[WINTER 1616, HUIZHOU PREFECTURE, XIUNING COUNTY]

During the Ming dynasty, Mount Wudang in modern northwestern Hubei was one of the holiest mountains in China. Xu Xiake visited there in 1623.¹ As the center of the Perfected Warrior (Zhenwu) sect of Daoism, it annually attracted millions of visitors. Its popularity inspired the creation of regional branches on other “Daoist” mountains. Among these heights, Mount Baiyue [Baiyue Shan], also known as Mount Qiyun [Qiyun Shan], is the most important. Mount Baiyue is in modern Xiuning Xian, Anhui, just 21 mi/34 km west of Mount Huang, where Xu Xiake will visit next. The name “Qiyun” (lit., “Matching the Clouds in Loftiness”) is taken from the name of its central peak. Xu uses the names “Baiyue” and “Qiyun” interchangeably in his diary entries. During the Tang and Song dynasties, the religious orientation of the mountain was Buddhist. However, after the Southern Song, the influence of Buddhism declined, and the Daoist religious presence on the mountain became prominent, especially in the middle and late Ming, because of imperial patronage. Mount Baiyue later became one of China’s Four Sacred Mountains of Daoism. Today, it remains a Daoist holy site.

Bingchen year [1616]: I reached Xiuning County in Huizhou Prefecture with my great uncle Xunyang on the twenty-sixth day of the first month [13 March 1616].² We then left through the county’s west gate and followed the stream that approaches from Qimen County, which passes through Mount Baiyue and then runs south, parallel to the county. After reaching Plum Gap [Meikou], it joins with a commandery stream and flows into the Zhe River.³ Following the stream, we ascended twenty li and arrived at South Crossing [Nandu]. Crossed a bridge and continued for ten li, close to the mountain’s foothills. Dusk had already settled when we reached Cliff Base [Yanxia]. Climbed five li up the mountain, then borrowed a lamp from a temple. Braving the snow and treading on ice, I proceeded two li and then passed Celestial Gate [Tianmen]. After about one more li, I went into Betel Plum Retreat [Langmei An]. The trail took me past the surpassing scenery at Celestial Gate and Beaded Curtain Stream, but there was no time to explore them. I only heard the clinking and clanking of icicles in the trees. After I went into the retreat, heavy sleet began to fall. Xunyang and the servants had fallen behind, so I slept in the mountain abode alone, without my companions. I heard water pouring down from the roof all night, so I could never fall asleep.

In the next entry, Xu Xiake engages in a practice he will repeat in this and many subsequent diary entries: comparing landscapes at his current location with scenes visited previously at other sites. Here, he compares Mount Baiyue’s Incense Burner Peak [Xianglu Feng] with the mountain summits he observed earlier at Mount Tiantai and Mount Yandang.

Twenty-seventh day [14 March]: I got up and saw that the mountain was flooded with ice crystals and jade-white trees. A complete muddled blur! I was sitting in the loft just when Xunyang and the servants arrived.⁴ We then climbed to Grand Simplicity Palace [Taisu Gong].⁵ The palace faces north. As it turns out, its image of the Arcane Emperor [Xuandi] was constructed by a hundred birds that transported clay here in their beaks.⁶ His complexion is glossy black. The statue was made in the Song dynasty, but the ceremonial hall here was rebuilt in the thirty-seventh year of the Jiajing reign [1558]. The inscription on the stele in the courtyard was commissioned on imperial order from Emperor Shizong (r. 1522–67).⁷ On the left and right are ceremonial halls dedicated to Wang Lingguan and Supreme Commander Zhao [Zhao Yuanshuai].⁸ Both halls are striking and stunning. The back of the monastery rests against Jade Screen [Yuping]; in front, it overlooks Incense Burner Peak.⁹ Incense Burner Peak rises abruptly for several scores of rods and resembles an inverted bell. Those who have never been sightseeing on Mount Tiantai and Mount Yandang would probably find it extraordinary. I exited from the left of the temple and reached Surrender One’s Life Cliff [Sheshen Ya].¹⁰ From there, one next turns and then ascends Purple Jade Screen [Ziyu Ping]. Farther to the west is Purple Empyrean Cliff [Zixiao Yan]. Both are precipitous and towering, rising prominently. Farther to the west are Three Damsels Peak [Sangu Feng] and Five Elders Peak. Literary Splendor Belvedere [Wenchang Ge] nestles against them in front. The “Five Elders” stand shoulder to shoulder but are not sheer or steep. They somewhat resemble a rack for holding calligraphy brushes.

