[SPRING 1623, HENAN PREFECTURE, DENGFENG COUNTY, HENAN]

Mount Song is a range of peaks in central China, stretching along the Yellow River’s southern bank. The mountain has several alternate names, including Song the Sacred [Songyue], Arcane Sacred [Xuanyue], and Central Sacred [Zhongyue]. Because of its central location among China’s Five Sacred Mountains [Wuyue], it is often regarded as the most important among them.

Daoist and Buddhist religious activity on the mountain began in the early Six Dynasties. Mount Song comprises two main peaks: Greater Chambers Mountain [Taishi Shan] and Lesser Chambers Mountain [Shaoshi Shan]. The Shaolin River [Shaolin He] demarcates these heights. The term “chamber(s)” (shi), as it is used here and in the diary, refers to a mountain with many rocky caverns (shishi).

Since childhood, I have cherished the ambition of visiting the Five Sacred Mountains. Because the Arcane Sacred Mountain is regarded as superior among them, my admiration of it has been especially heartfelt. For a long time, I have planned to transit through Xiang and Yun, stroke Taihua with my hands, and then take the Linked Clouds Plankway at Sword Belvedere as the first leg of my journey to Mount Emei.¹ But my mother is old, and my ambitions have changed, so I have no choice but to journey now to Mount Taihe, as I had planned earlier, which is a sightseeing trip with a specific destination.² To head upstream along the Changjiang would prolong my journey for days. It would be better to proceed overland and return by boat, which would be faster and thus save time. So the plan was to move overland through Ru and Deng Subprefectures, about the same distance as the route through Shaan and Bian Subprefectures.³ This way, I could simultaneously enjoy all the sights on Mount Song and Mount Hua and then pay court to Tai the Sacred Mountain [Taiyue].⁴ So, in the guihai year, on the first day of the second month [1 March 1623], I decided to set out on the road to Song the Sacred Mountain. After nineteen days, I reached Huang Zong’s Inn [Huangzong Dian] in Zheng Subprefecture, Henan. I climbed a rocky slope from the right side of the inn, where I saw Sage Monk Pond [Shengseng Chi]. Clear spring water fills the pond, which rises to the midpoint of a blue-green mountain. Below the mountain is a deep canyon of honeycombed terraces. These are dried-up riverbeds without a drop of water.

I descended the slope and proceeded along the base of the canyon. Following Incense Burner Mountain [Xianglu Shan], I zigzagged as I moved south. With its three-pointed peak, the shape of the mountain resembles an overturned tripod cauldron. Surrounded by a throng of mountains, its beauty is exquisite and enchanting. At the canyon’s base is a jumble of rocks covering a purple and jade-green gulch. The rocky walls of the two mountains on each side twist and twine; they are finely textured and glossy smooth in appearance. I imagined that when a clear flow of water collects and pours down, showering the walls with pearls and coloring them deep, dark green, the scene would be even more spectacular than this! I proceeded ten li and climbed to Stone Buddha Ridge [Shifo Ling]. Proceeded another five li and entered the boundary of Mi County, where I gazed at Mount Song, which was still sixty li away.⁵ From a spur along the trail, I proceeded southeast for twenty-five li. Passed Mi County, then reached Celestial Transcendent Cloister [Tianxian Yuan]. This cloister offers sacrifices to the Celestial Transcendent, the third daughter of the Yellow Emperor (Huangdi).⁶ As for the white pine tree in the central courtyard behind the shrine, according to legend, the third daughter exuviated her bones under that tree.⁷ The pine tree is so large that it would take the arm spans of four people to embrace it. Like a tripod cauldron, its three trunks tower into the firmament. Its bark is as smooth as condensed fat; its pure whiteness is greater than powdery makeup. Its winding branches curl and coil while its green mane dances in the wind. Like a jade stalk, it stands majestically in midair. Indeed, this is a remarkable sight! Surrounded by a stone balustrade, its covered veranda looks north. Inside the veranda, one finds a profusion of inscribed poems. I paced about for quite a while, then descended to observe water dropping from a cliff above. Upon reaching here, the canyon suddenly sinks; a portion of the cliff covers it from above. The dropping water slows to a trickle below it. I returned to Mi County, reaching its west gate. Proceeded twenty-five li and crossed the boundary of Dengfeng County, reaching Geng’s Inn [Gengdian], where the trail heads south to Rocky Roar.⁸ So I halted there.

Twentieth day [20 March]: I proceeded south for twenty-five li along a small footpath, seeing nothing but earthen ridges and disorderly field paths. After some time passed, I came to a stream. Crossed the stream, then proceeded south along the spine of a knoll. When I looked down, Rocky Roar came into view. I had entered Daliang, an open, flat land, vast and still. It was called Between Land and Sea [Luhai] in ancient times.⁹ On its ground, it is challenging to find springs, and it is especially hard to find rocks where there are springs. Only as I approached Mount Song did I see its wiggling and writhing massed peaks. Thus, to the north flows the Jing and Xu Streams, while to the south flows the Ying River [Yingshui]. They all wind and crawl through earth and moraine. All by itself, some thirty li southeast of Dengfeng County, is Rocky Roar. As it turns out, its flow originates in a valley east of Mount Song. Soon after that, it flows down into the Ying River.

