[FALL 1636]

Xu Xiake’s Zhe diary, referring to travels in Zhe, modern Zhejiang Province, chronicles the first leg of his lengthy tour of south and southwest China, which lasted from 1636 until 1639.

Bingzi year, nineteenth day of the ninth month [17 October 1636]: I have long intended to make a sightseeing tour of the west, but I have postponed this expedition for two years. With old age and illness soon to beset me, putting things off any longer is impossible. I wanted to wait until I could meet with Huang Daozhou, but I have received no news from him. I also wanted to say goodbye to Zhongzhao, but he has not come south, so last night, I made a quick trip up to Earthen Culvert Manor [Tudu Zhuang] to see him. Today, as I was preparing to depart, Uncle Duruo arrived. We drank till midnight, and I was still tipsy when the boat cast off. Accompanying me on this journey is the monk Tranquil Hearing.

Twentieth day [18 October]: Arrived in Wuxi County before daybreak. At dawn, I first sent someone to inform Wang Xiaoxian of my arrival while I visited Wang Shoushi, but he had gone out. Then I went to see Wang Yongji, who kept me company drinking until noon when Xiaoxian arrived.¹ By the time we had finished, Shoushi had returned. I was already tipsy; Xiaoxian and I had further cups at Shoushi’s home. Xiaoxian tucked a family letter to Gu Dongshu into my baggage. At this time, Dongshu is intendant of the Cangwu Circuit [Cangwu Dao]; the letter was written by his son Bochang.² We drank deep into the night until, in the end, I boarded the boat.

Twenty-first day [19 October]: Went to see Xiaoxian and once more stayed for a few cups. Cast off in the morning and the evening passed Tiger Mound [Huqiu], then moored at Half Dike [Bantang].

Twenty-second day [20 October]: Early in the morning, I bought a bamboo chair for Zhongzhao in Half Dike, and in the early afternoon visited the sons of Wenwen the Elder (Wenwen Lao) and made purchases at Chang Gate.³ In the evening went to the Feng Gate [Fengmen] to visit cousin Hanhui.⁴ Tears coursed down his cheeks when he saw me, and I could not help feeling distressed. Hanhui has lived in seclusion in Suzhou for almost fifteen years, during which time Zhongzhao and I visited him several times. Although he had to move house and suffered family decline and the loss of his son, he could still find distraction in refined pursuits. But this time, his situation is a good deal worse because his grandson continually takes advantage of him financially and defies his wishes. We had several cups together on my boat, where he wrote a letter on my behalf to Zhu Chuyu, prefect of Hengzhou.⁵ It was the middle of the night when he left.

Twenty-third day [21 October]: I returned to Chang Gate to pick up dyed silks and the artwork I had mounted. Cast off that morning. After seventy li, reached Kunshan County that evening.⁶ After another ten or more li, left Inner Village [Neicun] behind and entered the Dark Sheep River [Qingyang Jiang], then crossed to the other side and moored next to a small bridge on the east bank.

Twenty-fourth day [22 October]: Set off at fifth drum. Only after twenty li, when we reached Green Reed Riverbank [Lüjia Bin], did it become light. At midday, passed Qingpu County, and in the afternoon, reached the north slope of Mount She [Sheshan].⁷ I went ashore with Tranquil Hearing, taking a path that led to Pagoda Hollow [Ta’ao], and then carried on southward. First, we passed an abandoned orchard, the spot where, in mid-autumn eight years ago, there was singing and dancing at the so-called country villa of Shi Shaoxin (1588–ca. 1630).⁸ That year, when Shaoxin had just decorated the garden and recruited singers, Chen Jiru and I went to visit—what a stunning and splendid event!⁹ But before three years were out, when Yingzhen and I passed by and went to look, although the place was little altered, its owner had perished, and we realized that the property had changed hands.¹⁰ It was sold to Vice Minister of War (Binglang) Wang Sheng (jinshi 1616). And now it is just ruined pavilions and tumbledown walls; in three short moments, the place has thrice been utterly transformed—so rapid are the reversals in human fortune!

Passing Pagoda Hollow, I noticed the temple had lost its doors, and there was only a big bell hanging there among the trees; the Xu Villa on the south side of the mountains was also under new ownership. So I hastened toward Chen Jiru’s Stubborn Transcendent’s Cottage [Wanxian Lu]. Jiru, spotting visitors approaching, hastily beat a retreat. On learning I had come to see him, he reemerged, taking me by the hand and leading me into the woods, where we drank until late. I was about to leave, but Jiru wanted to write a letter for me to take to two monks at Mount Chicken Foot—their names are Profound Discernment (Hongbian) and Peacefully Humane (Anren). He pressed me to stay a little longer, so I did not resume the boat journey.¹¹

Twenty-fifth day [23 October]: By early morning, Jiru had written the letter to the two monks and prepared a gift for me. After insisting I stay for breakfast, he wrote two poems to celebrate the birthday of Wang Zhongren’s mother, and he also gave me a portrait of Avalokiteśvara and a sutra written with red fragrant rice.¹² It was midmorning by the time I set off. Up to this point, I had been making a detour to the east; now, I would begin my travels to the west.

During the next three days, Xu Xiake proceeded by boat to Wuzhen, arriving in Hangzhou Prefecture on the afternoon of the twenty-eighth. On the twenty-ninth, he attended to correspondence.