I backtracked to Betel Plum Retreat, following the trail I had come the night before. After descending the Steps to the Heavens [Tianti], I was surrounded by a rocky cliff on three sides. With a cliff covering me overhead and the trail recessed below, it seemed like I was walking down a covered corridor. Following the cliff, I proceeded on. A cascading stream plunges beyond the cliff—this is the Beaded Curtain Stream. The deep spot in the opening nearby is Arhat Cavern [Luohan Dong]. On the outside, it is open; on the inside, its ceiling is low. The depth of the cavern is about fifteen li. It leads southeast to South Crossing. The place where the cliff ends is Celestial Gate. The cliff’s rock is hollow inside. People can go in and out. Lofty and proud, soaring and rearing upward, its entrance seemed just like Changhe.¹¹ Beyond the entrance are tall nan trees standing erect amid green vegetation and halcyon thickets.¹² Inside the entrance, where the rocky cliff above covers the entire area, and Beaded Curtain casts its spray—this is a most extraordinary sight. I backtracked and spent the night at the retreat. I made plans to visit the outstanding scenery at Fifth Well [Wujing] and Bridge Cliff [Qiaoya]. The Feathered Gentleman Wang Bohua agreed to accompany me early the following day.¹³

Xu and his servants wore wooden climbing clogs, probably modeled after those devised by Xie Lingyun.¹⁴ The clogs had cleats and could be worn ascending or descending steep mountain slopes. They undoubtedly provided added traction when tramping through snow.

Twenty-eighth day [15 March]: In my dreams, I heard someone say “blizzard,” so I urged my servant to get up and look. Snow filled the mountains and packed the valleys! So I insisted on staying in bed. At the si double-hour, marching with Bohua in my wooden climbing clogs, I proceeded two li and reached the Literary Splendor Belvedere, where I surveyed the earth and sky completely blanketed in white.¹⁵ Although the weather prevented my sightseeing trip to Fifth Well, I benefitted even more from observing this extraordinary scene.

Twenty-ninth day [16 March]: The servant reported, “The clouds have cleared, and sunbeams are now drifting above the edge of the woods.” I got up quickly and threw on some clothes. A vast stretch of blue sky is something I have not seen for the last half month! But the frigid cold was biting. I urged Bohua to join me for a meal. Heavy snow fell again when we finished eating, and it was a foot deep in no time. When I walked in front of the loft where we were staying, Incense Burner Peak stood right there! Another feathered gentleman, Cheng Zhenhua, came from behind the loft and chatted about the surpassing scenery at Nine Wells [Jiujing], Bridge Cliff, and Fu’s Cliff [Fuyan].

Thirtieth day [17 March]: Heavy snow and thick fog. There was nearly a foot of snow. I could not see a thing. Bohua took some wine and accompanied me to Surrender One’s Life Cliff, where we drank at Glancing at the Prime Belvedere [Diyuan Ge]. The belvedere is on the flank of the cliff, where icicles dangled and drooped down, the bigger ones a rod in length. The silhouettes of peaks and tors had vanished. It seemed as if Incense Burner Peak was nearby, but I could not see it either.

In the next entry, Xu Xiake describes sites west of Mount Baiyue. Rock Bridge Cliff [Shiliang Yan], named for the natural rock bridge there, is the best-known scenic attraction in this area.

First day of the second month [18 March]: A single wisp of clouds opened in the east, and it was already much brighter. Xunyang stayed behind at the retreat because his feet were frostbitten. With Bohua, I hastily treaded west to Celestial Gate, then descended. Proceeded ten li and passed by Double Streams Market [Shuangxi Jie], where the mountain landscape had already begun to open. But after five li, the landscape gradually closed again. The stream was now covered by a shiny, rocky glare, which doubled its attractive appeal. Proceeded three li and then, at the mouth of the stream, followed a small trail past a mountain. After two more li, I arrived at Rock Bridge Cliff. The height and extent of the cliffs on the flank of the bridge and beyond are similar to those on Mount Baiyue’s Purple Empyrean Cliff. Ceremonial halls are built everywhere below, following the natural contours of the cliffs. All the rocks on the mountain are purple, but a single seam of limestone seems to wriggle and writhe like a dragon. Its head, over a foot long, drooped down and dripped water from its mouth. Known as Ambergris Spring [Longxian Quan], it is quite like Mount Yandang’s Dragon Snout Stream.

