[SPRING 1616, HUIZHOU PREFECTURE]

Mount Huang, known in English as Yellow Mountain or Yellow Emperor Mountain, is a scenic mountain range in southern Anhui, east-central China. The diary translated here chronicles Xu Xiake’s first sightseeing trip to the mountain in late winter and early spring of 1616. A second trip was undertaken two years later because bad weather during the first visit had caused him to miss reaching some key scenic sights.¹ Mount Huang is well known for its spectacular mountain scenery, granite peaks, and unusual dwarf pine trees (song), which often emerge from clefts in mountain walls and the tops of pinnacled peaks. It is also famous for its thermal springs, described in detail by Xu Xiake, and its glorious sunrises and sunsets, ideally viewed from mountain heights above the clouds.

Second day [of the second month] [19 March 1616]: I descended Mount Baiyue. Proceeded ten li along the foothills and headed west to South Stream Bridge [Nanxi Qiao]. I crossed a big stream and followed another stream, holding close to the mountain as I headed north. Proceeded ten li to where two mountains stand sheer and adjacent like a gate, which curbs the stream’s flow. Crossed the two mountains and descended into level farmland that was quite extensive. After another twenty li was Swine Hollow [Zhukeng]. I climbed up a small trail to Tiger Ridge [Huling]. The trail was steep. Proceeded ten li and reached a ridge; after five more li passed its foothills. To the north, I gazed at Mount Huang’s peaks. The layers and levels of the peaks seemed like they could be peeled away. Three li farther on was Ancient Loft Depression [Gulou Ao], where the stream widened and swelled with water, and there was no bridge to get across. Pieces of wood filled the stream, so wading across it was difficult. Proceeded two li and spent the night at High Bridge [Gaoqiao].

During his many sightseeing trips, Xu Xiake often hired local people to serve as guides. In the next entry, he engages the guiding services of a local woodcutter. Xu also stops for a bath at one of Mount Huang’s thermal hot springs. The comment about “throngs of bathers” confirms that tourism flourished on Mount Huang in the late Ming.

Third day [20 March]: Following the woodcutter, I proceeded for some time, crossing two ridges, descending and ascending again, and then crossing another ridge. Both ridges are steep. They are called Double Ridges [Shuangling]. After proceeding a total distance of fifteen li, I passed River Village [Jiangcun]. After another twenty li reached Thermal Springs Crossing [Tangkou]—the outlet of the Fragrant Stream [Xiangxi] and Hot Springs [Wenquan]. The path twisted as I passed into the mountain’s environs. Following the stream, I gradually made my ascent. The snow practically buried my feet. Proceeded five li and reached Auspicious Talisman Monastery [Xiangfu Si]. Thermal Springs [Tangquan] was across the stream, so I removed all my clothes and hastened to Thermal Bathing Pool [Tangchi]. The front of the bathing pool overlooks the stream; it nestles against the cliff wall behind it. On three sides is brickwork, while rocks ring above it like a bridge. The bathing pool is three feet deep. Sometimes bubbles congealed from the cold linger, while the spring water scent is pleasantly aromatic. Bubbles rushed and gushed upward from the bottom of the bathing pool—their smell was sweet and refreshing. Huang Zhenfu (1558–1626) said that the hot springs on Mount Huang are not as good to visit as those on Mount Pan [Panshan] because of the convenient access roads at Thermal Springs Crossing and Scorched Village [Jiaocun], which invite disorderly throngs of bathers to Mount Huang.² When I finished my bath, I backtracked to the monastery. The monk Wipe Away the Seal (Huiyin) then led me on a climb to Lotus Blossom Retreat [Lianhua An]. Treading through the snow, we ascended, following a mountain stream. The direction of the stream turns three times and then pours into a deep expanse of water—this is called White Dragon Pool [Bailong Tan]. Farther up, where water seeps down among the rocks in a culvert—this is called the Cinnabar Well [Danjing]. There is a rock next to the well that rises prominently—this is called Medicine Mortar [Yaojiu]. It is also called Medicine Pot [Yaodiao]. We twisted and twined as we followed the stream. The crowded peaks ring around and cluster together, while trees and rocks are now hidden, now in view. It was like this for one li, where we next found a retreat. The monk Imprint Me (Yinwo) was away on some matter, so we could not climb up to his hall. But from a distance, I could see the incense burner and bell drum stand in the hall, which were made of naturally grown old wood roots. I backtracked to the monastery, where I spent the night.