Thirtieth day [28 October]:¹³ In the morning went into town and bought ginseng to send back home. At noon, I returned to the boat and arranged for the heavier items of luggage to be shipped home. Tranquil Hearing and I then crossed the lake to the Gushing Gold Gate [Yongjin Men], where we bought a copper cooking pot, bamboo tubes, and other travel accessories.¹⁴ Later in the day, we proceeded through the Heavenward Gate [Chaotian Men] to the Brilliant Felicity Monastery [Zhaoqing Si], where we bathed and spent the night. Today, I borrowed ten taels from Master Profound Harmony (Zhanrong) to supplement my travel budget.

First day of the tenth month [29 October]:¹⁵ Very clear and crisp, but with a blustery northwest wind. Tranquil Hearing and I climbed to the top of Precious Rock Mountain [Baoshi Shan]. The massive boulder aslant the rocky summit is known as Falling Star Rock [Luoxing Shi]. The rocks on the western peaks stood out prominently, while looking southward, there was a view of the lake and a glimpse of the river; to the north, I could make out the Gaoting and Deqing Mountains, and to the east, I saw smoke rising from the countless kitchen fires of Hangzhou—every one of these sights was clearly visible.

Proceeding down the mountain for five li, we passed the Tomb of King Yue [Yuewang Fen] and after ten li reached the Peak That Flew Hither [Feilai Feng].¹⁶ We ate in a street market and then explored the hillside grottoes. The mountain, an eastward extension of Maple Tree Ridge [Fengmu Ling], spreads like a screen in front of Soul’s Retreat Monastery [Lingyin Si]. Here, the bones of the mountains are fully exposed, and boulders are exquisitely arrayed in the area next to the three grottoes, which are open and interconnected, with no deep recesses. In the olden days, the grottoes were disfigured by the carvings of Lama Yang, and now they are marred by the clamor of itinerant beggars, but at this moment, the beggars were not to be seen, and the hills and stones were spared the pollution of noise and hubbub, as though the mountain was bathing its bones and the sky was washing its face.¹⁷ After roaming everywhere at ground level, I then scaled the peaks. Curious rocks pierced the air above the grottoes, and strangely shaped trees cast their shadows; straddling these wonders, one can imagine oneself at the top of Massed Jade Mountain [Qunyu Shan].¹⁸ In the past, the peak belonged to the Soul’s Retreat Monastery, but now it is the property of the Zhang family.

Once we went downhill and crossed the stream, the Soul’s Retreat Monastery lay before us. On the middle terrace, an elderly monk sat silently in his robes, basking in the sun and never once blinking an eye. I entered the Dharma Wheel Ceremonial Hall [Falun Dian]. At the east end is the newly built Arhat Ceremonial Hall [Luohan Dian], housing only half of the entire five hundred statues—the other half are yet to be erected at the west end. On this day, two or three groups of beautiful ladies arrived close on each other’s heels, casting their scent and exuding glamor—just as memorable a sight as the old monk meditating in the sunshine. I lingered here for quite some time.

In the afternoon, we climbed westward from the Bao Garden [Baoyuan] to Maple Ridge, then descended to the Upper [Shang Tianzhu Si], Middle [Zhong Tianzhu Si], and Lower [Xia Tianzhu Si] India Monasteries. After following the path farther, we came upon Three Lives Rock [Sansheng Shi], rugged in form, with a transparent, moist patina. I took stock of the rock’s location and found it lies on the mountain’s south slope, which screens Soul’s Retreat Monastery. From there, as you proceed east to the end of the Peak That Flew Hither, the scenery is utterly delightful. Five li below the Lower India Monastery, we emerged at the Mao Family Promenade [Maojia Bu] and crossed the lake. The sun was setting, and the sky was dark when we reached Brilliant Felicity.

On the second day, Xu Xiake headed west to Yuhang County. On the third day, he entered Lin’an County and began making his way southwest through the hills.¹⁹

Fourth day [1 November]:²⁰ At cockcrow made breakfast, and at dawn walked toward the west.… After crossing to the north end of Alms Bowl Bridge [Boyu Qiao], we turned east, and after one li, we made another sharp turn south. Three Nine Mountain [Sanjiu Shan] lies east of here, and Cave Mountain [Dongshan] to the west, encircling the valley. In both directions, we saw nothing but jagged peaks as black as lacquer, red maples and yellow ginkgoes (baiguo), emerald bamboo, and green pines mingling like brocade. Where streams had tumbled down from the rock faces, they had washed the stones as clean as snow. Although there had been a long dry spell and water was no longer flowing, the dark cliffs and white canyons looked like hanging bolts of silk, and I marveled at the sight. After two li, we crossed the Li Wang Bridge [Li Wang Qiao] and reached the eastern slope of Cave Mountain, where we made haste to drop off our luggage at the Wu Family Ancestral Shrine [Wushi Xianci]. I told the pageboy to look for an eatery, but there was none to be found. Two members of the Wu family arrived, one cooking a meal for us and the other bringing candles for our visit to the caves. I reciprocated by giving them folding fans inscribed by Master Yu.…

Then Tranquil Hearing and I headed west to ascend the mountain, following a stream. Gurgling waters rinsed boulders bordering the stream, while rock slabs jutted out, sloping like humps or projecting like terraces, and bamboo and trees rose between the rocks, their roots hidden from view, canes and trunks filling every cranny. Climbing farther, we came upon a large stone block standing straight and square in the middle of the stream, its surface incised with a remarkable pattern of veins, like waves agitated by a whirlwind. Continuing the ascent, we came upon a newly built Suiyang Temple [Suiyang Miao] nestled among the bamboo; inside is the Snow Peak Sacrarium [Xuefeng Kan], also known as Soul’s Retreat [Lingyin An].²¹

Behind the retreat, a sheer rock face extends, standing up straight like an emerald-tipped screen; to its south lies Bright Cavern [Mingdong], gaping open like a pavilion. Lining its outer rim are five stone columns, creating an effect similar to Mount Siming’s [Siming Shan] “windows,” though the rocks at Siming are of inferior color, and they do not cluster together in the same way.²² One of the columns falls short of the upper rim, and from the rim hangs another rock that does not quite reach the column; they face each other, one above and one below, with only a tiny space separating them. Alongside, a tree rises tall, bending outward when it reaches the rim, its lush greenery brushing the crags as it climbs, the dark stone all the more striking in contrast.