Xu Xiake’s description of various rock forms along Rocky Roar ranks among the most vivid landscape descriptions in his entire oeuvre. Note how he likens the different shapes of the rocks to animal shapes and how water moving through the rocks forms different postures and colors, including even human-like skin and bones.

Rocky Roar’s movement is jarring and jerky, twisting and turning, always moving on lower ground. When it reaches this spot, it suddenly meets ferocious rocks. The rocks stand between a lofty knoll and a mountain gorge, poised as if guarding a mountain pass or holding a strategic position. The water seeps down to the lower side of the mountain, where water and rocks meld and mix and seem like patterned silk in countless different forms. The two cliff walls surrounded by water seemingly form into standing swans, form into geese walking in file; rocks perched in the center of the stream seem to form into rhinoceroses drinking water, form into tigers taking their repose. The rocks down low are like islets; those up high are flat like terraces. The higher you go, the farther the rocks are from the water. And so those rocks even higher in the sky form cavities and form caves. I figured the distance of the rocks from the cliff to be eight feet and the distance of those up past the water to be several rods. The water moves between the rocks where they rise above the water, forming gestures, forming hues, forming skin, and forming bones, in every way stunning and beautiful. I never thought trudging through yellow grass and white reeds could take me to a place that would thoroughly wash my dusty eyes!¹⁰

I climbed onto some elevated farmland paths and proceeded west for ten li, which brought me to Gaocheng Garrison [Gaocheng Zhen]. In ancient times, this was the site of Gaocheng County.¹¹ Survey the Scene Terrace [Cejing Tai] is to its north. I proceeded twenty-five li northwest, which brought me to Sacred Mountain Temple [Yuemiao]. The sun had already set when I entered East Flower Gate [Donghua Men]. I thought Lu’s Cliff [Luyan] had an alluring appeal, so by the temple, I proceeded northeast, following the mountain. I crossed several levels of bumpy and bouncy trails. After ten li, I turned and entered the mountain, where I came to Lu’s Cliff Monastery [Luyan Si]. Several paces beyond the temple, I heard the clattering-like sound of flowing water plummeting into a rocky gorge. Profuse and plentiful mists on the two sides of the gorge formed into sunglow clouds. I headed upstream and reached the back of the monastery. At the base of the gorge is a tall cliff, ringing around like a semi-circle, sprawling on top and tapered below. A flying cascade descends through the air, dancing like a strand of raw silk. As its moist mist scattered and filled the entire valley, the scene seemed comparable to Water Curtain Cave [Shuilian Dong] on Mount Wuyi. Presumably, it is extraordinary to find such a stream in this environment. Moreover, one can indeed find rocks in the streams here. The rocks also help the streams and do not obstruct the water. They can also make streams fly forward. This scene, compared to the landscape at Mount Wuyi, is especially surpassing. I paced around the waterfall’s base, where the monk Sanskrit Voice (Fanyin) provided me with tea and snacks. I then hastily backtracked to Sacred Mountain Temple, where it was already dusky and dark.

Sometimes, in his diary entries, Xu Xiake provides explanatory footnotes. These are introduced by the verb “take note” (an). In the opening lines of this next entry, he alerts readers that Mount Song, in its role as the “Sacred Mountain in the Center” [Zhongyue], is the most important among China’s Five Sacred Mountains and thus receives priority in the “ordering and prioritizing” of imperial sacrifices at sacred mountains.

Twenty-first day [21 March]: I paid my respects to the Sacred Mountain Thearch (Yuedi) at dawn.¹² After leaving the ceremonial hall, I headed toward the ultimate summit of Greater Chambers. Note: Since Mount Song is regarded as the center of Heaven and Earth, in the ordering and prioritizing of ceremonial sacrifices, it ranks first among the Five Sacred Mountains. So it is called Mount Song On High [Songgao]. Side by side with Lesser Chambers, it towers aloft. At its base, there are numerous caves and grottoes. Thus, Mount Song is also called Greater Chambers. The two chambers face each other from a distance like a pair of eyebrows, but Lesser Chambers is jagged and rugged, while Greater Chambers is bold and formidable, regarding itself as emperor and sitting as if “his” back is facing a screen.¹³ Linked cliffs span crosswise, beginning from the hazy blue hills in the distance and moving upward. Those arranged in lines are like standing screens; those spread out are like banners. This scene made the mountain seem even more salient and striking. The revered Feng sacrifice to Heaven was first performed on Mount Song in remote antiquity.¹⁴ Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty regarded the calls echoing around Mount Song (Songhu) as extraordinary, so he made a special effort to build a sacrificial hall in the prefecture here. During the Song dynasty, when the imperial capital precinct was nearby, lavish celebrations and ceremonies were carried out on the mountain.¹⁵ Even today, at the ultimate summit, the fame of sites such as Iron Beam Bridge [Tieliang Qiao] and Beating the Summer Heat Stronghold [Bishu Zhai] remains. I can certainly imagine the grandeur of the ceremonies once held on Mount Song in the past.