There is a mountain to the right of Rock Bridge Cliff, the inside of which is hollow. This is the site of Rock Bridge. Its flying cascade droops down like a rainbow, while the open part of the mountain beneath the bridge is shaped like a half-moon. I sat down below it. In the distance, past the mountain, a height rose prominently, arching above Rock Bridge and surrounded by massed peaks standing side-by-side. The scene here is exactly like that at Mount Qiyun’s Celestial Gate. Mount Tiantai’s Rock Bridge is merely a single stretch of rock perched between two mountains, while here, the entire mountain is a lofty perch with half of it poised in midair. This makes it even more ethereal and magical! I made my way across the bridge and then continued. After about one li, I came to the inner section of the cliff. From above, a cascading waterfall tossed down a spray of water. The monk’s retreat on the cliff looked superb.

I returned to the outer section of the cliff for a meal. Hired a guide and then, following the cliff, descended on the left side. The trail was unrelenting through brush and bush. We lost our way in the snow, where two mountains straddle a stream. Walking was difficult. The guide urged me to make for Fu’s Cliff, saying there was no need to head toward Avalokiteśvara Peak [Guanyin Feng]. However, I feared that by doing so, I would be unable to enjoy the surpassing scenery of Chessboard Rock [Qipan Shi] and Dragon Well [Longjing], so I did not follow his suggestion. Proceeded two li and came to a stream deep in the mountain. Its dark blue water seemed bottomless. It is also known as Dragon Well. After another three li, the cliff grew sheer, and the stream ended. From a mountain depression, a cascading waterfall suddenly burst down from several rods above. The scenery inside the depression was also extraordinary.

I turned and climbed upward, proceeding along the mountain’s crest for two li. Chessboard Rock stood erect on a mountain summit, shaped like an upright mushroom, measuring several arm spans in girth. I climbed up to where the snowpack was as white as jade, then turned and gazed back at Fu’s Cliff, which towered aloft on the cloudy horizon. It is not far from Fu’s Cliff to Chessboard Rock, so I regretted not following the guide’s suggestion. Next to Chessboard Rock is Mañjuśrī Retreat [Wenshu An], where bamboo and rocks glittered and glistened. I turned east, then headed south for two li, where I crossed two mountain ridges. Halfway up the mountain, I reached Avalokiteśvara Cliff. Its Chan cloister was clean and in good condition, but there was no extraordinary scenery.¹⁶ It was especially regretful that Fu’s Cliff appeared before me, but I missed the chance to go there. Following the same route, I crossed a ridge to the east, then descended into a deep chasm enclosed by rocks and mountain streams on four sides. Occasionally, I saw deep pools, some large and forming into deep whirlpools, some as small as a mortar, all of which are called Dragon Wells. I could not tell which was “Fifth” or “Ninth.”¹⁷ From there, in all, I covered three more li, where inside a rocky crag are veins of stone that are cloaked and concealed. The guide pointed out that one of them was a black dragon and another a white dragon. I just nodded and smiled. Also, I spied a single rock sunk and embedded into a sprawling cliff from which water gushed down. Beyond was a rock straddling it crosswise, like Mount Tiantai’s Rock Bridge. Because it was getting late in the day, Bohua requested that we quickly follow the mountain stream and look for Big Dragon Well [Da Longjing]. We then unexpectedly came across a monk from Mount Huang, who said, “Continuing from here will take you to a big stream. If you continue your course, what else is there to see?” So I backtracked the way I had come.

