuan], and climbed Horse Mountain Ridge [Mashan Ling]. I turned to ascend, then turned again to go even higher. The fog also became thick, like when I climbed Big Leak Ridge yesterday. Proceeded five more li and then made my way through that ridge, which serves as the border of Ningyang County.¹⁵ Descended five li and had a meal at the top of the ridge. At the time, the glaring sunlight seemed about to reach its midday zenith, while the countless peaks seemed to be holding up mirrors in the light to reflect their faces. I gazed back at the ascending ridge already out of sight. But below me, massed peaks were in paired columns, none of which failed to display their forms below my sandals. Presumably, on the ultimate summit of Horse Mountain, the rocky peaks block and hide one another. I did not realize until now that this was the highest point in the vast terrain of the south. I asked some locals about it. Before Ningyang was established as a county, it still fell under the administrative jurisdiction of Yong’an. Now, all the rivers north of Horse Mountain Ridge that flow north fall under the administrative jurisdiction of Yanping. All the rivers south of the ridge that flow south fall under the administrative jurisdiction of Zhang Subprefecture. The jurisdiction of the rivers should undoubtedly be set up in this way so it conforms with the terrain of the mountains. Zhang Subprefecture’s territory is thirty li south of Ningyang. To the west is Dragon Cliff [Longyan], which is in this commandery.¹⁶ To the east is Big Field [Datian] in Yanping, or so I was told. It was not until I descended ten li down the mountain that, following a ravine, I proceeded onward. I crossed a bridge over a stream and headed south. Big Stream (Daxi), in due course, departed to the east. Passed over a ridge and again, following a small stream that approached from the west, proceeded twenty li and reached the eastern outer wall of Ningyang. I wound around to the north of the county wall and proceeded west. Then, the same Big Stream I saw earlier approached and passed south of the wall, merging with a small stream. Only then is navigation possible on that waterway.

Twenty-eighth day [1 May]: I was about to descend to the south when we received a warning about robbers. For two days, no boats departed.

Fourth month, first day [4 May]: Our boat did not sail until daybreak. The stream, by way of a mountain gorge, flows headlong down to the south. After ten-some li, I saw a peak jutting out to the west. It spans across and cuts off the stream, whose water diverts to the west and then cuts to the east again. Its force is like water pouring down from an overturned jar.¹⁷ It is called Rocky Mouth Rapids [Shizui Tan]. Its jumbled rocks stand in clusters, through which is a single passageway, only big enough for one boat. Our boat plummeted down through the passageway with a drop of over one rod. With extra force, the boat twisted and turned, again falling down several rods. If you compare these rapids to those at Dim and Dismal and the other rapids, where rocks in the rapids are especially prominent in how they stick out of the water, these are twice as dangerous. Crowds of boats reach here, lining up like fish scales to descend. Each time a boat descends, the people in the boat will disembark and climb up on the bank. Then, together, they will grab a thick rope and pull the boat backward and forward, releasing the rope only when the boat can proceed. After passing here, the mountain gorges became dangerous and narrower, while once again, mountain barriers poked into the sky. The stream zigzags through dilapidated cliff walls and then descends. Indeed, the stream seems to split the lush green mountains and pierce through the clouds.

Proceeded thirty li and passed Inn Head [Guantou], which serves as the border of Zhangping County, where yet another peak juts out to the east.¹⁸ The current once more rings around to the east and then cuts west. This is called Gushing Water Rapids [Liushui Tan]. The peaks here link together; mountain barriers merge. It seemed like a massive wave from the Milky Way had flown to our boat. I felt I was now being held hostage in the Dragon Splash Pool.¹⁹ A short time later, the landscape of the mountains opened a little. Proceeded twenty-some li to Rocky Wall Rapids [Shibi Tan]. Its rocks charge in from the south, restraining the current but not making it retreat. The force of the water thus continues to beat against and strike the rocks. As far as danger is concerned, these rapids are third behind Rocky Mouth and Gushing Water. When one descends from here, a stream comes from the northeast to merge with this one. Descending farther, Pincer Stream [Jiaxi] approaches from the northeast to join here. The stream’s current becomes greater, but its force is milder. Proceeded east twenty more li to Zhangping County.