Continuing south, we arrived at Hidden Cavern [Youdong]. The two sections of the cavern open next to each other, and the rock wall between them is a light red color, like a peach blossom. The cavern opening is tall, and inside, it feels like standing under the arch of a bridge. If you shout, the echoes go on and on, for the cavern seems to have no bottom.

About twenty rods in, one wing of the cavern turns north, and another turns south. The northern cavern is dry, and one can ascend it on steps, like going upstairs. After thirty rods in, this branch takes a turn to the south into a small gallery, very dark.

The southern cavern is wet: even if the floor is uneven, with many rises, water is everywhere, neither flowing nor drying up. I had to move forward at an angle, and after some twenty rods, I suddenly heard the babble of running water. Proceeding through a small opening, I saw a little stream flowing from the south, and here it spilled into a bottomless sinkhole that I could only hear and not see. Tracing the stream toward its source, I crossed a gulch and made my way through another opening. From here on, I had to wade through the water, so I rolled up my gown and took off my socks, and after proceeding along the stream for thirty rods, I saw rocks dangling like lotus blossoms, their tips curled like elephants’ trunks. On I went, over sandy patches and along narrow passageways, through galleries that were sometimes cramped and sometimes spacious, much like White Crane Cavern [Baihe Dong] in Bramble Stream, but White Crane Cavern lies at the foot of a mountain and is easily watered, while this cavern is high up near the summit, so the water here was all the more extraordinary.²³ Finally, the cavern ends at a place where water collects into quite a shallow pool, and I still do not know where it comes from and where it discharges. By the time I emerged, although I had just spent a few hours in the cavern, it seemed like an age since I was outside.

After coming down the mountain, we dined at the Wu Ancestral Shrine. Then we followed the stream that came from the south and after two li reached Grand Peace Bridge [Taiping Qiao]. To the west of the bridge lives a family named Gao, and to the east, a family named Wu—a branch of the Wu family of Li Wang Bridge. Here, there is also an ancestral shrine that is very spacious.

The sun was still high in the sky, but because the porters lived close by and wanted to return home for the night, they claimed we would find no inn at Horse Ridge, so we stayed in the hall that evening. On this day, we walked a distance of only thirty-five li, but the two caverns were a wholly unexpected find—what good fortune! That night, the wind howled, and clouds gathered, but by dawn, all was calm.

On the fifth day, Xu Xiake proceeded over the hills and boarded a boat on the Watershed River [Fenshui Jiang], heading south toward Tonglu. By the evening of the seventh day, he had arrived at Lanxi County.²⁴

Eighth day [5 November]:²⁵ In the morning, ascended the pontoon bridge to find boats lined up row upon row on both sides. In deference to troops shortly arriving from Quzhou Prefecture, the bridge was closed, and boats were not allowed to pass in either direction.²⁶ So, I told Servant Gu to look after the luggage at an inn by the south gate while Tranquil Hearing and I went sightseeing at the three caverns in Jinhua Prefecture.

The mountains of Jinhua extend horizontally from east to west, with the prefectural capital to the south, Pujiang to the north, Lanxi to the west, where the mountains meet the plain, and Yiwu to the east.²⁷ The Wu River [Wushui], flowing from Yongkang in the southwest, passes the south gate of Jinhua and flows northwest to Lanxi, where it joins the Qu River [Qujiang]. At first, I planned to take a land route, but seeing there was a boat heading eastward, we boarded it. The stream flowed between sandy banks, and the mountains looked far away. Red maples dotted the landscape, as fetching as brocade, like cuttings from sunset clouds, splendid in their gleaming ranks. North Mountain [Beishan] thrust high into the sky as though carrying a huge screen on its back, but we were putting it behind us as the boat headed southeast.

“Where are the three caves?” I asked.

“To the north,” was the answer.

“And the prefectural capital?”

“To the south.”

Only then did I realize that there was actually no need to go to Jinhua to see the caves: if one traveled overland for one-half day, one could access them from a central route. But we were on the boat by this time, and it was too late. After forty-five li, we entered a narrower channel; by now it was dusk, and the moon was bright. After another fifteen li, we disembarked and looked for an inn by the wharf. But given the late hour, the inns had closed their doors and would not take us in. I met Mr. Wang, nickname Jingchuan, a native of High Bridge Wharf [Gaoqiao Bu]. He was about to make his way home by moonlight, but seeing that we had nowhere to sleep, he led us outside the west gate and stayed with us at an inn there.

