[FALL 1636 AND WINTER 1637]

From Changshan County in Zhejiang, Xu Xiake traveled a short distance west into Jiangyou, modern Jiangxi Province, where he spent almost three months sightseeing. We join Xu as he departs overland from Yushan County (modern Yushan Xian in northwestern Jiangxi).

Bingzi year, seventeenth day of the tenth month [14 November 1636]: At the first cock crow, I got up and had breakfast; at the second cock crow, I proceeded on my journey. After five li, the moonlight was clear and bright when I arrived at Jianglian Post Station [Jianglian Pu]. I turned and proceeded south, where the physical features of the landscape seemed to cluster around me repeatedly. Only then did I see some village dwellings. After another five li, I reached White Stone Bend [Baishi Wan] just at the first light of dawn. And after another five li reached White Stone Post Station [Baishi Pu]. Continuing, I turned and proceeded west for another seven li to the Grass Duckweed Official Guesthouse [Caoping Gongguan], which marks the boundary between the two counties of Changshan and Yushan. Long ago, there was a relay station here, but it has already been abolished. Next proceeded west for another three li to a mountain crest where the primary mountain range in the south crosses to the north. A spur of the ridge approaches from Twenty-Seven Wards [Ershiqi Du] in the Little Bamboo Mountain Range [Xiaohuang Ling] in Jiangshan County to the south. The spur then turns west and extends to the eastern border of Yongfeng County in Jiangxi, from where it twists and meanders its way to here.

On all the mountain ridges to the north and south, there are single, rounded peaks towering aloft, but where you cross at the base, the height subsides and is not lofty but rather narrow and not very wide. A mountain stream flows south from west of the mountain crest, the lower reach of which empties into Lake Poyang. Piled rocks form a gate west of the mountain stream. The areas to the south and north all connect to the mountains. This marks the boundary between the east and west. After another ten li is the Ancient City Post Station [Gucheng Pu]. Turning there and proceeding south, I then gradually left the mountains. After another five li is Golden Fowl Cavern Ridge [Jinji Dong Ling]. Continuing, I turned and proceeded west for another five li to Mountain Dike Post Station [Shantang Pu], where a mountain unfolds broadly. Another ten li is East Crossing Bridge [Dongjin Qiao], a stone bridge that spans above a stream. It flows from north to south. The mountain towers aloft like a standing screen but is thirty li north of Yushan County. Presumably, this mountain crosses north from Grass Duckweed Official Guesthouse and towers aloft in the west. An alternate name for it is Big Ridge [Daling]; another name for it is Triple Clarity Mountain [Sanqing Shan]. North of the mountain is Dexing County of Raozhou Prefecture; to the northeast is Wuyuan County of Huizhou Prefecture; to the east are Kaihua and Changshan Counties of Quzhou Prefecture. Presumably, the waterways of Zhejiang, South Zhili, and Jiangxi are all diverted by this mountain.

Long ago, when I set out for Qiuli from Aibu, I took the trail through a valley to the southeast.¹ After crossing the bridge and proceeding west for five li, I entered the city through the east gate of Yushan County. After about one li, I exited through the west gate. Inside the city, it is extraordinarily desolate, while to the west, markets and shops gather outside the city because there is a wharf by the river. The river under East Crossing Bridge makes a circuit around the southern part of the city and then heads west. From here on, boat travel is possible. At the time, it was already afternoon. The river had dried up considerably, so I could not take one of the large boats. But I found a small boat going to Guangxin Prefecture, so I asked the boatman to cast off and take me there.² By the time we had covered twenty li, it was nightfall. Taking advantage of the moonlight, the boatman continued to pound the oars through the night. After thirty li, we passed Shaxi. And after another fifty li, when we moored at the south gate of Guangxin Prefecture, it was just the third drum. Even so, the markets and shops in Shaxi were bustling with activity. One by one, more than a hundred small boats drifted downstream. The sound of pounding oars along the riverbanks never stopped. But I heard that there were many bandits in this area. I saw some of these bandits, carrying their banners, wading across the stream in the moonlight. I must remain vigilant. Twenty li west of Guangxin is a stone bridge near the stream. Downstream, there is a pine tree with nine forked trunks. Its nine trunks grow from a single base. Reaching into the empyrean, they vie with each other in elegance. But by then, it was too late for me to climb a height and view any of them.

Eighteenth day [15 November]: I got up early and as before looked for a boat going to Hekou in Yanshan County. I first intended to visit Numinous Mountain [Lingshan] from the northern side of Guangxin Prefecture. Moreover, I heard that the monasteries north of Numinous Mountain are numerous and prosperous. I wanted to go there and take in all the sights. But because I unexpectedly came down with an abscess, this hampered all physical movement. Since the boat here was going to Hekou, I asked the boatman to head out and take me there. Although I have twice passed by Guangxin, there has never been time to stop and visit. The commandery wall of Guangxin spans north of the stream. Its crenelations are not steep and imposing. The prefecture controls the homes and markets outside the wall, which constitute a large settlement in the mountain city.³

Numinous Stream [Lingxi] is east of the city and is fed with water from Numinous Mountain. Forever Abundant Stream [Yongfeng Xi] is west of the city and surges from Yongfeng County. We descended thirty li to the southwest, where a peak extends crosswise. It is reddish-brown in color, and its cliff wall twists around. It is called Transcendent Approaching Mountain [Xianlai Shan]. Earlier, when the boat passed below the mountain, I was still resting and did not get up to look. But when we passed Twenty Li Pool [Ershi Li Tan] and reached the area below Horse Saddle Mountain [Ma’an Shan], I turned around to gaze at it, but it was already too late to go there and climb it. On the way from Transcendent Approaching Mountain to Thunderclap Rock [Leida Shi], within a distance of twenty li, rocky mountains stand on both sides of the river in the shapes of overturned pots and crouching oxen, sometimes broken into pieces, sometimes wholly intact. Not only are the mountains unique and distinctive in shape, but they also lack wrinkles or creases. The mountains are so barren that they cannot hold a thin layer of earth or even a tiny plant. I next reached a place where the mountains end and the sands return, where traces of frost and the color of maple trees playing off village cottages appeared right before my eyes and where cracks between the rocks seemed to have undergone a process of embellishment.⁴

After another twenty li, we passed Pangluo, where to the south, I gazed at Goose Peak [Efeng], towering aloft on the horizon, pointy and precipitous, steep and sharp. This is where, long ago, I took a detour from Watershed Pass [Fenshui Guan] and scurried past Canopy Pavilion Peak.⁵ Twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye! The duration of human life has limits, but the rivers and mountains remain as they were yesterday, making one feel an inevitable sense of nostalgia!⁶ After another twenty li, we reached Hekou in Yanshan County. It was sunset, so the river’s current had calmed, and the wind’s direction reversed. At Hekou, a river from Watershed Pass in the southeast passes through Yanshan County, then reaches here, where it flows into Big Stream. The market shops, which are quite abundant, are on the left side of Big Stream. Presumably, larger boats can only navigate where the two streams merge.

Nineteenth day [16 November]: I hired a boat to go to Guixi County after breakfast. The boat was quite narrow. We finally set out only after waiting a long time for another traveler. That morning, dense clouds spread in all directions; a light rain fell occasionally. Proceeding west for 30 li, we reached Calling Crag [Jiaoyan]. Close to the riverside, rocky crags twine around and project outward. Below them is a deep pool as pure blue as indigo. Above are parallel caves that wind around the peaks, piercing through them as if they were walking down a corridor. Windows, lattice frames, and doors could all be distinguished. “Old Fisherman’s Hideaway Lodging Place” (Yuweng yinci) is written on the cliff face in four huge Chinese characters. On the right side of the cliff, there are stone steps that seem to inhale the stream’s waves below. I hurriedly called the boatman to stop the boat, then went on land. Through cracks and rocks lying across and athwart, I pushed through a gap and circled behind the cliff, where I saw a single pathway that turned into a footpath. Next, entering a gulch, I traced its origin. Behind the cliff, crowded peaks loop around and stretch across. The dense, lush green vegetation seemed to mesh together and magnify. I then realized that I had taken the wrong path and now wanted to search farther for the terminus of the mountain trail. The people living where the gulches change direction and the peaks twist around have dammed up a col and made it into a pond to raise fish. I traced a circuit around the mountain to the home of a mountain family, which lodged in the clouds and nested in lush green vegetation in a secluded and delightful way. I hastily went to the house and made inquiries, only to find out this area falls under Xing’an County’s jurisdiction.⁷ Flocking Fowl Rocky Ridge [Tuanji Shiling] is the round mountain in front that rises and stretches crosswise. This marks the western boundary of Yanshan County. Calling Crag Monastery [Jiaoyan Si] is west of Flocking Fowl. The front of the monastery overlooks Great Stream. Fisherman’s Hideaway Cliff [Yuyin Ya] juts out on the left and faces another cliff that juts out on the right. In front of the cliff on the right, a round peak stands alone in the middle of the stream, just like the Gold [Jin] and the Scorched [Jiao] Mountains in the Yangzi section of the Changjiang and Little Solitary [Xiaogu], a hill in the Xunyang River [Xunyang Jiang].⁸ Still, the peak here is even rounder and better proportioned. It is called Imprint Mountain [Yinshan]. The cliff rocks behind the monastery are hollowed out, with two protruding sides. A veranda is built on them, called Calling Crag Veranda [Jiaoyan Xuan]. The monastery conceals the crag. Delightful and expansive scenery is found at Fisherman’s Hideaway, but not here.