The streams of Ningyang County rush down swiftly and speedily, ten times faster than Jian Stream. Presumably, the stream from Pucheng enters the sea when it reaches Min’an, running more than eight hundred li. The stream from Ningyang that enters the sea when it reaches Haicheng County only runs three hundred-some li. The more forceful the watercourse, the swifter the current. How much more is this true when you descend to Yanping from Plowshare Ridge, which does not reach five hundred li? And when you ascend to Horse Ridge [Maling] from Yanping, it does not reach four hundred li, but it is steep. As for the height of these two ridges, the difference is like that between an older and younger brother. They are equal in height, but the distance to where they flow into the sea is shorter, so the force of the water’s flow is more significant. As for the dangers when their thunderous roar moves over land, I should describe them here.

Second day [5 May]: I took the boat down to Huafeng County.²⁰ After sailing for several li, the mountain terrain again begins to close in. The tiered rapids and doubly swift currents, like at Grand Peace and Dim and Dismal along Jian Stream, are so numerous that they cannot all be counted. After sixty li reached Huafeng County. When North Stream [Beixi] reaches here, it rushes and runs over the spines of rocks. Boats cannot pass. So I abandoned the boat and crossed a ridge on foot. Generally speaking, the amount of water at the origin of a river can only brim over a single goblet, so not even a raft can float there. But if a waterway has been opened for navigation, instances where a boat reaches its lower reaches and is blocked are rare. The only case is the Assembled Crossing [Jijin] along the Three Gates [Sanmen] on the Yellow River, where boats can neither ascend nor descend. However, boat transport occurred on the Yellow River during the Han and Tang dynasties.²¹ Remnants of the cables that were used then are still around. This cannot be compared with Huafeng County’s rapids, which have never been open for navigation since antiquity. I intended to follow the current and see all the dangerous spots, but the residents only knew about crossing the ridge, so no one could guide me.

Third day [6 May]: I climbed a ridge, proceeded ten li, and reached the ridge’s apex, where stream water again approached from the west, then descended and followed the foot of the mountain. I looked down but only saw a belt-like stretch of water. Proceeded another five li, where the belt of water sinks straight down for another two li and reaches a stream. The boat traveled eighty li and reached Stream Mouth [Xikou].²² If we proceed southwest overland for thirty li, that will take us to Zhangzhou Prefecture; if the boat follows the current southeast for twenty li, that will take us to East of the River Crossing [Jiangdong Du]. As it turns out, this is the site of the relay station road that approaches from Quanzhou and Xinghua Prefectures in the east. If we flowed with the current for another sixty li, we would come out in Haicheng County, where the stream flows into the sea.

Fourth day [7 May]: I rode by sedan chair for twenty li and then entered the north gate of Zhangzhou Prefecture to visit my uncle, the administrator for public order [sili canjun].²³ His seal of office is in Nanjing County, thirty li from the prefecture.²⁴ In the rain, I left by the south gate. That night, I went by boat to Nanjing.

Fifth day [8 May]: I did not reach Nanjing until daybreak because we had to twist and thread our way against the current. This stream, which approaches Nanping, reaches Nanjing after sixty li. It is more potent than West Stream and equally vast and mighty. The stream passes by the south gate of Zhang Commandery.²⁵ It also reaches Haicheng County, where it enters the sea. As for the fame achieved by Zhangzhou Prefecture, does anyone know which of the two streams takes the oxen’s ear?²⁶

—Translated by James M. Hargett

____________________

Source: “Minyou riji qian” (YJJZ, 1.88–97; YJ, 1.55–61).

1. 1  Reign-period names changed when a new emperor assumed the throne. The reference here is to the Chongzhen emperor, who came to power in 1627. When rebel troops reached Beijing in April 1644, he hanged himself on a hill behind the Forbidden City, thereby ending the Ming dynasty. Guang refers to modern Guangdong Province.

2. 2  Jiangshan County corresponds to modern Jiangshan Shi in southwestern Zhejiang, on the border of Jiangxi.

3. 3  Xu Xiake visited Mount Jianglang in 1620. See his “A Sightseeing Trip to Nine Carp Lake,” this volume. This explains his comment about “meeting up again with an old friend.”