Ninth day [6 November]: I rose early to find the sky clear. Entered the west gate—the “Lanxi Gate” [Lanxi Men]—with Wang Jingchuan and passed the county offices, where there were many comings and goings because of the recent death of the magistrate Xiang Renlong of She County, a jinshi of the xinwei year (1631); in the space of five days, he, his father, and his son had all died of dysentery. Then went east and climbed Su Precinct Ridge [Sufang Ling], which is quite level and surrounded by street markets. Carrying east, we reached Four Memorial Archways [Si Paifang]. From Su Precinct Ridge to here, the streets and shops are bustling; head south, and you reach the local government offices. Together with Wang Jingchuan, we entered a noodle shop run by a Huizhou family. The noodles were so delicious that we all ate double portions.

After that, we exited the west gate and headed north. Wang was so reluctant to part from us that it was some time before we said goodbye. The road led us up and down ridges and hills, and after ten li, we reached Luodian. When I asked where the three caves were, I was told, “To the west,” but I noticed how a sharp peak jutted out, and it was to the east. So I took a local aside and questioned him closely to be informed that “halfway up North Mountain is Deer Field Monastery [Lutian Si]. The spur that runs east from there has Hibiscus Peak [Furong Feng]—also called Pinnacle Peak [Jianfeng]—at its southern high point: it is the origin of the mountain ridge overlooking the city. But it is the spur that runs west that, on the south side, culminates in the three caves. West of the caves, you come to the border with Lanxi.”

Since I planned to return to Lanxi from the three caves and did not want to miss any further sights on the east side, I headed toward Hibiscus Peak. After proceeding northeast five li from Luodian, I came upon Sage Monastery [Zhizhe Si]. Situated on the west slope of Hibiscus Peak, it is the principal monastery in the southern foothills of North Mountain, but now it is in poor repair. There is, however, a stele in the ceremonial hall erected by Lu You (1125–1210) of the Song, commemorating the reconstruction of the buildings by the abbot of the day, and the characters on the stele are written in Lu’s hand.²⁸ On the reverse is carved the text of several letters that Lu You sent to the abbot. The script of the front of the stele is in regular style, while the text on the reverse side is in cursive; both forms have an appealing poise. I regret that no rubbing services were available, so I could not enjoy the pleasure of obtaining an impression.

To the east of the monastery is Hibiscus Retreat [Furong An]. From there, a path leads to Hibiscus Peak. Although the summit is sharp and round, it is less than half the height of North Mountain, so I chose not to take that path. I headed northwest up the ridge instead, and after scaling crests and descending gullies for some five li, I found myself at Clear View Retreat [Qingjing An]. There, Way Cultivator (Daoxiu), the resident monk, prepared a meal for us, and later, he showed us the way up to Yang Family Mountain [Yangjia Shan], the second-highest peak after North Mountain. Hibiscus is the third highest.

We circled to the west and then climbed through the northern fold between two peaks. To the east is Yang Family Mountain, where several dozen families live, and to the west is Gaze in Vain Mountain [Baiwang Shan], where a transcendent once gazed at a white deer. After some seven li, North Mountain rises steeply in the rear, with Yang Family Mountain in front. Here, a level area opens out, and huge boulders project upward. Where stones have been laid to form a terrace and bamboo has been planted, one finds the hillside manor of Governor Zhu (Zhu Kaifu).²⁹ The rocks on the northeast side pile up in profusion, some as big as lions and elephants, some as small as deer and pigs, all crouching in the undergrowth. This spot is known as Stone Waves [Shilang], the place where Chuping shouted at stones to make them turn into sheep—can it be that now he has converted the sheep back to stones again?³⁰ Above the boulders stands Deer Field Monastery, which gets its name from the story of the Jade Maiden marshaling deer to plow a field. In front of the ceremonial hall stands a rock, dubbed the Tamed Deer Rock [Xunlu Shi] for its shape.

This monastery has been here for a long time, although more recently, its assets have been nibbled away by eunuchs. Prefect Zhang Zhaorui (jinshi 1568) of Haizhou built a ceremonial hall to preserve the stone sheep, and Tu Long’s (1542–1605) account of his visit is carved on a tablet within its precincts.³¹ By the time we arrived, it was afternoon. On inquiry, I learned that Cockfight Crag [Douji Yan] is to the east, so with Tranquil Hearing, I walked two li in that direction, crossing Mountain Bridge [Shanqiao]. One li farther, two outcrops stand side by side, with a stream flowing between them. On both outcrops, rocks stick up, tilted toward the stream like cock combs flaring in rage. With the stream gushing below, this is quite a wonderful spectacle. A few li east of the crag, in an eastern fold of Hibiscus Peak, lies Red Pine Palace [Chisong Gong], on a path that can be accessed from Jinhua’s east gate.

A woodcutter named Zhao, who lives on Cockfight Crag, pointed out that there is a Chessboard Rock on the summit of North Mountain, and behind it, water from West Jade Pitcher [Xi Yuhu] pours forth; in times of drought, its water is used to pray for rain, and it is renowned for its efficacy. By now, the sun was on its downward arc, so Tranquil Hearing and I quickly clambered up through the brush. After a while, I heard a yell, for Woodcutter Zhao had noticed we were mistakenly heading too far west—he pointed farther east.