Ten li west of Calling Crag marks the boundary of Yiyang County. Next, a square-shaped mountain stands erect on the right side of the stream, which looks like a standing screen properly aligned and in neat order. There is a Buddhist temple on the mountain, but I do not know its name. The boat was moving so fast that there was no time to go ashore and explore the mountain. Presumably, this is also an area with extraordinary scenery. After another thirty li, it was already sunset. After the sky in the southwest gradually cleared, I gazed at a lonely peak in the distance, poking into the horizon. I discovered it is Turtle Cliff [Guiyan], which is fifteen li south of Yiyang. It captivated my heart. But I have already hired the boat to go to Guixi County, so we cannot stop halfway. After another ten li, upon reaching the east gate of Yiyang, I entrusted my luggage to Tranquil Hearing and had him proceed with the boat. Servant Gu and I stayed at an inn outside the east gate and prepared for the next day’s trip to Turtle Cliff. At midnight, the wind howled, and it started to rain.

Twentieth day [17 November]: I got up early, and the rain still had not stopped. At dawn, wearing a thatch-grass raincoat, I headed out, passing through the east gate of Yiyang County. The area south of the city wall overlooks the stream. When the stream reaches here, it lowers slightly and heads south. A tributary has been dredged as a moat when it approaches the city wall. Downstream, the tributary again merges with the stream. I passed in front of the county administrative offices in the rain, then next reached the southwest gate. I met up with a man from Turtle Cliff, surnamed Shu, who was on his way home, so I left the city with him. We crossed the bridge over the moat, proceeded three li, and then crossed Big Stream. On the south side of the stream is a tiered tower, which is the site of the estuary at Yiyang. From here on, we proceeded over mountain ridges, where collapsed rocks, above and below, have all formed into solid blocks with no striations and not even a single layer of earth nearby. At the time, it was raining more heavily. Drenched and dripping wet in the rain, I gazed at Turtle Peak [Guifeng], indistinct in the distance. Suddenly, I saw a peak at the road crossing, well-proportioned but small. I suspected this was the peak poking into the sky that had enchanted me the night before. I inquired and found out it is Ram Horn Ridge [Yangjiao Jiao], which is five li away from Turtle Peak. On my way there, from a distance, I gazed at a single peak split down the middle like a gate. A short time later, a rocky slab shaped like a jade tablet suddenly appeared south of the “gate.” This is Celestial Pillar Peak. When you reach there, the trail suddenly heads south. I turned and proceeded east and first passed a dam. Water gathers south of the dam to form a pond called Catch and Release Pond [Fangsheng Chi]. Both sides of the crag are steeped in pond water. Holes have been drilled into the rocky wall along the crag’s left side to make a plank walkway. This is Unfurled Banner Peak. Up above are precipitous crag walls; down below is a translucent pool. At the pool’s far end, bamboo and trees spread luxuriantly, now hidden, and now visible in a gulch. From the two sides of the crag, flying waterfalls together poured down like jade dragons doing a crazy dance, just as if a rain god and mountain spirit had come together in a contest to display their magic. Upon entering the gulch, I suddenly saw a cave at the highest point on the southern crag, the interior of which was bright all the way through. It looked like an “ear” had been appended to its “skull,” but I suspected it was a shadow cast by the white clouds. When I got closer, I realized it was a crevice in the rocks.

When I reached the Abbot’s Monastery [Fangzhang Si], I noticed people standing and getting up in the monastery’s courtyard. They were all different because the floating mist was so thick and dense that they were only intermittently visible. At the time, the rain became torrential. My clothes and sandals were soaked. The monk Linked Mind (Guanxin)hurriedly removed his clothes for me to change, then made a fire to dry my clothes. I then realized it was impossible to fight off the clouds and drive off the mists, so I no longer had the chance to appreciate the surpassing, massed peaks. It rained all day and night, so I composed the poem “Five Fates” (Wuyuan).⁹ That evening, I rested in a meditation chamber at Shaking Out Clothes Terrace [Zhenyi Tai].

Twenty-first day [18 November]: I got up early, and it was freezing. The rain gradually let up, and the numerous peaks then all appeared. Clouds remained only on the ultimate summit southeast of the monastery. After having breakfast with Linked Mind, I immediately left the central courtyard of Abbot’s Monastery, where the monk pointed out the surpassing scenery. Presumably, Stronghold Summit [Zhaiding] is directly south, standing alone. On the summit, a rock resembling a parrot’s beak is also known as Parrot Beak Peak [Yingzui Feng]. Today, it is also known as Old Man Peak [Laoren Feng]. A domed rock protrudes prominently on the summit. It looks like an old monk facing south when gazing at it from below. Dressed in a cassock, “he” appears lifelike. This is why the peak is called Old Man. When you ascend Shaking Out Clothes Terrace and look straight ahead, the mountain peak gradually divides into two parts; when looking down from Double Swords Peak, its summit resembles a single stretch of connected leaves, one after the other. As for the ridges extending north of the peak, the first to rise is Arhat, and the second to rise is Parrot [Yingge]. The third to rise is Kalasa [Chinese: Jingping], the highest ridge descending to the north, and the fourth to rise is Avalokiteśvara, which is also steep. These make up the central spur, which faces Unfurled Banner in the north. Nan Tree Ceremonial Hall [Nanmu Dian] follows it.

From the southern summit, I proceeded west. The sheerest and steepest heights are Turtle Peak and Double Swords Peak. On Turtle Peak, three boulders stand erect, reaching to the top, side by side with Double Swords. On their lofty summits are layered boulders that resemble three turtles, one piled on top of the other. Because of this, Turtle is the main name for the entire mountain. Below the peaks, a crack in the rockface divides south from the north, forming a single thread of sky. A crack from east to west forms Moni Cavern [Moni Dong]. Behind it is Four Echoes Valley [Sisheng Gu]. I shouted toward one side of the valley, and the sound carried, echoing four times. Presumably, this is because of the sound circling and looping around the rocky cliff in Water Curtain Valley east of the peak. Stronghold Summit is the loftiest height east of the peak; the closest to the west is Holding Turtle Peak [Hangui Feng]. Below it is where the ridges of Stronghold Summit and Holding Turtle diverge. But Turtle Peak and Double Swords poke high above them, hidden by Holding Turtle. Thus, the crack is sometimes visible, while at other times, it is concealed. When concealed, the two sides together form a single barrier, which at times suddenly reveals a bright sky. This is what I suspected yesterday to be white clouds. Double Swords also stand together with Turtle Peak. At the bottom, Turtle Peak is split into three sections connected on top. The summit of Double Swords divides into two forks, but it is attached at the base. In huge Chinese characters, “Cliff Wall Standing Myriad Rods High” (Bili wanren) is written south of there, which refers to Stronghold Summit. The author’s signature has already peeled away, but I was told it is that of Zhu Xi. These two peaks are in the middle of the ridge that passes southwest of Stronghold Summit and faces Censer Peak [Xianghe Feng] to the northeast.

In comparison, some former monasteries were constructed toward the two peaks. Holding Turtle Peak is first from west to north, among the joined protective screens on the left. Below it is Shaking Out Clothes Terrace. Among the flat rocks poised below the screen is a trail to climb to Moni Peak [Moni Feng], which goes through a single thread of sky. Bright Star Peak [Mingxing Feng] is second. To the north, it connects with Double Sea Turtles Peak [Shuang’ao Feng]; to the south, it joins Holding Turtle. The peak due west is the highest. Above it, there are openings arrayed like stars. Double Sea Turtles is third. A translucent pool is wedged below the northern part of the peak, which is where I entered the valley and passed the southern cliff at Catch and Release Pond. These two peaks loop around high above the western part of the valley, but the Stronghold Summit spur extending to the northwest ends here. From the southern summit, I proceeded east. Those heights circling and ringing around are Battlements Peak [Chengduo Feng] and Folding Screen Peak [Weiping Feng]. These heights, behind layers of coiling peaks in the southeast, stand opposite Sea Turtle Peak in the northwest.

From east to north, sharp and spiky rocks align on the right. The one with the lid is Palanquin Top Peak [Jiaoding Feng]; the pointy one is Elephant Tusk Peak [Xiangya Feng]; the one crouching is Lion Peak. These peaks are on the valley’s eastern side in close succession, but the spur of Stronghold Summit turns northeast here. Moreover, how the mountains are aligned parallel from the north seems to form the shape of a table. These three peaks revolve in a line around the north side of Four Echoes Valley. The flat one, and protruding is Censer Peak; the one that is magical and rising is Numinous Mushroom Peak [Lingzhi Feng], which faces the meditation room at Abbot Monastery. The one that is askew and extended is Unfurled Banner Peak. On the east side, it is high; on the west side, it is low. To the north and south, a cliff wall stands erect. To the south, the wall sticks into a translucent pool below the plank walkway where one enters the valley. These three peaks tower in an array in the north of the valley. Stronghold Summit’s mountain spur to the southwest ends when it reaches here. These are all the mountain peaks inside the valley.

Beyond the valley, north of Unfurled Banner, is Celestial Pillar Peak, the forked mountain peak I gazed at yesterday from a distance that looked like a jade tablet. Next to it is Dog Peak [Gou’er Feng]. South of Lion Peak is Upright Writing Brush Peak. Chessboard Rock is south of Folded Screen in a deep gulch. South of Stronghold Summit also has Imperial Court Hat Peak [Chaomao Feng]. This peak separately rises aloft, standing alone behind Stronghold Summit. This is the peak I saw from a distance while in the boat east of Yiyang County. As I ap- proached it, the peak was concealed by all the other peaks. Next, Meet and Guide Peak [Jieyin Feng] is between Stronghold Summit and Imperial Court Hat. West of Stronghold Summit is Paint Brush Peak [Huabi Feng]. Presumably, to the north and below Stronghold Summit are the peaks of Mount Arhat [Luohan Shan], which twist to the south and skirt to the west, aligning to form a standing barrier. The one that comes out from behind Turtle Peak is Paint Brush Peak. On the peak’s cliff is a spring called Water Curtain Cave. These are all the mountain peaks outside the valley.