Fourth day [21 March]: I sat idly in the monastery all day, listening to melting snow slide down.

Fifth day [22 March]: The cloudy weather was awful, so I insisted on staying in bed until noon. Wipe Away the Seal mentioned that the Compassionate Light Monastery [Ciguang Si] is nearby, so he had one of his disciples take me there. When we passed the bathing pool area, I saw a cliff with a bird-track trail between two waterfalls pouring down like streaming silk. As I began to clamber and ascend, the luster of the waterfalls and vapors of the clouds coiled and swirled around my robe. After I turned and headed to the right, there were thatched retreats above and below, along with tinkling sounds from a chime stone and smoke from burning incense.³ We pushed through some rocks and came out at the Compassionate Light Monastery. The monastery’s former name is Cinnabar Retreat [Zhusha An]. The monks there told me, “As for getting up to the meditation chambers (jingshi) on the summit of the mountain, the footpath there has been sealed off by snow for two months.⁴ Someone was dispatched to deliver provisions up there this morning, but halfway up the mountain, they were in snow up to their waists, so they turned back.” This considerably dampened my spirits. From the main trail, we then descended the mountain for two li. And so, we drew our bed covers and lay down to sleep.

Celestial Capital Peak [Tiandu Feng] and Lotus Blossom Peak [Lianhua Feng] are the two primary sightseeing destinations for Xu Xiake and most other visitors to Mount Huang. However, traveling to these and other sites during the late winter and early spring was challenging because snow, fog, ice, and freezing temperatures made movement difficult and highly dangerous.

Sixth day [23 March]: The sky was quite bright. I hired a guide, and then, with bamboo walking sticks in hand, we ascended the mountain. Passed Compassionate Light Monastery, then ascended from the left. Rocky peaks, pressing close together, surrounded us. The stone stairs among the peaks, covered by the snowpack, seemed like a single expanse of white jade. Amid vegetation and trees, soft and pliant, I looked up to see a mass of tangled peaks. Celestial Capital stood upright, majestically alone. After a few li, the stairs became steeper and the snow deeper. In a shady spot, the frozen snow had turned to ice. The ice was so hard and slippery that we could not walk. I moved to the front and, grasping my walking stick, chipped a hole in the ice. Once the hole was made, I placed one foot forward into it, then made another hole to move my back foot forward. Following this method, those following behind me were able to cross.⁵ We ascended to a flat ridge. Lotus Blossom and Cloudy Gate [Yunmen] Peaks could be seen vying in their wonder and contending with each other in their elegance. They serve as guardians of Celestial Capital. From here, we passed deeper into the mountain, where all the sheer, rocky projections and dangerous cliffs have peculiar pine trees that hang down, coiling into knots. The taller ones do not measure one entire rod in length; the shorter ones measure only a few inches in height. Their tops are flat; their needles are short. Their roots are twisted; their trunks are gnarly. The shorter they are, the older they are; the smaller they are, the more extraordinary they are. I never expected extraordinary creations like this to be found on this extraordinary mountain!

From among the glistening pines and rocks, slowly and steadily, a group of monks seemed to descend from the sky. They all clasped their hands respectfully and said:

We have been isolated on the mountain for three months. In our search today for food provisions, we have come this far with great difficulty. How is it that the gentleman and his party have been able to come up this far?

They also remarked:

Those from retreats in the Front Sea of Clouds [Qianhai] have descended the mountain. The mountain trail to the Rear Sea of Clouds [Houhai] still has not been opened.⁶ The trail to Lotus Blossom Cavern [Lianhua Dong] is the only way to proceed.