We made our way through a thick mass of undergrowth, and after climbing straight for two li, we reached Chessboard Rock. In front of it was a flat terrace, with stones piled up behind; in the middle of the terrace stood a chamber housing a statue of the mountain god, and beneath the rear stone chamber, we found a pot of water—the water for the rain-prayer ceremony, presumably. Higher up, there was also a spring flowing down from the summit. By now, the sun was about to set, so we followed the stream upward to find a rocky gulch, like a gate, with water emerging from it, and above the gate, I found a level channel—this is what is known as West Jade Pitcher. I gather that to the east there is an East Jade Pitcher [Dong Yuhu]—it too is a gulch channeling the water that falls on the top of the mountain. Of the water from the West Jade Pitcher, what flows south after reaching Chess Board Rock empties underground into the three caves, while what flows north emerges in Lanxi by way of the Inner Water Source [Lishui Yuan]. Of the water from East Jade Pitcher, what flows south emerges from Red Pine Palace and flows out at Jinhua, what flows east emerges in Yiwu, and what flows north emerges in Pujiang. Such is the mountain spine from which Jinhua’s streams divide.…

As we reached the summit of North Mountain, the sun was sinking in the sky. But I saw a stretch of water shimmering in the far distance; I took it to be a bend in the Qu River, which lies in that direction. As the sun disappeared, the moon rose, projecting light in its place. All was silent, and the world was washed clean, as though a jade pitcher had indeed bathed our bones, and it felt as though our shapes and shadows had assumed a different guise. I thought back to the toiling world below and asked myself: “Who down there could ever experience such a pristine setting?” One can climb to an upper chamber and whistle at leisure, imbibing wine by the riverside. However, there is still a world of difference between that and us scaling alone the very pinnacle of the countless mountains, beyond all roads and paths and far from the realm of dust. Even if mountain goblins and strange beasts were to gang up and harass us here, there would be no cause for alarm, and how much less there is to worry about when they keep silent and do not stir as we roam freely in the empyrean!

We lingered long, then descended two li to Flat Rock [Panshi], where we scrambled down through the undergrowth another two li to Cockfight Crag. Hearing the noise, Woodcutter Zhao opened his door and came out—he was sure that during all his years on the mountain, he had never encountered people like us. Then we walked one li westward to Mountain Bridge and two li west to Deer Field Monastery. Because we had taken so long, the monks Auspicious Peak (Ruifeng) and Compliant Hearing (Congwen) had gone off in different directions, calling our names, and their voices echoed through the valley. After entering the temple, we bathed and went to bed.

Tenth day [7 November]: At cockcrow, rose and ate, then it was dawn. Auspicious Peak had prepared a bundle of torches; he shared the load with Compliant Hearing, and they followed us, torches on their shoulders. From the rear of Zhu Manor [Zhuzhuang], we walked west for one li then went north to climb the ridge, which was very steep. After about one li, a rock thrusts upward at the summit. From beside the rock, if you follow North Mountain to the east, you can reach Jade Pitcher; if you cross the summit and go north, you get to the Homage to Truth Cave [Chaozhen Dong]. The cave faces west on a high peak, overlooking a deep gorge in which houses are clustered. So remote is that spot that one might almost suspect the inhabitants are refugees from the Qin dynasty. When I inquired where they came from, I was told from the area outside Double Dragons Cave [Shuanglong Dong].…

The entrance to Homage to Truth Cave is broad, and the interior slopes down. Clutching torches, we went deep inside, and to the left, there was a cleft, like a small chamber. We followed it as it turned, and where it ended, water was dripping, but the floor was dry, and I could not tell where the water drained. After leaving the side chamber, we kept going right to the bottom of the cave, where huge rocks lay strewn high and low. When I gazed upward, the ceiling arched like a dome, and looking down, I was struck by the cave’s depth. Clambering over boulders, I came upon another chamber, and suddenly, from far above, a beam of sunshine shined down: like a tiny half-moon, a round stone was bathed in light. To see this illumination amid the gloom was like catching sight of a bright pearl or precious cresset.

After leaving the inner cave, I found two more caves on the left. The lower of the two soon ended, but the upper one curved round like the other chambers. On its right side was a hole, and when I looked down, I could not see the bottom; I think that may be the lowest point in the cave.

After leaving the cave, we climbed down from the rock-strewn summit in a southerly direction. After one li, we turned to the northwest, and after another li, we reached Ice Jug Cave [Binghu Dong], the next level down from Homage to Truth Cave. The cave entrance gaped upward like an open mouth. First I tossed a stick and a torch down the cavity; they rolled and rolled, and I could not see the bottom, so I entered, climbing over crevices and hugging the wall. Suddenly, I heard the roar of falling water and walked forward, torch in hand. In the middle of the cave was a cascade tumbling down from on high, like icy flowers and slivers of jade glinting in the darkness. The water splashes onto the rocks below, but it is unclear where it goes after that. When I took the torch and explored in all directions, I found that this cave’s incline was deeper than that of Homage to Truth Cave, but it had fewer twists and turns.

After leaving the cave and descending for one li, we came to Double Dragons Cave. It has two entryways. Auspicious Peak said, “This cave originally had just one entry; the south entry was formed in the Wanli reign when water triggered a collapse in the cliff face.” One faces south, and one faces west; they lead to the outer cave. It is tall and grand, like a spacious mansion with a tall dome opening on all sides—no repeat of the winding chambers and vestibules. Here, stone tendons writhed, and stalactites dangled in all kinds of bizarre shapes—that is how the name Double Dragons originated. Two stelae are particularly ancient, a standing stele with the words “Double Dragons Cave” carved on it and a supine stele inscribed with the words “Ice Jug Cave.” Both writers had put little ink on their brushes and employed the “flying white” style, omitting their names, so the steles can hardly be of recent vintage.