Mountain peaks with lone caverns cluster on four sides of the valley. A single gorge slants toward the west. Two cliff walls stand erect, through which a stream flows out. A trail follows the stream. South of there, below Turtle Peak, west from the side of Lion Peak, and within the area north from Censer Peak and Celestial Pillar Peak, one can only cross after moving past peaks and climbing through mountain fissures. Indeed, this is an ethereal, surpassing scene between heaven and earth! Within this scene, a single spur from Avalokiteśvara Peak plummets north of Stronghold Summit, dividing into two valleys: the one in the west hosts the meditation room of the abbot’s quarters. The trail to Shaking Out Clothes Terrace and Moni Cavern is at the valley’s end.

The valley in the east is covered with thick vegetation. Leaning on my walking stick, I cut through thistles and entered the valley from the east, arriving directly below Folding Screen Peak and Battlements Peak. I looked up and saw the rock formation that constitutes the “Hungry Tiger Chasing Sheep” [Ehu Ganyang]. What a keen resemblance to the name! If the dense, tall grasses here were weeded out, stone steps built, and a ladder put in place, this would undoubtedly be a numinous passageway leading to profound, surpassing scenes that stretch forever. Unfortunately, the rocks were all jumbled, and the thorns were thick, so there was no possibility of going any farther. I then left the valley, following north of Lion Peak. Passed over a ridge and then turned south at the so-called Palanquin Summit and the peaks of Elephant Tusk. I looked at them from the west, where everywhere they were in piled layers and rising. Among them is a single peak resembling an upright writing brush that amazingly seemed to be writing in the sky! It is known by the name Upright Writing Brush Peak. This is no misnomer! You would never see such a thing unless you passed through here. Everywhere below the peak, there are rocky ridges that loftily span crosswise. To the east is a single spur of a rocky peak looming around Stronghold Summit and moving north. In the west, with the various peaks of Palanquin Top and Elephant Tusk, it loops around to form a valley. I proceeded directly south from the rocky ridges and reached the bottom of the rocky peak, where I exited through the jumbled rocks and thick thorns. I then moved west, passing over Elephant Tusk and Lion Peaks, whose ridges are slanting and sheer with barely anywhere to place your feet. I turned around and looked back at the interior of the valley. Indeed, it is quite another world. This is the first layer of peaks to the east, beyond the valley.

Next, following the mountain ridge beyond Four Echoes Valley, I proceeded east. Then I turned south for two li, going directly to the area behind Stronghold Summit. Chessboard Rock is here. A huge rock arches aloft in the middle of the valley. Its top is as flat as a whetstone, while parts of it have been chiseled away on all four sides, where one can squat down and rest. I imagine this is where recluses made their home in the past. Today it is isolated and overgrown with brush, which should not necessarily be regarded as the legacy of transcendent beings! Southwest of there is Imperial Court Hat Peak; to the northwest is Stronghold Summit. Presumably, they are behind Folding Screen Peak. A single spur beyond that peak descends from Imperial Court Hat Peak, again loops around, then moves off to the east and forms a valley. However, all the mountains there are jagged and jogged, towering in circles, no longer resembling the mountains along the two spurs in the valley, formed from pared, solid rock. This is the second layer of peaks to the east, beyond the valley.

Between Stronghold Summit and the Imperial Court Hat Peaks, a single rock, several scores of rods in height, stands facing south. It is poised on the top of a peak, looking as solemn as Wengzhong.¹⁰ Sometimes it is called Meet and Guide Peak; sometimes it is designated Stone Man Peak [Shiren Feng]. Gazing at it from Chessboard Rock, I unwittingly found it extraordinary.¹¹ I suspect that if I can scramble to the ultimate summit from here and make my way through the thorns to the area below the cliff, I would encounter overhanging cliffs and sheer boulders, and there would be no way to clamber and scramble forward. I backtracked along the earlier trail to Lion Peak, passed Censer Peak, climbed Numinous Mushroom Peak, and then gazed at the two peaks, Celestial Pillar and Dog, which stand straight up in the north valley. These then are the peaks beyond the valley. Unfurled Banner and the single peak north of it eventually loop around to form a valley.

Shortly after that, I proceeded southwest from Unfurled Banner. Then, directly to the east, I ascended to its summit. To the southwest, I gazed east of Imperial Court Hat Peak, where another split rock resembled Meet and Guide Peak, but Meet and Guide was hidden from sight. To the south, I gazed at Stacked Turtles [Diegui] and Double Swords, which seemed like a single cliff wall bending and ringing around, not even a one-inch crack between them. After descending Unfurled Banner Peak, I headed south on a plankway between the cliffs, followed along a pool, proceeded south, and exited behind Double Sea Turtles, Bright Star, and Holding Turtle. To the east, I spied three peaks. Their backsides were all covered with earth and could be ascended. But I gave up on that idea and proceeded farther south. Then, to the east, immediately continued on the side footpath to Stacked Turtles and Double Swords and directly descended along the trail to Shaking Out Clothes Terrace in the valley. But then I gave up on that idea and proceeded south, where I saw a trail ascending to the east. I knew without a doubt that this was the way to Stronghold Summit. I found the courage and began to climb. After two li, I saw Stacked Turtles and Double Swords to the west. Not until they were below my feet did I realize I had already come out above Water Curtain Valley. When I looked down into the valley, it turned and circled on three sides like a jade disk. There was an opening on one side. Only the north side directly faces Turtle Peak and Double Swords. On the western side of the valley, there is a crevice through which one can exit, but it is hidden and concealed, and its origin is unknown. This is the first layer of peaks to the south, beyond the valley.

Following the edge of the cliff, I ascended once again. A short time later, I gave up ascending from the left and switched to the right. Then, on a ridge to the southeast, I saw jumbled rocks surging upward. Some of them looked like pairs of mushrooms standing side by side. The mushroom “caps” were big, but the “stems” were small. On the bottom, they seemed attached to one stalk with holes in the middle. The rocks above them, which I cannot even begin to describe, seem shaped like they were dancing in the air. Next, I ascended for one li, then gave up climbing from the right and switched to the left. After pushing through a crevice and continuing my ascent, I turned southeast, where the summit was even more vaulted like a dome. Another summit rises in the north. These two summits squeeze together to form a gorge, which begins in the southeast and passes a ridge, then spills over to Water Curtain Cave in the northwest. The mountain then opens up to form two areas. When one passes over a mountain ridge to the southeast, there is a rock that, like a bridge, spans across to link the two summits. Collapsed cliffs rise steeply where the bridge ends. There was no way to climb there. I squatted down to rest on the ridge and then looked down the south valley. Collapsed and fallen cliffs were directly below, so I could see the valley floor. I only saw cliffs facing each other east and west, with mountain mists in the air reflecting lush green vegetation. I had no idea where the cliffs came from to get into the valley. This is the second layer of peaks to the south, beyond the valley.

After quite a while, when trying to find the trail to return, I suddenly saw a summit north of the gorge, where rocks that seemed like chiseled stone stairs ascended directly from inside the gorge. I thus closely examined the rocks above the south side of the gorge, where there are also similar stairs. Only then did I realize that the trail does not follow along the ridge but through the gorge. Presumably, people in the past maintained a hold on this area, so stone steps were cut leading up to the nearby precipitous heights. The trail is engulfed in weeds today, while the remaining stone steps have yet to crack.

Next, following the steps, I descended north into the gorge, clambered up the steps from the gorge, and ascended to the north. After one li, I climbed east to where I reached a high place again. When I got to an even higher place far to the southeast, it felt like I was now standing shoulder to shoulder with Meet and Guide Peak and face to face with Imperial Court Hat Peak. The lone rock that stands side by side with Imperial Court Hat to the east is hidden and out of sight, while on all four sides, Imperial Court Hat stands poised and alone and cannot be climbed. Among them, Meet and Guide Peak stands poised on a ridge. Everywhere on both sides are mixed chunks of cracked rock. Not only can one not ascend there, but it is also impossible to descend. The valley that descends north of there is Rocky Chessboard. The valley that descends south of there is formed by the spur that loops around as it approaches from south of Imperial Court Hat. This is the third layer of peaks to the south, beyond the valley.

Only in the west is there no outer valley. As it turns out, the northern section of the ultimate summit is divided into Folding Screen Peak and Battlements Peak in the east and Parrot Beak [Yingkou] in the west. They are unusual. When I looked up from the bottom of the valley, I saw extraordinary scenery that vaulted like a dome. But when I looked down from above, it was the opposite: all seemed distant and removed, and it was hard to take in the entire scene. It was sunset, so I descended four li from the ultimate summit. Advancing to the east, I saw a trail leading to Water Curtain Cave. When I reached the area below Double Swords and Stacked Turtles it was dusky and dark, and I could not see a thing, so I hastily passed over the ridge and made my way to Abbot’s Monastery.