A short time later, we clambered and ascended from the flank of Celestial Capital Peak, then descended through a rift between the peaks. Turning to the east is the trail to Lotus Blossom Cavern. I was anxious to see the surpassing scenery at Radiant Summit [Guangming Ding] and Rocky Bamboo Shoot Promontory [Shisun Gang], so heading north from Lotus Blossom Peak, we ascended and descended several times. We then arrived at Celestial Gate, where two vertical cliffs press close together.⁷ The opening through was only wide enough for one person. It was several scores of rods in height. Looking upward as we crossed through, the ghastly gloom frightened us to the bone. Passing into the mountains, the snowpack was even deeper, so we ascended, chipping holes in the ice. After continuing onward, we came to a flat area, the so-called Front Sea of Clouds. From here, we ascended to a peak and reached Peaceful Sky Promontory [Pingtian Gang]. Radiant Summit is the portion of the promontory that suddenly and surprisingly towers up alone. Where one descends from the promontory is the so-called Rear Sea of Clouds. Presumably, then, the south side of Peaceful Sky Promontory is the Front Sea of Clouds; the north side is the Rear Sea of Clouds. As it turns out, Peaceful Sky Promontory is exceptionally high, with steep escarpments on all four sides. This is the only flat place. In front of the Front Sea of Clouds, Celestial Capital and Lotus Blossom Peaks are the most pinnacled. The area south of them falls under She Subprefecture in Hui Prefecture, while the north falls under the Taiping Subprefecture in Ning Prefecture.⁸

After reaching Peaceful Sky Promontory, I gazed eagerly at Radiant Summit and made my ascent. But after covering thirty li along the trail, I was starving, so I went into a retreat behind the promontory. All the monks in the retreat were squatting on rocks facing south to warm themselves. The head monk is called Wise Vacuity (Zhikong). Seeing that his visitors looked starved, the head monk provided us with some porridge. He added, “The new day is so clear and bright, but I fear it will not stay that way.” The monk Guide to Causation (Yinzhi) told me, “If the gentleman has some strength left, he can climb to Radiant Summit and then have lunch. Then, today, you will still be able to reach Rocky Bamboo Shoot Promontory and spend the night in our abbot’s quarters there.” Following his suggestion, when I got to the summit, Celestial Capital and Lotus Blossom stood side-by-side in front of me; Halcyon Haze [Cuiwei] and Three Seas Gate [Sanhai Men] circled me from behind. Looking down, where sheer cliff walls and jagged clefts are arrayed and arranged inside a col, one sees Prime Minister Flat [Chengxiang Yuan]. A single rock in front of the summit slowly retreats and rises again. From its shape, the rock seems like it is cracked in half. Alone, it projects outward from inside a col. Above the rock are some odd-looking pines, twisting and hanging down. Turning sideways, I clambered up and perched myself above the pines while Xunyang perched himself on the main summit, directly facing me. Each of us praised the outstanding and matchless scenery.

The yellow millet was already cooked when we descended and entered the retreat. After our meal, we headed north and passed a ridge. We shilly-shallyed about in some thick bush, then went into a retreat called Lion Grove [Shizi Lin], the place where Wise Vacuity suggested we spend the night. The head monk, Sunglow Light (Xiaguang), was already waiting for us in front of the retreat. Pointing to the two peaks north of the retreat, he said, “The gentleman can first fully enjoy this surpassing scenery.” We followed his advice. When we looked down into the darkness, jumbled peaks, and arrayed heights rose and competed in their wonder. As we proceeded westward, we suddenly came to a cliff that was split in two, leaving a gap. Wooden planks have been installed, connecting the two sides of the cliff. Above is a single pine tree one can hold onto while crossing. This is the so-called Meet and Guide Cliff [Jieyin Ya]. We crossed the cliff and ascended through cracks in the rocks. Dangerously perched among jumbled rocks, planks have been joined to make a stall where one can rest weary feet, but this is not as good as squatting on a rock and glancing down, where the scenery is even bolder and more surpassing.⁹