Water from the rear of the cavern flows out in a westward direction through an inner passage and then discharges through the outer cavern. Beneath the roof of the passage, there is only a foot and a half of clearance—it is like the left hill on Mount Dongting [Dongting Shan], where you must hug the ground to gain entrance; the difference is that there you have earth right underneath you, whereas here it is water.³²

Auspicious Peak borrowed for me a washtub from Granny Pan (Panlao), an old woman living near the entrance who had supplied us with tea and fruit. I took off my clothes and put them in the tub, then waded naked into the water and entered the narrows, pushing the tub ahead of me. The narrows continued for five or six rods and opened into a tall, wide cavern. A stone platform lay horizontally, several feet off the ground; at its broadest, it extended several dozen rods, and at its thinnest, just a few inches. On the left, stalactites hung down, moist and mysterious, like columns of carnelian or jeweled curtains spread wide along the cavern; underneath, there were cavities and crevices, exquisitely twisting. As I followed the water down its channel, the tunnel grew tighter until it was impossible to squeeze through any farther. I noticed a little hole in the tunnel wall—just the width of a finger—from which water was dripping. When I caught the water in my mouth, it tasted exceptionally sweet and cool. The inner cavern, I would estimate, is even larger than the outer cavern.

In short, Homage to Truth Cave is splendid in its thin sliver of sunshine, Ice Jug is remarkable for its myriad stone pearls, while Double Dragons, with its two entryways and its heavy stone curtains, combines the marvels of earth and water and the wonders of darkness and light.

When we emerged from the cave, the sun was halfway through its daily passage, and Granny Pan had a pot of boiled yellow millet waiting for us. Touched by her thoughtfulness, we ate up, and I repaid her with an umbrella I had bought in Hangzhou. Then we said goodbye to the two monks.

We proceeded west, crossing a ridge and finding ourselves in a valley. We turned north and then east to a distance of five li from Double Dragons. After climbing one-half li, we reached Lecture Hall Cave [Jiangtang Dong]. It too has two entries, one facing northwest, the other facing northeast, broad and clean, higher than Double Dragons and not as dark—it is truly a place one could live and take one’s ease. In ancient times, this was where Liu Jun (463–521) waved his whisk; now, an image of Avalokiteśvara has been placed here.³³ This appears to be the first spur on the southern flank of North Mountain; its sunny side circles the three caves, and on the north-facing slope, it has created this cave. The people who dwell in the valley below make a living burning limestone. Their stream is dry, with no bottom flow, so they climb the mountain to draw water from above Lecture Hall Cave.

We crossed the streambed, then walked west across the next ridge, the second spur on North Mountain’s south flank. The valley beyond is very narrow, but a stream comes gurgling down from the north in the streambed. Crossing this and continuing west, we followed a ridge north and reached the third spur. After a narrow section and then a turn, we arrived at Honeycomb Crag [Linglong Yan], some six li from Lecture Hall Cave. Here we came across a string of houses in a natural canyon, quite equal to the Jin dynasty fisherman’s Peach Blossom.³⁴ Turning to the west and crossing the next ridge, we entered Lanxi County. At the foot of the ridge is Niu Hollow [Niukeng], where several dozen households live. After one more ridge, we arrived at Sishan Shrine [Sishan Ci], on the fourth spur, some six li west of Honeycomb Crag.

By then, the sun was about to set, and when I asked the way to Cave Source Monastery [Dongyuan Si], one person said ten li, and another said five li. We followed the stream down for five li and at dusk reached Bai Hollow [Baikeng], a well-populated village with residents also engaged in lime production. Crossing Stone Pagoda Ridge [Shita Ling], the next ridge to the west, we reached the fifth spur. Cave Source Monastery is on the north side of the tall peak that lies beyond. From here the ridge crosses the trail and goes north, and after just one li, the main road runs past the lower cavern in front of the mountain. It seems this area also has three caverns: lower down is Water Source Cavern [Shuiyuan Dong], also called Surging Snow [Yongxue]; higher up is Upper Cavern [Shangdong], also known as White Cloud [Baiyun]; and in the middle is Purple Cloud Cavern [Ziyun Dong]. But the area is generally known as Water Source, so the single monastery is sometimes called Water Source or Upper Cave. However, the monastery and Water Source Cave are actually in two different places. Taking the ridge-top trail to the monastery is a matter of five li, but if you climb to the monastery only after descending from Water Source Cavern, the distance is over ten li. By now, it was so dark we could not make out the path, and there was nobody to ask, so we followed the main road down the mountain until we saw a footpath that descended westward, and I pressed Tranquil Hearing to follow it. Time passed, and we did not find the monastery—all we saw was a cluster of lime kilns ahead of us and a crisscross of footpaths. Just as we were wondering which way to go, we saw a faint light in the distance and headed quickly in that direction; it turned out to be a man operating a water-powered trip hammer.

“This here is Water Source,” he told us. “If you head north, cross Flood Bridge [Hongqiao], and climb the ridge to the right, in three li, you’ll reach Upper Cavern Monastery [Shangdong Si].”

Since hiking was difficult so late in the evening, we expressed a wish to stay with him.

“With the moonlight now, it will be as bright as day,” he said, “and once you’re on the trail, there are no forks, so you can carry on with confidence.”

Only now did I realize that Upper Cavern Monastery is situated on the north side of this spur. So we followed the stream northwest to Flood Bridge, which must be some four li from Bai Hollow [Baikeng]. Having crossed the bridge, we climbed the ridge to the north. After one li, the path turned east, and after one more li, we finally reached the monastery, where we prevailed on the monks to let us lodge overnight.…

Xu Xiake and Tranquil Hearing spent most of the next day exploring caves in the Lanxi hills. We join them that afternoon.