Twenty-second day [19 November]: I got up at dawn and wrote out the poem “Five Fates” for Linked Mind, two pentasyllabic poems titled “Turtle Peak” (Guifeng), and one heptasyllabic poem titled “Presented at Parting” (Zengbie).¹² After breakfast, I moved past Shaking Out Clothes Terrace and ascended to reach the foot of Stacked Turtles, where once again I pushed through a single thread of sky and proceeded east. Next, to the north, I crossed Four Echoes Valley. Presumably, a crevice facing southeast is in the wall of Four Echoes Valley. Everywhere inside, its huge boulders are piled on top of one another, resembling a flight of stairs and suspended ladders, seemingly forming into lofts and belvederes that connect with the northwest. When you exit the valley to the northwest, you reach Moni Cavern. It overlooks Abbot’s Monastery directly below. It provides a panoramic view of Avalokiteśvara, Kalasa, and Lion Peaks. I then descended the ridge to the southwest, and following the outer valley continued to Water Curtain Cave. Cliff walls ring it on three sides, whirling and twisting from the sky to face Turtle and Double Swords peaks in the north. A waterfall drifts and plummets east of the cliff, like flying pearls and twirling snow. This is the most surpassing scenery in this area. Presumably, the extraordinary tors and barriers on Turtle Peak are lacking on Mount Yandang, but the water vistas here are not as good. The only valley here with flying pearls and twirling snow is situated in the more remote valleys, which are especially unusual. However, although the cavern faces a waterfall, it is too bad that it squats down at the end of a cliff. Looking around the valley, its precipitous cliffs link together in all directions, which is notable. There is no need to use the notoriety of a single cave to make this place known. At the time, the north wind drove the waterfall to dance in the air. Its sounds and silhouettes were both unusual. Suddenly, the skies cleared; sunshine collected on the gorgeous cliffs and illuminated the water. I paced back and forth, unable to leave. After quite a while, I had another meal at the monastery, bid farewell to Linked Mind, and proceeded on my journey.

Following the same route, I left to the west along the plankway next to the cliff. After ten li, there is Arranged in Front [Paiqian]. After five more li, I came to Crossroads Pavilion [Fenlu Ting], north of First Graduate Bridge [Zhuangyuan Qiao]. The trail goes south from the bridge to Yellow Source Kiln [Huangyuan Yao]. I proceeded west for fifteen li to Abiding Estuary [Liukou], where I waded across the stream at sunset.¹³ The area west of the stream serves as the border with Guixi County. The stream approaches from Yellow Source Kiln. When it reaches here, it flows into Big Stream, where all the market shops are on the west side of the stream. I found overnight accommodations there. While traveling from Arranged in Front to Abiding Estuary, I gazed back at Turtle Peak, but all I saw was Imperial Court Hat Peak standing solemnly, like a sheep’s horn poking up into the sky. This is the view toward the west, which is not the least similar to the east side of Yiyang County. But only here, when I turned to gaze around, did I see a human-shaped rock standing straight up, which was even more unusual.

Twenty-third day [20 November]: I got up at dawn and crossed north of Big Stream. After eight li, just as I was about to reach the wall of Guixi County, suddenly south of the stream, I saw a bridge entrance erected high in the air. I thought it improbable that a city gate or a bridge’s arches could span such a lofty height. I stopped someone on the trail, asked about it, and discovered it was Transcendent Being Bridge [Xianren Qiao]. It turned out to be a stone structure between two mountains and was not made of bricks. I found this most remarkable. I wanted to cross the stream, but there was no bridge. I then hastened on for two li and passed through the east gate of Guixi County. After two more li, I reached Jade Well Top [Yujing Tou]. When I found Tranquil Hearing at the inn, he still had not eaten breakfast. So he hastily had a meal, and then we left Guixi through the southwest gate. Crossed a stream and proceeded south, now on the road to Jianchang Prefecture. I reserved a cart and agreed with the driver to leave at dawn the next day. I then immediately proceeded east, wanting to visit Transcendent Being Bridge. The innkeeper Shu Longshan said:

There is not just one surpassing scenic sight south of the mountain here. From the main south gate, go past Central Ward Crossing [Zhongfang Du] for one li to Elephant Mountain [Xiangshan], also known as Hanging Placard Mountain [Guabang Shan]. As it turns out, historical vestiges relating to the famous Song dynasty Neo-Confucian scholar Lu Jiuyuan (1139–93) are found there.¹⁴ Admiration Pavilion [Yangzhi Ting] is also there. Two li southwest is Five Faces Peak [Wumian Feng]. On it is a Buddhist monastery; below is a single thread of sky. These are the most outstanding scenic sights here. One li south is West Flowery Mountain [Xihua Shan], which loops around and spans across, then ascends. Transcendents reside everywhere around here! Little Hidden Crag [Xiao Yinyan] is two li north of the mountain. Its former name is Strike the Tiger Crag [Dahu Yan]. After going beyond Little Hidden Crag for two li is Transcendent’s Bridge. As it turns out, it is built in a way where it looks like it is poised in midair over a gulch. This is a general description of the various surpassing sights south of this stream. However, west of Five Faces Peak, a stream approaches from the south and then turns north to flow into Great Stream. There are no boats to take one across here, so following the same route as before, you must cross to the north and again by Central Ward Crossing.

By then I was already bubbling with excitement, which could not be suppressed. I had Longshan return home while I made inquiries on the side of the trail about how to proceed. Thus, to the south, I passed the grave of Zhang the Perfected One (Zhang Zhenren). The stele inscription was composed and written under the imperial order by Zhao Mengfu (1254–1322) during the Yuan dynasty.¹⁵ A portion of the mountain was cut away to make walls, which loop around with the stele in the middle. I proceeded another li and crossed a small bridge. From a forking path to the side, I proceeded toward the stream to the east. The flow of a stream directly presses hard against the base of Five Faces Peak. Presumably, this stream originates from River Lake Mountain [Jianghu Shan]. It becomes navigable for boats after flowing from Flowery Bridge [Huaqiao]. Proceeded sixty li and arrived at Luo Dike [Luotang]. I reached here after another twenty li, then passed into a stream that is the main route into Min. All goods transferred north on this route are products such as paper and charcoal. Just at that moment, two boats with no passengers were moored beside the bank of the stream. Soon afterward, one of them came over, and I called out for a ride across the stream. Invariably, the boats here are rowed across. After proceeding east past the stream for one li, I passed into a defile from northeast of the peak. Only then did I realize that all the mountains here are rocky crags, winding and towering aloft. The massif opens up where it is split in the middle. The crags squeeze close together and rise. From far away and near, nothing looks the same, but when they are side by side, their contours seem to be similar. Following along the trail, I reached the area below a vaulted crag, where I abandoned the trail and ascended steps to a terrace perched on two cliffs, flat as the palm of a hand. The steps descending from south of there seem to dangle down to the bottom of a ravine. The steps ascending to the west directly skirt around to the apex of a mountain. I thought the stairs descending south led to a single thread of sky while those ascending west led to Five Faces Peak. First I went up to the peak, then clambered and climbed for about one li until I reached the ultimate summit, from where I looked down on West Flowery Mountain. To the east, I looked down on cliff walls squeezed together, and to the north, I looked down on various counties, all of which could be pointed out with a finger.

Suddenly, mountain rain began to fall. The monks detained me and provided some snacks, after which I slowly stumbled down the mountain. Next, I descended the stairway I took before to the single thread of sky, where cliff walls on both sides squeezed close together and ascended. Directly south, from where the area below the summit splits, a narrow, vertical gorge forms.¹⁶ When the trail reaches the gorge, it suddenly turns and proceeds east, then moves through a crack in fallen rocks, where again you come to a transverse gorge. Above and below both gorges are crag walls with distinguishable curved and straight contour lines. When I arrived in the area east of the walls, I once again came out into a col, where I no longer seemed to be in the mortal world. I proceeded south from the col, gazing at domed peaks and winding depressions, which seemed everywhere. At the most distant point south, I reached West Flowery Mountain. I stopped climbing since I had already looked down at it from Five Faces Peak.

Following the same route, I turned left through the single thread of sky and passed over a ridge. Then, after two li, turned and headed east, advancing to Little Recluse Crag. The crag is also a mountain that loops around and turns northeast. It runs continuously to the south but has openings to the north. The mountain is vaulted like a dome everywhere on top, while the base is in a low-lying area with spaces in the cracks. One could build a hut here and take repose inside it. Behind the crag, there is an inscription by Hong Chu (1066–1127?) of the Song dynasty that reads, “In a certain year during the Xuanhe reign (1119–26), I ascended from the crag for two li, where I next came to Shoot the Tiger Peak [Shehu Feng].”¹⁷ I recall the name Xu Cave [Xuyan]. Earlier, while traveling by boat in Yiyang County, I already realized that it had some connection to my family, but by the time I reached here, I had forgotten all about it.¹⁸ The writings on the wall seemed to remind me, so I hurriedly left the Little Recluse Crag and made some inquiries, but not a single person knew its location. A short time later, I heard that there was a mountain designated Emei, which is three li southeast of Little Recluse.¹⁹ I thought this might be an alternate name for Xu Cave, so I immediately headed there. Next, along the main trail to Luo Dike, I passed a ridge. Only after turning north did I pass into the mountain, where the bamboo and trees are deep and lush, and craggy rocks are lofty and vaulted. However, Buddhist disciples and clergy have built houses and piled rocks into walls so that it will never again look as it once did. Moreover, I realized this was not Xu Cave.

Just as I was about to descend the mountain, it started to rain heavily again. At the time, it was already past noon, so I had a meal on the crag. By the time I had finished eating, the rain had stopped. I asked about the way to Transcendent’s Bridge. By chance, there was someone who knew the way. He said, “There is a shortcut. Follow the mountain and proceed east. After going through a col, head north for four li, and you will arrive there.” I followed his directions. The trail was quite desolate and secluded, sometimes hidden, sometimes visible, while at other times, it forked, and I could not tell east from west. It seemed as if I had strayed off the correct path. Suddenly, I saw a natural rock bridge soaring high above, and it was quite close. When I reached the bottom of the valley and hurried toward the bridge, I found myself blindly lost and unable to find it. This is presumably because although it seemed close when I gazed at it, now at a distance from the cliff and separated from the col, directions changed in the blink of an eye, and suddenly, it was no longer easy to find. Shortly after that, I arrived directly below the bridge.