We descended the cliff, headed east for about one li, and came to Rocky Bamboo Shoot Promontory. The promontory’s ridge is slanted and extends outward. Squeezed together on both sides, it seemingly hangs poised inside a col amid a jumble of peaks and an assortment of forests. To the west, you can see Meet and Guide Cliff. On the flank of the promontory, a single peak rises abruptly, with many extraordinary rocks and odd-looking pines. We climbed to the peak and looked down into a gorge. It provided a direct, opposite view of Meet and Guide Cliff, but our earlier view changed immediately after we circled some peaks and turned around some crests.

As we descended from the peak, the glow of the setting sun embraced the trees. This can be regarded as a portent of clear weather for tomorrow. We jumped with joy and then returned to the retreat. Tea was served to us in the sunglow light, and then we were led up the loft’s stairs in front. To the west, we gazed toward traces of a single strand of deep blue sky. I suspect this was a shadowy outline of the mountains. A monk said, “The shadowy outline of mountains seems close when you gaze at it at night. This must be cloudy vapors.” I fell silent, for I knew this was an omen of rain.

The pine tree described in the next entry is one of Mount Huang’s most famous knotty pines.

Seventh day [24 March]: Fog gathered in the mountains around us. A short time later, the skies northeast of the retreat had already opened, but in the southwest, the fog was extremely thick. If you take the retreat as a boundary line between the two directions, then Lion Peak could sometimes be visible while it was shrouded in fog at other times. After breakfast, I tramped through the snow and descended from Meet and Guide Cliff. Halfway through the col is a single peak that abruptly stands upright. On top, a pine tree emerges from a crack in the rock. Its trunk is immense but does not reach two feet in height. Slanted and drawing away, crooked and knotted, the tree’s coiling emerald boughs were over three rods long. Its roots pushed through, up and down the rocks, reaching almost as high as the peak. This is the so-called Writhing Dragon Pine [Naolong Song].

While pausing momentarily to appreciate the scene, I gazed at Lion Peak, which had already emerged from the fog. With a walking stick in hand, I then headed west. The next peak, located southwest of the retreat, is Table Mountain [Anshan]. I proceeded two li and trod across its apex, where three sides are upthrust, standing inside a col. Below are forested peaks and arrayed heights. From the two cols hosting Rocky Bamboo Shoot Promontory and Meet and Guide Cliff, I twisted and twined my way here, where everything circles and joins, once again forming a surpassing scene. The heavy fog gradually lifted while I climbed and looked into the distance. So I quickly turned north and descended from Rocky Bamboo Shoot Promontory, taking the same gloomy footpath I gazed at yesterday from the top of the peak. As for the massed peaks, some are higher, some are lower, some are huge, some are slender, some stand straight up, and some are nestled against other peaks. I wound my way through them, moving forward. As I glanced downward and looked behind, each step produced a new, scenic wonder. But the gorge was deep and the snow heavy, so with each step, I was terrified.

Proceeded five li and found an opening emitting light in a depression on the peak to the left. This is called Sky Window [Tianchuang]. Farther ahead, beside a peak, a rock suddenly stands upright, deliberately facing the cliff wall. This, then, is Monk’s Seat Rock [Sengzuo Shi]. I descended five li to where the footpath was somewhat flat—then proceeded on, following a ravine. Suddenly, along the ravine up ahead was a jumble of rocks across and athwart, blocking the trail. It took a long time to get across the rocks, where a gap revealed a recent landslide and where stretches and swathes of rock seemed like they were about to tumble down. Only then did I find the trail. Looking up at the peak’s summit, there was a patch of yellow inside, which had green Chinese characters that were discernible. This is called Heaven’s Signboard [Tianpai]. It is also called Transcendent’s Placard [Xianren Bang]. Farther ahead is Carp Rock [Liyu Shi]. And still farther on is White Dragon Pond [Bailong Chi].