4. 4  Modern Pucheng Xian, Fujian.

5. 5  Xinghua Prefecture is far south of Xu Xiake’s location in northern Fujian. His travels there are described in his “A Sightseeing Trip to Nine Carp Lake,” this volume. Quanzhou Prefecture is farther south.

6. 6  Yanping Prefecture corresponds to modern Nanping Shi. Yong’an County (modern Yong’an Xian) was about 98 mi/158 km southwest of the prefectural seat.

7. 7  This famous cavern, the largest limestone cavern in Fujian, is described in detail later in this diary. Xu Xiake’s boat is heading upstream and southwest on Sand Stream [Shaxi].

8. 8  That is, Jianning Prefecture, which corresponds to modern Jian’ou Shi.

9. 9  Modern Jiangle Xian in western Fujian.

10. 10  Yang Shi (nickname Guishan) was a prominent member of the Southern School of Neo-Confucianism (Daonan Xuepai).

11. 11  Villagers and old ladies were basking in the sun for warmth and holding up incense burners (tilu) to welcome travelers passing through the village.

12. 12  The term tieluo, translated as “iron door bolt,” is drawn from the Min dialect of Fujian. Presumably, the inside of the door bolt was hollow, into which segments of pine tree knots—probably split at the top with wood shavings stuffed inside—were inserted and ignited. The resin inside the pine knot helped to maintain the torch’s burn.

13. 13  That is, the stalactites and stalagmites inside the cavern.

14. 14  Master Zhang’s Cavern is at the foot of Yu’s Peak Mountain [Yufeng Shan]outside Yixing, Jiangsu. According to legend, during the Han dynasty, Zhang Ling (or Zhang Daoling; traditionally 34–156 CE), who is credited as the founder of an important sect of Daoism called “Way of the Celestial Masters” (Tianshi Dao), lived in the cavern. When Xu Xiake may have earlier visited that cavern is unclear.

15. 15  Modern Ningyang Xian.

16. 16  That is, of Zhangzhou Prefecture.

17. 17  Following YJJZ, 1:98n1, and reading jianling 建瓴 to mean fuling 覆瓴 (overturned water jar). The idea here is that the water in the stream flowed with the force of water plummeting down from an overturned jar.

18. 18  Modern Zhangping Shi.

19. 19  Xu Xiake refers to the Dragon Splash Pool at Mount Yandang. His point is that the passengers were so drenched with water that they felt stuck in place directly below a waterfall.

20. 20  Modern Hua’an Xian.

21. 21  Three Gates is a narrow gorge along the middle reaches of the Yellow River that divides into three channels. The dangerous rapids, rocky islands, and extensive sandbanks there have impeded navigation for centuries.

22. 22  Here I follow YJJZ, 1:98–99n16, which says “West Stream” [Xixi 西溪] should instead read “Stream Mouth” [Xikou 溪口].

23. 23  Zhangzhou Prefecture corresponds to modern Zhangzhou Shi. The uncle mentioned here is Xu Risheng (jinshi 1625). He was responsible for local judicial affairs and prison management in Nanjing County.

24. 24  In ancient China, officials used seals (sometimes called “chops” in English) rather than signatures on government documents. So saying that his uncle’s seal is in Nanjing means that the uncle’s office is in Nanjing. Nanjing 南靖 County (modern Nanjing Xian, Fujian) should not be confused with the famous city of Nanjing 南京 on the Changjiang in Jiangsu.

25. 25  That is to say, of Zhangzhou Prefecture.

26. 26  This ultimate line in Xu Xiake’s first Min diary vividly exemplifies his skill as a wordsmith. Instead of closing with the simple question, “Which of the two streams has contributed the most to Zhangzhou Prefecture’s fame?” he instead draws upon an account in the Zuo Tradition (Zuozhuan) that describes a covenant made at a conference meeting of feudal lords during the Zhou dynasty. To seal the covenant, the leader of the conference cut the ear of an ox and then took the animal’s blood and either drank it or smeared it on his lips to demonstrate his loyalty to the covenant. Afterward, “take an oxen’s ear” (zhi niuer) came to signify “leader,” or in this case, the stream that played a leading role in helping Zhangzhou prefecture to achieve notoriety.