Presumably, a single stretch of rock spans loftily across the hollowed-out portion of the mountain. The upper part loops around like a circle; the middle opens to form a gate. On both sides, rocks twist down to the bridge’s supports. The bridge’s surface is flat and well-proportioned, like a terrace, just as if it had been built by hand. On the east side of the cliff, one can follow it to climb to the top; on the west side of the bridge, there is a single rock, three-some rods from the trail, perched beside it. It looks just like a person sitting there guarding the bridge. I first reached the area below the bridge, where I looked at it above me. Its lofty dome, round and well-proportioned, measures no less than ten rods. When I trudged up the stairs to the top, the bridge was long, broad, flat, and straight. I am afraid the skills needed to “ride a rainbow” and engage the “service of magpies” are no match for this.²⁰

I proceeded two li west of the bridge. Just as I was about to reach Elephant Mountain, I asked about the mountain called Xu Cave, but as it turned out, I had yet to find it. Later, I ran into a gaffer, and he said:

The trail to the south, behind my cottage, leads there. Today, Xu Cave is known as Homage to Truth Palace [Chaozhen Gong]. As it turns out, this is where Guigu cultivated the Way.²¹ Today, it is overgrown and abandoned. You will never find it if you do not look for it in the early morning. Since it is already nightfall, you can instead ask about Elephant Mountain.

Because I planned to head out early the following morning, I had Tranquil Hearing proceed ahead toward the mountain gorge in the south that I had gazed at in the distance. At first, there still was a trail, but as I gradually proceeded, it gradually disappeared. The cliffs on both sides receded deeply. Disregarding the brush and prickers, I descended directly to the gorge’s base, where rocks were on both sides at the far end. It was narrow, with no room for one’s feet. At the time, it was gradually turning dusky and dark. I could not make out the trail after treading and trampling through some thistles and prickers and passing into the valley. Presumably, this is the third col east of Elephant Mountain. I went into it but could not find the trail. At the time, I heard the sound of people in the distance, and after some time shouting back and forth, I realized that the trail led to the west, which I then found and followed. On the left side of the valley, lofty cliffs coiled around and extended. Once I entered the valley, there was a deep cave in front of which was a waterfall. There were two monks, both of whom had recently arrived to take up residence here. I asked them about Xu Cave, but they also did not know whether this peak was it. It should be at the same site now known as Homage to Truth Palace. As it turns out, this is the second layer of peaks east of Elephant Mountain.

After I emerged from the darkness, I proceeded west and south, searching for Elephant Mountain. Although the area around the mountain was dark, I could still follow the trail. Elephant Mountain’s two crags projected out in front of me. The col between them is not deep, but it is steep. The col has a memorial arch towering aloft inside two halls. The shrine hall is situated in front. Its chambers are in ruins. The chambers in the back have not yet fallen into disrepair, but they are empty. I made my way inside. Then I heard human voices near the rockface, so I hurriedly trod the stairs to find out who it was. A door covered the cave’s opening, and a man emerged from inside, holding a torch. He turned out to be a man surnamed Yang, who minds the shrine hall. He led me to climb to Admiration Pavilion from the right side of the cliff. The pavilion stands high up, poised on the crag’s edge, seemingly embedded in the sky, surrounded by dazzling light. When you look up at Elephant Mountain’s lofty peak and look down on its secluded canyons, it makes you halt and hesitate and forget about leaving. Because it had been dark for quite a while and the watch drum on the streets had already sounded, Mr. Yang was afraid there would be no one at the stream crossing to take me across, so he accompanied me in the dark for two li, all the way to the river crossing at Central Ward. He told me his father was already eighty-seven years old, still fond of eating, and had a good appetite. Presumably, Mr. Yang was a filial son and someone who knew about proper behavior, or so I observed. I shouted to the boatman across the stream for a ride. After I crossed, I continued to the south gate. After over one more li, I reached Shu Village Fair [Shusi], where I spent the night.

This sightseeing trip began when I came across the name “Xu Cave” among the crags. So in the dark, I traversed through all the traces of scenic sites hereabouts and surveyed every surpassing scene south of the stream. The two wonders of Transcendent’s Bridge and Single Thread of Sky can be ranked first among all the scenic sights I have seen. They are not limited to ranking as the most extraordinary among the sights here.²²

The time between this last entry (20 November) and the one that follows (22 January 1637) was spent visiting additional scenic sites in and around Jianchang Prefecture, Xincheng, Yihuang, and Le’an Counties. We now rejoin Xu Xiake as he is about to sail from Ji’an Prefecture to Yongxin County.

[Twelfth month,] twenty-seventh day [22 January 1637]:²³ Our boat set out at dawn. After twenty li, we came to Transcendent Liao’s Crag [Liaoxian Yan], where a rocky cliff overlooks the river. The south side of the cliff serves as the border with Taihe County; everywhere to the north is the territory of Luling.²⁴ From here on, our boat often altered its course as it proceeded north. Presumably, this is because the mountain stream²⁵ we were on approached from the west, but then it twisted and turned from south to north. After ten li is Yongyang and the great market in Luling, on the river’s north bank. But along the river’s southern bank, one must still travel ten li before reaching the jurisdiction of Taihe County. This way is longer simply because the boat must wind its way north.²⁶ After proceeding north for another fifteen li, we passed Wolf Lake [Langhu], a village in a col. It is not a lake. The people who live there are surnamed Yin. They have a large fleet of boats, which they use to make a living by fishing in the lake.²⁷ After proceeding another fifteen li, we moored at Fixed Sunlight Crossing [Zhiyang Du], where there is a village on the river’s northern bank. On this day, we traveled sixty li. Over the last two days, altogether, we traveled one hundred li. Now, we were in Yongxin County.²⁸ Because of the numerous bends in the mountain stream, Fusheng arranged for two horsemen and two porters to take me to the border of Chaling Subprefecture.²⁹ When I reached the local government office in Chaling, I saw that snow was looming in the sky, so I planned to continue by boat. Fusheng then hired a boat and two porters to help pilot it. By this time, the headwind was blowing with great force. The porters repeatedly went into the water to tow and lift the boat. I felt sorry for them having to endure the cold. Time and again, I rewarded their efforts by giving them some money for wine. In the afternoon, the thick clouds gradually scattered, and the sun began to shine brightly. Such is the power of the wind.

Twenty-eighth day [23 January]: We set out at dawn with the boat in tow. It was freezing. After twenty li reached Ao City [Aocheng], we only turned and headed south. We set the boat’s sail for the next five li, then headed toward Yellow Bank Rapids [Huangba Tan]. Next, we cut north and passed into a gorge between two mountains. After five li came to Pillow Rock [Zhentou Shi]. We then turned and proceeded west with our sail still up. After three li, we ascended Yellow Ox Rapids [Huangniu Tan]. Its eighteen rapids begin here. Above the rapids is Tangled Silk Pool [Fensi Tan]. The pool’s water is deep blue. The crags on each side project outward and bind together like a gate. We did not find narrow, towering crags and rocks that hindered the rapid and surging current until we reached here. Proceeded another seven li and ascended the second set of rapids, Zhou Plains Mountain [Zhouyuan Shan]. A vast canyon partially revealed itself in the mountains, where a village nestled against its slope. Everyone in the village made a living by selling firewood. Proceeded another five li to Painted Horn Rapids [Huajiao Tan]. Among the eighteen sets of rapids, this one is the longest. Proceeded another five li to Mesa Top [Pingshang], the border between Luling and Yongxin County. Those two counties share a border that is east of Mesa Top. We moored the boat west of Mesa Top.

Twenty-ninth day [24 January]: Set out at dawn. After twenty li, we came to where a bridge used to span the stream from south to north. Now it is in ruins. All that remains is a piled jumble of rocks that checks the stream’s flow. I proceeded another five li to Return to Antiquity [Huangu], where I gazed at a vast mountain south of the stream. Below it are two small peaks that rise steeply and resolutely, which struck me as extraordinary. I asked about the two peaks, and the boatman said, “The taller mountain is named Decorum Mountain [Yishan].³⁰ For locals, it is the so-called Bridge to Heaven [Shangtian Qiao]. Although it is huge, there is nothing extraordinary about it. The smaller peak is called Plum Fields Cavern [Meitian Dong].³¹ Its caverns are at the foot of the mountain.” I have been a longtime admirer of the surpassing scenery at Plum Fields Mountain. So I hastily insisted on having a meal and then began my climb to its rim. I had the boatman go to Yongxin County and wait for me there. With Tranquil Hearing, I proceeded five li south from Return to Antiquity and reached Plum Fields Cavern at the mountain’s base, where amassed rocks towered in piles everywhere. The surface of the mountain lacks even the slightest bit of earth. The piled stones resemble towering and tall lotus blossoms emerging on the surface of a lake. People surnamed Long live at the base of the mountain. Facing east are three caverns; facing north is one cavern. Only the rocks on the northeastern corner of the mountain are in their natural state. The entire far end of the southeastern cavern and those facing northwest have been made into lime kilns.³² Given all the chipping away by iron tools and ravaging with fire, seven-tenths of the honeycombed quality of the stones have now been lost.

The first cavern faces east below a domed cliff.³³ Left of the cavern, a rocky barrier sticks out on its flank. After you enter the cavern, it is vaulted like a dome, rising to over ten rods. The ceiling of the rear cavern seems to whirl suddenly in the air and ascend. Sheer walls on all four sides droop like hanging streams of silk, countless rods in length, seemingly enclosed by a silk tent drifting down from the sky. The cavities embedded in the walls above continuously belch mists, which form mirage-like balconies. A shaft among them pierces straight through to the mountain’s summit. Sunlight plunges straight down to the bottom of the cavern, while shadows cast by the sun reach the upper level. When I gazed up, it seemed as if transcendents and spirits were frolicking at the top of the shaft. It is too bad that a ten-rod ladder was not available, for with one, I could have climbed way up inside the shaft.