Next, I proceeded for altogether fifteen li to where a thatched structure appeared on the bank of a mountain stream—the former site of Pine Valley Retreat [Songgu An]. After five more li, following an east-west running stream, I continued. Next passed Five Streams [Wushui]. This is where Pine Valley Retreat is now located. Again, I descended, following the stream. Beside the stream, my arrival was greeted by a fragrant aroma. A single plum tree, standing straight up, was now sending forth its sweet scent. With the cold mountain and snow lingering, such a fragrance could only be found here. I arrived at Green Dragon Pool [Qinglong Tan], the depths of which are deep blue. Two merging streams feed it. Compared to White Dragon Pool, its landscape is more magnificently majestic; its huge boulders are rough and rugged, while the two streams gush madly. Massed peaks, far away and nearby, circle and ring around. This is also a delightful scene.

I returned for a meal at Pine Valley Retreat, then headed off to the retreat where I had previously spent the night. I suspected I was not on level terrain when we reached Pine Valley. Upon making further inquiries, however, I discovered I still needed to descend two more ridges. We proceeded another twenty li before I found level terrain. I still had to cover another thirty-five li to reach Taiping Subprefecture, or so I was told.

Eighth day [25 March]: I had planned to search for the mysterious environs at Rocky Bamboo Shoot Depression [Shisun Ao], but in the end, I was denied by Heaven: thick fog had created a complete, muddled blur. When I reached Lion Grove, the wind became more robust and the fog thicker. I wanted to hasten toward Refining Cinnabar Terrace [Liandan Tai], so I turned southwest, proceeded three li, and then lost my way in the fog. By chance, I found a retreat and went in. Heavy rain followed, and so I spent the night there.

Ninth day [26 March]: It cleared up a little in the early afternoon. The monk Compassionate Illumination (Ciming) from the retreat boasted about the area to the southwest as having peaks and crests comparable to those at Rocky Bamboo Shoot Promontory, with heights bearing names such as Baldy Monk Heavenward [Tulu Chaotian] and Dharma Facing the Cliff Wall [Damo Mianbi]. As I held Xunyang’s hand, we treaded through a turbulent stream and reached the canyon’s interior. To the north were the rocky peaks of Halcyon Haze; to the south, the cols of Refining Cinnabar Terrace. These can compete with and surpass the scenery at Lion Peak but cannot rival Rocky Bamboo Shoot Promontory. The rain suddenly fell just after we reached here, so we hastily backtracked to the retreat.

Tenth day [27 March]: The rain seemed to pour down at dawn, but by noon, it had let up. With my bamboo walking stick, I proceeded two li and passed the Peak That Flew Hither [Feilai Feng], a ridge northwest of Peaceful Sky Promontory. The peaks and cliffs in a col to its south were thick-set and jagged, forming a perfect circle around Refining Cinnabar Terrace. Proceeded two li and reached the terrace. A single peak seems to droop down over its western side. The summit is quite flat and level. Its cliffs of lush green merge and crowd together on three sides. Up ahead, a small peak rises from inside a col. Halcyon Haze and Three Seas Gate stand side by side outside the col, like feet and legs. I climbed up and gazed at them for a long time. Proceeded southeast for one li, winding around and coming out below Peaceful Sky Promontory. The rain started to pour down again, so I hastily descended to Celestial Gate. The passageway between the two cliffs is narrow, and only one person at a time can fit through. Cascading waterfalls from the cliff’s brow splashed down on my head. I left Celestial Gate and came to where precipitous cliffs hang down in layers, and trails skirt halfway up the cliff’s edge. Compared to the area around the Rear Sea of Clouds, the thick-set peaks and sheer cliffs transform into a completely different scene. Sea Conch Rock [Hailuo Shi] is next to the cliff. Twisting and twining, it closely resembles its namesake. I did not notice it in my haste when I came by here earlier. But now, proceeding in the rain, I am familiar with its unusual nature. Only after I made inquiries did I come to know more about it. Although I was hurrying toward the Great Compassion Retreat [Dabei An] because of the rain, I rushed toward the retreat next to it, where I spent the night at the monk Aware of Vacuity’s (Wukong) place.