Eleventh day [8 November]:³⁵.… The previous night, we had been given directions by the trip-hammer operator, and so now, following the west ridge, we left the valley and proceeded fifteen li to the southwest, arriving at Lanxi’s south wharf. When we entered the inn, Servant Gu had yet to eat. He bolted his meal down and went out to look for a boat. Because army reinforcements were due to travel north, boats were requisitioned and forced to stay put, but even after a long wait, the troops had failed to appear. Suddenly, a boat arrived from the north, loaded with cloth, and we hastily arranged a ride. It was not yet ready to leave, but when the procurement agents came round again, the boatmen poled the boat five li, and we moored at Hengshan Wharf [Hengshan Tou].

Twelfth day [9 November]: At daybreak, we pulled out. After twenty li, we reached Green Grass Hollow [Qingcao Keng] on the south side of the stream in Tangxi.³⁶ It was midday, and given the shallow water and the boat’s heavy load, we could only inch forward slowly. After fifteen li, we reached Qiu Family Dike [Qiujia Yan], where the boatmen arranged for a flat-bottomed barge to moor next to us. During the night, a light rain fell; the east wind was fierce.

Thirteenth day [10 November]: At daybreak, the clouds broke up, and the boatmen lifted a consignment of cloth and transferred it to the barge. The wind became more favorable; after twenty li, we reached Huzhen, and after another twenty li, we arrived in Longyou County. It was only afternoon, but we needed to wait to change barges, so we moored for the night.

Fourteenth day [11 November]: At daybreak, the passengers, frustrated by the slowness of the journey, demanded a refund and went ashore. Now the boat was lighter and more spacious, and although we had been delayed, I did not mind. As the early mists lifted, the distant mountains became visible on all sides, but now, with a headwind, we could not just skim over the sandbars with our sails unfurled. After four li, we came to Anren on the border between Longyou and Xi’an, and after another ten li, we moored at Yang Village, twenty-five li short of Quzhou Prefecture.³⁷ Today we traveled fifty-five li in total, and when we caught up with the boats that had set off earlier than us, we realized we were not the only ones affected by the hold-up. Water and sky alike were empty on the limpid river and beneath a radiant moon. I felt that at this moment all cares had been washed clean, that I was fusing with the village trees and the human scene to form a single piece of crystal that, with no gap between surface and substance, with all impurities erased, could leap and soar before my eyes.

Fifteenth day [12 November]: We snagged two sandbars in succession at daybreak. Now that relief troops had left the area, cargo boats were flooding the river, but the shoals narrowed the channel, and congestion slowed both the upstream and the downstream traffic. Earlier, I had lamented the shortage of boats, and now we were suffering from an excess of them—such are the hardships of travel! After ten li, we passed Camphor Tree Pool [Zhangshu Tan] and reached Cockcrow Mountain [Jiming Shan]. Proceeding upstream with light sails, after another fifteen li, as noon approached, we reached Quzhou. There, we passed a pontoon bridge, and after going south for three li, we entered Constant Mountain Stream [Changshan Xi] with the wind right behind us and our sails trimmed. After two more li, we passed Sichuan Pepper Mountain [Huajiao Shan], where our eyes feasted on the greens of the tangerine trees and the reds of the maples lining the two banks. After another ten li, we took a northward turn and in five li reached Yellow Wharf Market [Huangbu Jie]. In every doorway, tangerines picked from a thousand trees filled basket after basket, and boats packed with newly purchased fruit came down the river in droves. I was about to board a boat laden with tangerines when, eager to take advantage of the wind, our boat lowered its sails and headed farther west. After five li, the sun went down, and we continued by moonlight for another ten li, mooring at Gully Stream Shoal [Gouxi Tan], just east of the Changshan County boundary.³⁸

Sixteenth day [13 November]: The sun was bright at dawn, and the east wind blew all the more strongly. Rising at dawn, we passed Jiao Dike [Jiaoyan]. As the mountains jutted out, the river turned a bend; we had now reached Changshan. Where Xi’an has tangerines, Changshan has hills; Xi’an’s flora is lush and colorful, but the trees of the Changshan hills are somber. Continuing upstream forty-five li, thanks to the wind in our sails, we reached the Changshan County seat in the early afternoon. I went ashore and engaged porters; we crossed the town from east to west. After ten li, we reached Xin Family Inn [Xinjia Pu], where the mountain paths were desolate, and we saw no house. Another five li, and we came upon a few barren homesteads. The sun was sinking in the west, and I feared there might be nowhere to stay if we continued, so we stopped here for the night. This place is called Fifteen Li [Shiwu Li].

—Translated by Allan H. Barr

____________________

Source: “Zheyou riji” (YJJZ, 1:140–43; YJ, 1:93–94).

1. 1  Xu Xiake’s older sister had married into this distinguished Wang family. By this time, both she and her husband were no longer alive, but Xu was clearly on close terms with the three Wangs mentioned here, who all appear to have been nephews of his brother-in-law. Wang Yongji, courtesy name Zhongren, was a jinshi of 1622 who held several government posts in the late Ming.

2. 2  Xu Xiake planned to visit Cangwu during his travels in Guangxi.

3. 3  “Wenwen the Elder” is Wen Zhenmeng, courtesy name Wenqi (1574–1636), the top palace examination graduate of 1622, who had died three months earlier. DMB, 2:1467–70. Xu Xiake’s family had close ties with the Wens. Chang Gate was the most northerly of the west gates of Suzhou, modern-day Suzhou Shi, Jiangsu. Feng Gate was the most southerly of the east gates.