From here, I advanced to the north. On the left and right were stone chambers that seemed to curl and whirl around, while stone doorways were divided into segments. Some were like crouching beasts, others like hanging pennants, altogether too many to count. There are five levels at the entrance to the main cavern. The interior of the third level is supported by a stone pillar, which divides the entrance into two sections: the main entrance is on the left, through which sunlight shoots straight into the cavern. The side entrance is on the right. I advanced through the dark to another opening and reached the interior of the fourth level, which joins with the main cavern. By the time I went to the fifth level, I had already covered about one-half li. However, sunlight shoots in from far away because the cavern’s entrance is a vaulted, vertical dome. After reaching here, the path suddenly turned to the left. I then passed through another level into complete darkness, where nothing could be seen. I just felt that the sounds heard in the empty cavern were more amplified and resonant than those heard in the bright section of the cavern.

I was about to exit the cavern, get a torch, and then go back in. Still, after I began walking around, the sights observed were even more spectacular than when I came in. Hanging stalactites and aligned pillars of all types and varieties filled the path, which I cannot even begin to describe. Without realizing it, my feet stopped moving forward. I found another cavern less than ten paces south of the cavern, which also took me directly north. Eventually, I also turned and left, immediately finding myself in darkness, where nothing could be seen. Comparing this scene with what we saw earlier at the first cavern, they are exactly alike, except this one is scaled down. In contrast, the scenes’ fabulous, extraordinary, spacious, and gorgeous postures here do not even reach one- or two-tenths of that in the main cavern.

After exiting, I saw another cavern in the cliff wall to the right, next to a crevice towering high into the air like a gate. I turned my body sideways and went into the cavern. The entrance is five or six feet high but only five feet across. Above and below, the cavern is square and upright, as if it had been laid out by a carpenter’s marking line and square. As for the configuration of the cavern’s threshold and railing, these were irregular, as if they had been fashioned with an axe. The color of the rock inside the cavern is distinctly different from that outside. The round pores in the rock resemble moons; crevices on the side resemble jade scepters, clear, transparent, delicate, and exquisite. This place may only be accessible to snakes who swim in and gibbons that enter upside down along the ceiling. As the booming sound of wind came out of the round apertures, the cavern suddenly turned dim and dark. Nothing could be seen. Slithering like a snake, I then made my retreat.

After exiting the cavern, before I went ten paces to the south, I next reached the third cavern, which was vaulted like a dome and had two entrances, one facing east, the other facing south. This is named Joined Palms Cavern [Hezhang Dong]. It is also vaulted like a dome inside and is bright and luminous. At first, it leads directly north, then later turns to the right. At the place where it turns, there is a spotlessly white stone pillar, like a cut piece of jade. The stone pillar hanging from the ceiling forms a bejeweled canopy, bordered with silk and covered with a net of pearls. In appearance, it is fabulous and extraordinary. After I turned east, it gradually turned dusky and dark. The walls on each side also gradually became narrower. The ceiling of the cavern was relatively high. Since I did not have a torch, I could not illuminate the upper level. The narrow way below gradually dropped lower and seemed not big enough to allow a person to get through. From here, I headed south, where all the rocks high in the air amid soaring clouds had now fallen victim to mighty axes and raging flames.³⁴

Following the same route, I saw the surpassing natural beauty of the mountain’s towering and jagged peaks when I descended and turned north. But when I looked all around, no footpath could be found. Then, as before, I passed northeast of where the families surnamed Long lived. I broke off the trail and proceeded west, meeting someone who guided me to the rear cavern. This cavern is north of the mountain. When you enter the cavern, a shaft tunnel goes straight up to the mountain’s summit. I then proceeded due south of the cavern, which is lofty and vaulted, bright and spacious. Positioned in the cavern’s center is a stone pillar that slants high up, forming a spiral, twisting shape. It is called Rock Tree [Shishu]. Below is Rocky Chessboard [Shi Qipan]. Above are several round cobblestones that seem like uncollected chess pieces. The local custom is to refer to them as “chess pieces left uncollected.” Behind them are rocks flat and protruding like an ox’s heart and a horse’s lungs. Below are rocks rearing their heads upward from below while others dangle their stalactite teats down from above. The rocks below and the teats above seemed like they were about to touch but did not. After we turned west in the cavern, someone said this way could lead through to the front cavern, where we could exit. But it was dark, and I had no lamp or guide, so for now, I returned the way I came and left the cavern.

When I finished visiting all four caverns, the sun was already rushing downward. There was no time to find someone with a torch and then go back into the cavern, and the rocky slabs on the trail outside the cavern were sharp and spikey. I also sensed that clouds were beginning to drift in and stir in the sky, so there was no time to survey the other secluded sites inside the cavern. From inside a rocky section of the mountain, Tranquil Hearing and I ascended by clambering up a cliff and treading through a fissure. Below, we saw various overhanging rocks, some of which seemed to have been pared with a knife, some of which seemed stitched together. Tranquil Hearing was frightened and could not proceed any farther while groups of people living at the mountain’s base shouted that there were no trails we could take to go higher. But I still wanted to twist and twine my way to the top of the peak. Tranquil Hearing and I each squatted down on a rock and devoured the sesame seed cakes we had been carrying. We figured it was already past sunset, so there was no time to look for a place to have a cooked meal. Not long afterward, when we descended the mountain, in the northern corner on the western side, I saw a tragic sight: it had been fired and hacked just like on the southern side. Next, I proceeded west and passed a mountain ravine. After five li, passed into the mountains to the west, following the mouth of a river. Next, I proceeded two li and climbed to General’s Depression [Jiangjun Ao]. After two more li, descended to the corner of a ridge to the west, took the main trail, and proceeded southwest. After five li, a big stream approaches from the south, winds around the northeastern section of Xincheng County, and then departs. A pontoon bridge spans the stream. When you cross it, you are at the east gate of Yongxin County.

Although he does not mention it, when Xu Xiake and Tranquil Hearing reached the “east gate” of Yongxin (that is, the area east of the county), they then reboarded the boat, which took them the rest of the way to Yongxin.

At that time, the boat turned at Return to Antiquity and headed north, then next cut toward the south. Moreover, it moved along a course that was quite circuitous and coiling and was heading upstream against the current, so we still needed to reach our destination of Yongxin. When I entered the city wall to look around, dusk had already fallen, and our boat was now moored below the pontoon bridge.

Twenty li east of Yongxin is a high mountain called Decorum Mountain, which extends crosswise and then moves south. It serves as the border with Taihe and Longquan Counties.³⁵ The high mountain forty li to the west is called Grain Mountain [Heshan]. It serves as the border of Chaling Subprefecture.³⁶ The highest of the ridges to the south is called Ridge Back [Lingbei] and is known as Seven Courtesans Ridge [Qiji Ling]. It is fifty li from the Yongxin city wall. The road there leads through to Yongning and Longquan Counties. The stream in Yongxin approaches from Hemp Fields [Matian] in the west.³⁷ When it reaches the area below the city wall, it winds south, turns, and then winds east, and finally heads off north. Hemp Fields is twenty li from the Yongxin city wall. A river approaches from east of Lujiang.³⁸ Another river comes from north of Yongning. They meet at Hemp Fields.

Thirtieth day [25 January]: The magistrate of Yongxin County, Min Jishen [jinshi 1628], closed the pontoon bridge to stop grain purchases.³⁹ Moreover, while government offices were closed for the New Year, he deceivingly consented to reopen the bridge but has yet to show up. That morning, the boatman searched for a sedan chair but failed to find one, so I lost interest in going to Yongning County and planned to hasten to Lujiang instead. Then, with the two porters and boatman carrying our luggage, we passed through the east gate, exited the south gate, and headed west and upstream. After seven li, a small stream approached from Seven Courtesans Ridge in the south and flowed into this one. Next, I proceeded three li west to where a great stream coming from the southwest emerged after breaking through a rock wall.⁴⁰ From the northwest, the trail passes along the mountain. Next, I proceeded three li, where to the west, I ascended Grass Villa Ridge [Caoshu Ling]. After three li, passed that ridge and descended to Maple Tree [Fengshu], where I reencountered the great stream. From northwest of Maple Tree, the trail crosses Closed Mouth Ridge [Hekou Ling]. After eight li, reached Boxwood [Huangyang]. Only after heading upstream and proceeding west did the mountain path open significantly. After seven more li, I reached Li’s Field [Litian]. It was still twenty li to Lujiang. Although the day had only just turned to afternoon, I was worried it would be hard to find a place to stay because it was New Year’s Eve, so I immediately sought accommodations. The local inn had no rooms at all. When I nervously paced at the trail crossing, a scholarly looking gentleman in a long robe approached me and asked, “Are you a native of the Southern Capital [Nandu], sir?⁴¹ I also intend to head south and spend some time in the Forsaken Capital [Liudu]. But how could I ever allow worthy men like yourselves to sleep outside in my home county?” He bowed with hands clasped to one of the relatives accompanying him and had us stay at this person’s home.⁴² I asked his family name, and he said, “Liu.” Moreover, he said, “My older brother is also in the Forsaken Capital, so I want to visit him there.” Presumably, he referred to Liu Jianwu in the Ministry of Rites (Libu), whose given name is Guangzhen.⁴³ Only then did I realize that Liu Guangzhen was a native of Yongxin County and that this is his home village, or so we were told. Since I already had our luggage sent ahead, I then went with Mr. Liu to the home of his relative Liu Huaisu. The residence was spacious and orderly. Liu Huaisu’s home was that of a private scholar and was not a guesthouse. When we asked where Jianwu resided, we were told it was five li distant, so there was no time to meet again with the scholarly looking gentleman I had run into earlier. I only covered thirty-five li this day because I bought wine and meat to fete the three porters accompanying me while our host served me some local brew. This finally made us forget about the toils of travel. Throughout the night, we never once heard the sound of exploding firecrackers. The solitary silence of a mountain village truly is another universe. That evening, as we watched the sunset, I gazed north. The lofty mountain in the distance seemed quite close. I asked about it: it was Grain Mountain.