Eleventh Day [28 March]: I ascended the Hundred Step Stairway to the Clouds [Baibu Yunti]. The stairway’s stone steps seem to poke up into the sky. As I climbed, my toes reached my cheeks. The stone steps, sloping to one side, have cracks and crevices, are rickety and wobbly, and seem like they are about to shift any moment. When I descended, the snow covered the dangers posed by the steps. Reaching here now, I was frightened to the bone. When you ascend Stairway to the Clouds, you climb the trail up to Lotus Blossom Peak. Next, I descended and turned, then proceeded onward from the flank of the peak. This is the Mañjuśrī Cloister [Wenshu Yuan] and the Lotus Blossom Cavern trail. The rain had not yet stopped, so I descended the mountain and went into the hot springs compound, where I bathed again. After coming out of Thermal Springs Crossing, proceeded twenty li and reached Fragrant Village [Fangcun]. After another fifteen li reached the East Pool [Dongtan]. The stream was swollen, and I could not cross, so I stopped there.

The streams of Mount Huang, such as those at Pine Valley Retreat and Scorched Village, flow north from Taiping Subprefecture. Those with a southerly flow, such as the one at Thermal Springs Crossing, also turn north at Taiping Subprefecture before flowing into the River.¹⁰ Only one stream west of Thermal Springs Crossing becomes mighty after reaching Fragrant Village. It rushes south toward Cliff Garrison [Yanzhen] and, upon reaching the northwestern area of the prefecture, merges with Meritorious Stream [Jixi].

Ascent to the summits of Celestial Capital and Lotus Blossom would have to wait until Xu could return to Mount Huang, preferably at a time of year when the weather was more favorable.

—Translated by James M. Hargett

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Source: “You Huangshan ri ji” (YJJZ, 1:20–28; YJ, 1:13–18.). Huizhou Prefecture corresponds to modern She Xian in Anhui.

1. 1  The account of his 1618 visit to the mountain, “A Later Sightseeing Trip to Mount Huang,” is translated in this volume.

2. 2  Huang Ruheng, courtesy name Zhenfu, was a native of Hangzhou and a well-known calligrapher and travel writer during the late Ming. The comment about “throngs” of visitors to the hot springs at Mount Huang is drawn from Huang’s “Account of a Sightseeing Trip to Mount Huang” (You Huangshan ji), a copy of which Xu Xiake carried with him on his trip to Mount Huang. Mount Pan [Panshan] is about 40 mi/60 km outside modern Tianjin Shi. Xu Xiake visited that mountain in 1629. It is not extant if he wrote a diary account of his trip to Mount Pan.

3. 3  “Tinkling sounds from a chime stone and smoke from burning incense” suggest the presence of a Buddhist monastery nearby.

4. 4  In Buddhism, meditation chambers (or quiet chambers) are specifically designed for meditation and contemplation. Typically, they are built in a tranquil and secluded area, and monks often reside in them.

5. 5  “Those following behind me” probably refers to Xunyang and Xu Xiake’s two servants.

6. 6  “Front Sea of Clouds” refers to the area south of Celestial Capital Peak and Lotus Blossom Peak. “Rear Sea of Clouds” designates the general area north of Lion Peak (Shizi Feng).

7. 7  “Celestial Gate” here probably refers to a rock formation on Mount Huang, also called “Golden Fowl Crowing at the Celestial Gate” [Jinji Jiao Tianmen].

8. 8  “Ning” refers to Ningguo Prefecture (modern Xuancheng Shi, Anhui). Taiping Subprefecture was north of what is now Huangshan Shi.

9. 9  Following YJ, 1:15, and reading: 搆木為室 (“planks have been joined to make a stall”).

10. 10  “River” here refers to the Changjiang.