Proceeded for over one li, then took a separate footpath toward Lacquer Tree Garden [Qishu Yuan].¹⁸ As I proceeded through scarped rocks and turbulent streams, flecks of light shone into the deep woods, and the whole way was serene and beautiful. Proceeded three li and ascended to the apex of a peak. I thought its height was equivalent to Mount Qiyun, but I changed my mind when I saw Literary Splendor Belvedere towering even higher in the distance. Five Elders Peak rises directly across from it. To the east of Five Elders is Solitary and Aloft Stronghold [Dusong Zhai]. Following a depression, I came out at West Celestial Gate [Xi Tianmen]. To the west of Five Elders is Unfurled Banner Peak. The place where one crosses below is called Hibiscus Bridge [Furong Qiao]. I had come out from West Celestial Gate earlier, but now I was entering it through Hibiscus Bridge. Some sunlight still lingered as I gazed off to the side of Three Damsels Peak. So I climbed up the peak just when the setting sun’s glow shone through the Five Elders. After I returned to the retreat, it was already too late for a meal. When I recalled my experiences today with the others, I realized that Big Dragon Well is located at the mouth of a big stream. My steps were already within reach of the well, but that monk from Mount Huang misled me. Such indeed is fate!

—Translated by James M. Hargett

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Source: “You Baiyue shan riji; Huizhou fu, Xiuning xian” (YJJZ, 1:15–19; YJ, 1:10–13). Huizhou Prefecture corresponds to modern She Xian in Anhui.

1. 1  The account of Xu’s visit to Mount Wudang is translated in “A Sightseeing Trip to Mount Taihe,” this volume. “Mount Wudang” is an alternate name for Mount Taihe.

2. 2  The precise identity of Xu’s great uncle Xunyang is a mystery. The kinship title shuweng 叔翁 usually indicates a paternal grandfather’s younger brother (or great uncle). Still, it also seems possible that Xu Xiake is using the term as a polite form of address for a senior family friend or acquaintance. Xunyang might also refer to modern Jiujiang Shi, Jiangxi, perhaps indicating the “great uncle’s” hometown (?). After leaving Mount Baiyue, “Great Uncle Xunyang” will accompany Xu on his next sightseeing trip to Mount Huang.

3. 3  Following YJJZ, 1:17n5, and reading “Zhe” 浙 to refer to Zhexi Shui 浙溪水 or Zhe Stream River. “Commandery” in this line is used as an alternate name for Huizhou Prefecture.

4. 4  “Loft” refers to Betel Plum Retreat, which provided housing for travelers like Xu Xiake.

5. 5  Dating from the Southern Song dynasty, this is the main Daoist abbey on the mountain. Formerly known as the Qiyun Guan, or Matching the Clouds in Loftiness Abbey, an imperial decree bestowed this new title upon the abbey in 1540.

6. 6  The statue mentioned here is a clay icon of Perfected Warrior, patron saint of the Zhenwu (Perfected Warrior) sect of Daoism, based at Mount Wudang. After Zhenwu’s ascension to transcendence, “one hundred birds” supposedly carried clay in their beaks from Mount Wudang to Mount Baiyue/Qiyun to fashion the image mentioned here.

7. 7  Shizong, referenced in the text by his ancestral temple name Shimiao, also known as the Jiajing emperor, was the twelfth monarch of the Ming dynasty and a generous patron of Mount Baiyue. A devoted follower of Daoism, it was Shizong who changed the mountain’s name to Qiyun in 1558. The text composed by the emperor and inscribed on the stele mentioned here commemorates the name change.

8. 8  Wang Lingguan and Supreme Commander Zhao are warrior-guardians of sacred Daoist space and their images commonly appear in Daoist temples.

9. 9  “Monastery” here refers to the Grand Simplicity Palace. Zhu Huirong says this name should instead read Matching the Clouds in Loftiness Cliff [Qiyun Yan 齊雲巖]. YJJZ, 1:17n11.

10. 10  The Buddhist term sheshen (lit., “surrender one’s body”) refers to suicide by throwing oneself off a cliff. Since sheshen is mentioned here as a place-name, it might mean the cliff was where a monk may have once leaped to his death.

11. 11  Changhe is a portal, also called Celestial Gate [Tianmen], through which all communication between heaven and earth is made possible.

12. 12  The nan or nanmu tree is a variety of evergreen unique to China, producing a highly durable softwood suitable for constructing buildings, furniture, boats, and coffins.

13. 13  “Feathered gentleman” (yushi) is another name for a Daoist adept.

14. 14  On Xie Lingyun, see note 7, page 17.

15. 15  That is, the period 9:00–11:00 a.m.

16. 16  The Buddhist cloister mentioned here seems to have been inside the cave.

17. 17  Individual dragon wells were probably numbered to differentiate the well water quality for brewing dragon well tea.

18. 18  Lacquer Tree Garden is the name of a mountain peak.