Dingchou year, first day of the first month [26 January 1637]: I got up at daybreak. The sky was especially clear and beautiful. I asked about our current location. To Lujiang it was twenty li west. From Grain Mountain, it was 120 li to Wugong County.⁴⁴ So I had Tranquil Hearing accompany the three porters and take our luggage to Lujiang. Servant Gu and I carried our bedding and proceeded directly north to Grain Mountain.

The mountain is not tall, but the color of its soil is deep crimson. I climbed and scaled for five li, crossed a small stream, and proceeded another five li to the Liu Family Residence [Liujia]. Then, to the north, reached Lavish Hall Monastery [Houtang Si]. Only after crossing a small ridge did I see level farmland, where rice paddy fields stand silent and still. Next, following the stream’s flow northeast, proceeded five li. Then turned northwest, and tracing the stream, passed into the mountain. This stream turned out to be a river northeast of Grain Mountain. Its flow is quite strong. While proceeding west from Yongcheng, I had not yet seen a large river flowing into the stream from the southeast. This should be the river’s lower reaches that flow into Yongcheng from the Liu Family Residence on top of the mountain. In the north, I passed Blue Hall Ridge [Qingtang Ling] and again found level farmland in a mountain col. This is Twelve Wards [Shi’er Du]. To the west, we traced the stream and passed into Dragon Gate Hollow [Longmen Keng]. From inside a gorge between two mountains, the stream’s water smashes against rocks, pounds the base of a crag, and then drains successively into three or four pools. The deepest pool below us was deep blue and dark as kohl. The rocks on the crag above it all face each other as they soar and stick out. I again found level farmland as I passed into the mountain’s interior. This is the site of Grain Mountain Monastery [Heshan Si]. Five Elders Peak faces Grain Mountain south of the monastery. The monastery nestles against another mountain that rises from a spur north of Grain Mountain, where massive rocks stand facing each other on the mountain behind the monastery.

Presumably, Grain Mountain is the principal mountain west of the monastery, while Five Elders—the peak south of Grain Mountain—is the tallest and straightest. I snapped a mental picture of the scene that goes, “A pair of lads nestle behind the monastery, while five elders bow before it with hands clasped.” The two mountains in question are Grain Mountain and Five Elders. Hemmed inside a mountain depression is Arhat Cavern. I heard that it was not very deep. A monk from the monastery named Joyous Retreat (Le’an) provided some food and wanted me to stay for a sightseeing trip to Arhat Cavern and Five Elders Peak. But I was anxious to reach Wugong County out of fear that if I made a trip to Arhat Cavern and Five Elders Peak, my physical strength would not be enough to get to Wugong the next day. So I requested that we explore and experience those sites after my return here later.

I then bid Joyous Retreat farewell and climbed north to Ten Li Depression [Shili Ao]. Its ridge advances for altogether ten li and then continues into the distance. As I climbed the ridge, I gazed west at the mountain’s apex behind the monastery, where twin rock formations stand parallel. Their peaks look like two people whispering back and forth into each other’s ears. I crossed north of the ridge and descended, where the mountains again formed a col. A river approaching from the east crashes into the mountain and then departs. The houses inside the col stand in neat rows like fish scales. This area is called Iron Pathway [Tiejing]. Next, I crossed a ridge north of it and descended for five li, where we found level farmland. This is named Yan’s Hall [Yantang]. The river there is the one that drops south from west of the ridge to Iron Pathway. From Yan’s Hall, I proceeded north for five li and ascended Rooster Depression [Jigong Ao]. It is also called Double Summits [Shuangding]. Its ridge is quite high. The river south of the ridge approaches from Iron Pathway and then departs to the east. The river north of the ridge approaches from the stream to the north through Chen’s Mountain [Chenshan] and then comes out into the countryside to the south. The area north of Rooster Depression is the border with Anfu County.⁴⁵ The sun had already set when I descended the ridge for five li and reached Chen’s Mountain. I found an old gaffer named Li Jiquan and stayed at his place for the night. He is seventy years old and an eminent recluse who lives deep in the mountains.

Second day [27 January]: After breakfast, I proceeded north. The river that approaches from the south smashes into Chen’s Mountain and then flows off. There is also a river that comes from the north. When it reaches here, it joins with this one and proceeds east. I then took the trail heading upstream and ascended north. Presumably, everywhere southeast of Chen’s Mountain are tiered mountains, hemmed in and standing erect. But the area from south to north unfolds into an expanse that forms a col. The mountains all around claw at the sky and collapse into the canyons. Above, they disappear and hide the sky and sun; below, they rush and plummet down from heights sheer and steep. I am no longer in the kind of place one finds in the mortal world. I twisted and twined my way for five li and reached the top of a ridge. Then I turned east and skirted the mountain again, crossing the crest of a ridge called Temple Mountain Depression [Miaoshan Ao], also known as Constant Charge Ridge [Changchong Ling]. To the west is a peak called Qiao Family Mountain [Qiaojia Shan]. Its rocky features jag and jut and are high and steep. On its summit, there seem to be screens aligned in rows and people standing. This one is the most outstanding among the mountains here, or so it is said. I descended three li to the north, where a rocky precipice suddenly appeared on the left side of the stream. The rocks on top of the precipice spread out in every direction, forming the appearance of a bird with clipped wings flying in circles. The river that approaches from the base of the peak plummets down through the air for several dozen rods. It is just that the trail proceeds from the right, and along the sides of the cliff are cluttered and clogged thickets of thatch grass, making it impossible to peer below. I could only hear rumbling in the valley as water smashed into the air. After I descended, I only saw ridged fields ringing around gulches in the mountain gorge, and it was only after two more li that I saw the homes of three or four families. This stream is called Young Lu’s Cascade [Luzi Long]. A stream approaches from a gorge to the southwest, merges with the one from Constant Charge Ridge to the south, and then flows north. North of the torrent, a single knoll stretches across and blocks the stream as if it were guarding the homes here.…

The following entry describes Xu’s visit to Martial Valor Mountain, which straddles the border of Jiangxi and Hunan. Its highest point, White Crane Peak [Baihe Feng], is 6,294 ft/1,918 m.

Third day [28 January]:⁴⁶… When the rain let up, I ran into a Daoist who wanted to guide me to the mountain’s summit, so we headed west to Nine Dragons Monastery [Jiulong Si]. Then, braving the rain, we proceeded for one-half li and crossed the Old River Bridge [Laoshui Qiao]. Next, we followed Martial Valor and proceeded to the southern foot of the mountain, then ascended Ox Heart Ridge [Niuxin Ling]. Proceeded five li and passed Chessboard Rock, where a Buddhist retreat is on the ridge above. The rain gradually became heavier, so the Daoist guide returned the fee I had paid him earlier, put down the travel bags, and left. Presumably, I was on the trail from Chessboard Rock. I headed directly north and ascended for five li, then passed through the stone pillars at Windy Cavern. After another five li reached the footpath to the mountain’s summit. Here, I found Gathered Clouds Abbey [Jiyun Guan] on the main trail one takes to climb the mountain. Followed a deep gulch along the mountain footpath and proceeded east. This was the trail to Avalokiteśvara Cliff. I wanted to take in the scenery along both trails, so I eventually hastened to Nine Dragons Monastery along the little trail from the mountain’s summit. However, the Daoist wanted to return to Gathered Clouds Abbey and take the trail from He Family Lane [Hejia Fang].⁴⁷ So, we disagreed and parted ways. Braving the rain, I then proceeded east along the small footpath. From here on, all the mountain spurs fall from the top into a gulch below. Those that protrude form ridges of hills; those that are concave form gorges. The trail follows the midpoint of the mountain. When you encounter a hill, you mount and ascend; when you meet a gorge, you look down and descend. When you pass through the second gorge through Chessboard Rock, there is a rock ten-some rods high standing straight up on the flank of a peak, which I felt was especially graceful and gorgeous. Within the gorge and inside the area where the rock stands, precipices stick out, and trees crowd together. When you gaze at them, they are quite extraordinary in appearance, but along the twisting trail, it was pouring rain, and vegetation clogged the way, so there was no way to gain a foothold.

Next, I followed the trail east, passing three gorges. Below the ridges of their hills, I crossed at the base of a hollow and proceeded south, which took me directly east of Incense Burner Peak [Xianglu Feng]. The river in the hollow then divides and heads off to the east and west. In the west, it comes out at Level Fields [Pingtian] through Gathered Clouds Abbey; in the east, it descends to Jiangkou through Avalokiteśvara Cliff. Both are streams to the northeast of Anfu County.