4. 4  This Hanhui, apparently a cousin of Xu Xiake, is a different person from the Chen Hanhui who wrote his commemorative tomb biography.

5. 5  Heng Subprefecture, in Guangxi, lay ahead on Xu Xiake’s projected route.

6. 6  Kunshan, then a county, is now Kunshan Shi, Jiangsu.

7. 7  Qingpu, then a county in Songjiang Prefecture, is now a district within Shanghai Shi. Mount She lies within what is now the Songjiang district of Shanghai.

8. 8  Shi Shaoxin, courtesy name Ziye, was a prominent Songjiang poet.

9. 9  As subsequent diary entries make clear, Chen highly regarded Xu and did what he could to support his travel projects.

10. 10  Xu and his cousin Xu Yingzhen visited Songjiang in 1631.

11. 11  Xu Xiake planned to stay at Mount Chicken Foot, near Dali in Yunnan. I thank my colleague Zhiru Ng, professor of religious studies at Pomona College, for her advice on the English rendering of monks’ names.

12. 12  What Xu Xiake refers to as “red fragrant rice” (hongxiang mi) is more widely known today as “red yeast rice” (hongqu mi), a reddish-purple rice produced by fermenting white rice with the mold Monascus purpureus. Pulverized, the rice becomes a fine powder that when mixed with water or oil can be used as a colored ink or paint.

13. 13  YJJZ, 1:145; YJ, 1:95.

14. 14  The Gushing Gold Gate was on the east bank of the celebrated West Lake [Xihu]; the gate served as the main western access to Hangzhou, then and now the provincial capital of Zhejiang.

15. 15  YJJZ, 1:147–48; YJ, 1:95–96.

16. 16  Yue Fei (1103–42), a celebrated general of the Southern Song period, was posthumously awarded a royal title. The shrine erected in his honor on the shore of the West Lake remains a tourist attraction to this day. Legend had it that the Peak That Flew Hither had miraculously been transported all the way from India. Some Buddhist rock carvings dating back to the Tang and Song dynasties adorn its limestone grottoes.

17. 17  Xu is referring here to the notorious Yang Lianzhenjia, a Tangut or Tibetan lama blamed for many cases of abuse in late thirteenth-century Hangzhou.

18. 18  In legend, Massed Jade Mountain was home to the Queen Mother of the West (Xi Wangmu).

19. 19  Yuhang and Lin’an, both counties in Xu’s day, are now urban districts of Hangzhou.

20. 20  YJJZ, 1:149–51; YJ, 1:97–99.

21. 21  This temple is devoted to the memory of the Tang official Zhang Xun (709–57), who lost his life defending the town of Suiyang during the An Lushan Rebellion (755–63).

22. 22  There is controversy over when Xu Xiake may have visited Mount Siming, which lies west of Ningbo. NP1, 7, dates the trip to 1613. Wu Qiulong, “Xu Xiake chuyou kaoshu,” 29, says that Xu traveled alone to Mount Siming in 1632, just before his second trip to Mount Tiantai and Mount Yandang. Judging from a passage in Chen Hanhui’s Commemorative Tomb Biography, YJJZ, 2:1435, the correct date is 1632.

23. 23  Jing Stream has its source in southwestern Jiangsu.

24. 24  Lanxi corresponds to modern Lanxi Shi, a county-level city under the administration of Jinhua.

25. 25  YJJZ, 1:152–58; YJ, 1:101–7.

26. 26  That autumn, two Manchu armies had conducted raids into Chinese territory, pillaging cities as far south as Baoding in what is now Hebei. Ming troops were belatedly ordered north to shore up defenses. Quzhou, now a prefecture-level city, lay to the southwest, closer to Jiangxi.

27. 27  Jinhua (modern Jinhua Shi) was a prefecture in Ming times; Pujiang (modern Pujiang Xian) and Yiwu (modern Yiwu Xianji Shi) were counties within Jinhua Prefecture.

28. 28  Lu You was a celebrated Song dynasty scholar-official and poet.

29. 29  “Governor Zhu” refers to Zhu Dadian (1581–1646), who passed the jinshi examination in 1616 and served in several key provincial posts in the late Ming. Ten years after Xu’s visit to Jinhua, Zhu died during the Qing assault on the city.

30. 30  According to a legend recorded by Ge Hong (283–364), Huang Chuping performed this feat in the hills above Jinhua.

31. 31  Zhang Zhaorui, a native of Haizhou in Jiangsu, served as prefect of Jinhua in the early Wanli reign. Tu Long was a famous scholar-official from Ningbo. DMB, 2:1324–27.

32. 32  Xu Xiake explored this mountain near Suzhou in the autumn of 1632.

33. 33  Liu Jun, courtesy name Xiaobiao, is famous for having written a commentary to the anecdotal compilation A New Account of Tales of the World (Shishuo xinyu), a fifth-century collection of historical anecdotes and biographical sketches.

34. 34  On the famous legend of the Peach Blossom Spring, see part 1, note 6, pages 78–79.

35. 35  YJJZ, 1:164–65; YJ, 1:109–10.

36. 36  Tangxi corresponds to modern Tangxi Zhen, Zhejiang.

37. 37  During the Ming, Xi’an was east of modern Quzhou Shi. This Xi’an should not be confused with the modern city of the same name in Shaanxi Province.

38. 38  Modern Changshan Xian falls under the jurisdiction of Quzhou Shi. To the west, it borders Jiangxi.