We next passed two gorges. Gazing at the gorge to the north, everywhere inside it is cluttered and clogged with trees. Rocky cliffs boldly protrude. Occasionally, it seemed like a white curtain was pulled down by a waterfall on top of the cliff. What is strange is that it lacked the force of a flying waterfall. So as I carefully took my time to savor this scene, it must have seemed like I had frozen in place and had turned into ice.…

Fourth day [29 January]:⁴⁸ When I heard that the early morning haze had not yet broken, I laid back down for quite a while and did not get up until after breakfast. Silhouettes of fog swiftly opened, then swiftly closed. I wanted to search for Windy Cavern’s rocky pillars. After descending for three li, I saw thatch grass everywhere on the mountain ridges on either side of us, but the scene here was not as extraordinary as the other precipices and peaks. In the distance, I saw the summit of Incense Burner Peak, which emerged and disappeared from time to time. Half the mountain was still enveloped by thick fog, just like before. I thought Windy Cavern’s rocky pillars were still two or three li below us, but I feared it would take a while to find it. Moreover, I suspect the information given to us earlier by the Daoist was just some fancy talk. So even if we see it, there is probably nothing extraordinary. In due course, I retraced my route to the mountain’s summit, where I had a meal at a thatch grass retreat. Next, following the mountain ridge, I proceeded west. At first, I was still in an endless expanse of fog, but a short time later, it gradually cleared away. After a slight descent of three li, crossed a ridge. Suddenly, amid the silhouettes of fog, I gazed north of Martial Valor’s central peak and saw spectacular cliffs and towering pillars, which above stab into the tiered empyrean and below stick into the depths of the earth. This is the so-called Thousand Rods Cliff [Qianzhang Ya]. Hundreds of cliffs stand tall in close clusters, circling and ringing around, none the same in height, some recessed, some protruding, some hidden, some in view. Heading straight down, I descended to the north, where rock formations resembling gates, resembling watchtowers, resembling banners, resembling buildings plummet straight down to the bottom of a canyon, where dense trees clutter and clog the flat ground below. But from time to time, the fog still caged and shrouded the mountain cliff. But when I reached the cliff’s flank, the fog swiftly cleared away again. Just now, when the cliff was shrouded in fog, it looked like a woman deliberately covering her face with her sleeves to avoid being seen by a stranger. But after the fog cleared away, it looked like she was comely casting a welcoming smile. Presumably, Martial Valor Mountain resembles a standing screen. The eastern, western, and central sections together form three peaks. The prominent peak is the highest, entirely covered with rocks. The south side boldly protrudes, but on the north side, one finds overhanging cliffs and twisting scarps of the utmost, extraordinary beauty. If you do not pass from here but instead take the main trail, and if you pass this way and the fog does not retreat, you will almost say that Martial Valor Mountain has no extraordinary and surpassing scenery! …

—Translated by Naixi Feng and James M. Hargett

____________________

Source: “Jiangyou riji” (YJJZ, 1:167–81; YJ, 1:112–24).

1. 1  Xu Xiake is referring to one of his earlier travel itineraries, but it is unclear which one. Qiuli and Aibu are not mentioned anywhere in his extant diaries.

2. 2  Guangxin Prefecture corresponds to modern Shangrao Shi, Jiangxi. Xu Xiake was now traveling southwest by boat on a waterway called Jade Stream [Yuxi].

3. 3  Mountain city (shancheng) refers to the “large settlement” (da juluo) of people who lived in the mountains beyond the city wall.

4. 4  The phrase “mountains end and sands return” (shanduan shahui) seems to refer to the area around the riverbank.

5. 5  The reference is to 1616 when Xu Xiake visited Canopy Pavilion Peak in Chong’an County. For details, see Xu’s account of his sightseeing trip to Mount Wuyi (diary entry for 7 April 1616), this volume.

6. 6  The phrase “making one feel an inevitable sense of nostalgia” is a loose translation of the original line you bingzhu zhi si 有秉[炳]燭之思, which means “to have thoughts while holding a candle.” Xu Xiake is experiencing a flash of introspective thought like one might have while holding a candle. This suggests a moment of deep reflection, remembrance, nostalgia, or wistful longing for the past.

7. 7  Modern Hengfeng Xian, Jiangxi.

8. 8  Gold Mountain [Jinshan] and Scorched Mountain [Jiaoshan] are islands in the Changjiang near modern Yizheng Xian and Yangzhou Shi in Jiangsu. This stretch of the Changjiang was traditionally known as the Yangzi Jiang.

9. 9  This poem is not extant.

10. 10  After the First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 BCE, he dispatched Ruan Wengzhong to lead a military campaign against the Xiongnu tribes in the north. Because of the campaign’s success, a bronze statue of Wengzhong was cast and erected near the Outer Palace Gate in the Qin capital at Xianyang. Later representations of his image always portrayed him with a solemn look. Hence, the comment here.

11. 11  This line literally reads, “Without knowing it, my soul took flight” (bujue shenfei 不覺神飛). The idea here is that when Xu saw Chessboard Rock, his mind or thoughts became so enthralled by its extraordinary appearance that he was no longer aware of his surroundings and the passage of time.

12. 12  Unfortunately, none of these poems have survived.

13. 13  The “stream” mentioned here is the Xin River [Xinjiang].

14. 14  Lu Jiuyuan, a native of Fuzhou, Jiangxi, was a famous Confucian scholar in the Southern Song dynasty. He once lectured at an academy on Xiangshan, or Elephant Mountain, in Guixi County, so he was also known as Lu Xiangshan.

15. 15  The reference is to the great Yuan dynasty calligrapher, painter, and scholar Zhao Mengfu, nickname Songxue. “Zhang the Perfected One” is not further identified.

16. 16  By “narrow, vertical gorge” (zhixia 直峽), Xu Xiake is probably referring to what is known in geological terms as a U-shaped valley, formed by glaciers carrying rocks and boulders through a pre-existing valley to form the U-shaped contour. By contrast, a transverse gorge (hengxia 橫峽), mentioned in the next line, likely refers to what is known as a flat-floor valley. In other words, a valley in a wide, flat area with little or no change in elevation.

17. 17  Hong Chu, courtesy name Jufu, was a scholar-official of the Northern Song dynasty.

18. 18  That is to say, the peak’s name is the same as Xu Xiake’s family name.

19. 19  This height should not be confused with the famous mountain in Sichuan known by the same name.

20. 20  The expression “ride a rainbow” (jiahong 駕虹) derives from a line of verse by the Tang poet Li Bai: “How could I find a penta-colored rainbow, / To serve as a long bridge on which I could ride to heaven?” QTS, 180.1834. The expression “serve as a long bridge” (zuo changqiao 作長橋) alludes to the famous folktale about the Cowherd (Niulang) and Weaving Maid (Zhinü), two lovers who were banished to the heavens and could reunite only once every year when a flock of magpies would form a bridge across the heavens to reunite the lovers for a single day.

21. 21  Guigu, or Guiguzi, was a famous thinker and war strategist who supposedly lived during the Warring States period. He is also the reputed author of a treatise of the same name, which some consider to be influenced by Daoist thought.

22. 22  That is to say, these sites would rank “extraordinary” in any location.

23. 23  YJJZ, 1:221–27; YJ, 1:155–60.

24. 24  Taihe County is modern Taihe Xian, Jiangxi. The territory of Luling is modern Ji’an Shi, Jiangxi.

25. 25  “Mountain stream,” mentioned here and again later in this diary entry, refers to the Grain River [Heshui].

26. 26  This line does not appear YJ but is included in YJJZ, 1:221.

27. 27  This line contains a textual corruption: the Chinese character bei 北, or “north,” is misplaced. I follow the reading in Diario di viaggio, 1:249, and translate “make a living by fishing in the lake.” The lake referenced here is probably Lake Poyang in northern Jiangxi, which the fishermen could have accessed via the Grain River.

28. 28  Modern Yongxin Shi in western Jiangxi, on the border with Hunan.

29. 29  Fusheng refers to Xu Fusheng, a relative who serves as a senior government official in Ji’an Prefecture (modern Ji’an Shi, Jiangxi). Chaling Subprefecture (modern Chaling Xian) is in southeastern Hunan, on the border with Jiangxi.

30. 30  Decorum Mountain is about 7 mi/11 km southeast of Yongxin County.

31. 31  This should probably read “Plum Fields Mountain” [Meitian Shan 梅田山]instead.

32. 32  A lime kiln is used to calcinate limestone (calcium carbonate) to produce a form of lime called quicklime (calcium oxide). Although lime was initially used to produce mortar for buildings, later it was discovered that when quicklime was added to soil, it improved agricultural productivity. Kilns used in this process were dome-shaped. Layers of wood or coal were piled in the kiln, which was then kindled at about 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit/538 Celsius. The lime was cooled and raked out through the base when burnt through. Unfortunately, as mentioned in the next line, the extraction of limestone from the rocks on Plum Fields Mountain destroyed much of the honeycombed, rocky landscape that had originally been there.

33. 33  This cavern is called Jade Vacuity Cavern [Yukong Dong].

34. 34  This is another reference to the harmful environmental damage caused by lime kilns.

35. 35  Longquan County is located in southwest Zhejiang, bordering Fujian and Jiangxi.

36. 36  That is to say, it serves as the border between Luling and Chaling in Hunan.

37. 37  The reference in this line is to the Grain River.

38. 38  Modern Longtian Xiang, Jiangxi.

39. 39  Xu Xiake does not mention why Min Jishen stopped selling grain. Perhaps there was a shortage in neighboring counties, so the magistrate closed the bridge to maintain Yongxin’s supply.

40. 40  “Great Stream” refers to the Grain River.

41. 41  That is, modern Nanjing in Jiangsu. In 1421, the capital of the Ming dynasty changed from Nanjing to Beijing in the north. Thereafter, Nanjing was sometimes called the Southern Capital [Nandu]. As we see in the next line, it was also known as the Forsaken Capital.

42. 42  In the original text (YJJZ, 1:224; YJ, 1:158), a Chinese character is missing in this line. This lacuna, however, has not affected the general meaning.

43. 43  Liu Yuanzhen 劉元震 in the original text should instead read Liu Guangzhen 劉光震 (jinshi 1631). Jianwu 肩吾 was his courtesy name.

44. 44  Wugong (lit., “Martial Valor”) County corresponds to modern Wugong Xian, Jiangxi. It takes its name from the nearby Martial Valor Mountain [Wugong Shan].

45. 45  Modern Anfu Xian, Jiangxi.

46. 46  YJJZ, 1:228–29; YJ, 1:161–62.

47. 47  Presumably, this is the same Daoist who had earlier served as Xu’s guide but abandoned him because of heavy rain. Here he suddenly reappears.

48. 48  YJJZ, 1:230; YJ, 1:163–64.