The southeast spur of Greater Chambers is called Yellow Lid Peak [Huanggai Feng]. The Sacred Mountain Temple is below the peak. In design and arrangement, it is extensive and grand. In its courtyard are steles on tall and upright stone slabs, all coming down from the Song and Liao dynasties. I climbed the sacred mountain by the main trail below Myriad Years Peak [Wansui Feng], south of Greater Chambers. Yesterday, while pressing on to Lu’s Cliff, I first passed East Peak [Dongfeng]. A pinnacled tor exquisitely revealed itself along the trail. It is split down the middle, looking just like a gate. Someone suggested it is Jade Maiden Gully [Yunü Gou] on Golden Peak [Jinfeng]. There is also a trail from here where you can climb to the summit. So I found a woodcutter and arranged for him to guide me. Today, we set off on our ascent.

The trail gradually became more winding as we approached the place with the exquisite crack. We tried to avoid it, but the terrain was too treacherous and steep, so we could not track across it. We headed toward an earthen hill to the north. The trail was as narrow as a thread, with only room enough for me alone to clamber and traverse. After about twenty li, we crossed East Peak, then turned and emerged above the gate-shaped tor. Then headed west and tracked through a narrow mountain ridge. Gazing at the ultimate summit, we proceeded on. The thick clouds seemed like they were spewing black ink on this day, but that did not stop me. After reaching here, the mountain mist became heavier. When the sky opened a little, I looked down at sheer walls and folds of cliffs, which seemed like outspread silk and cut jade. When they joined, I felt like I was sailing on a great sea. After five li, we reached Celestial Gate. Above and below are rocky cliffs piled one on top of the other. Most of the trail was covered in snow. The guide pointed out that Big Iron Beam Bridge [Da Tieliang Qiao] is a steep and sheer spot in the distance.¹⁶ We turned west for another three li, circled a peak, and descended to the south, where we came to Climbing High Cave [Denggao Yan].

In general, mountain caves in deep and secluded places are mostly inaccessible, while those that are accessible lack the scenic appeal of twists and turns and brilliant reflections. Above, the cave nestles against cliff layers; below, it overlooks an inaccessible gulch. On the ridge is a cave-like opening supported and protected by layered tors, while on the left and right, it is surrounded by, and nestled against, peaks that look like terraces and barriers. When one first enters the opening, it is cavernously deep, while the cave’s walls are slanted and provide passage through. I pushed on for several paces. Then suddenly, we reached a five-foot gap, with nowhere to put my toes. The guide was an old, experienced woodcutter, wary and agile, just like a gibbon. He turned his body sideways and leaped across the gap to the opposite cliff, took two branches from a tree, and placed them across the gap to serve as a walkway for me. After I crossed, the cliff became vaulted like a dome, sprawling on top. On it were various surpassing sights such as Teat Spring [Ruquan], Cinnabar Crucible [Danzao], and Rocky Couch [Shita]. From the flank of the cliff, we mounted some steps and ascended, then came to yet another terrace, which on three sides hangs seemingly poised inside an inaccessible gulch. The guide remarked: “Here we can look down on Dengfeng County, as well as Mount Ji [Jishan] and the Ying River in the distance.” However, dense fog surrounded us, and nothing could be seen. We left the cliff and turned north for two li, then came to the former site of the White Crane Abbey. It is on a mountain mesa, away from danger and close to level terrain. A solitary pine standing upright suggested a sense of isolation. We proceeded another three li before mounting the steps to the ultimate summit and the Perfected Warrior Temple [Zhenwu Miao]. It has three pillars in front. On its flank is a well with crystal-clear water. It is called Charioteer’s Well [Yujing]. It was dug when the Song emperor Zhenzong (r. 997–1022) came here to escape the heat of summer.¹⁷

We had a meal in the Perfected Warrior Temple and then asked about trails going down the mountain. The guide remarked, “The main trail is twenty li from Myriad Years Peak to the mountain’s base. If we descend from West Gully [Xigou], where a small stream flies down in torrents, we can save half the time, but the trail is perilous and steep.” I was pleased to hear this, for Mount Song is often described as lacking remarkable scenic sights simply because it lacks precipitous heights. Following directly behind the guide, I thereupon took my walking stick and headed forward toward the gully. Earlier, on the peak’s summit, the wet mist was like rain, but when we reached here, it gradually began to clear, and the scene gradually became more extraordinary. At first, we held close to the cliff and climbed over rocks, cutting a gap through thick bushes to descend. Not long afterward, while sliding straight down between two rocky gorges, I gazed up into the distance at a narrow cliff that pressed hard against the sky. However, everywhere along this steep gully are crumbled stairway stones. So no matter what, I was unable to proceed. But at the same time, I was unable to stop. The farther I descended, the more magnificent the physical features of the cliffs became. We would turn where one gorge ended, and there was another. I would neither let my eyes blink to the side nor let my feet find a place to rest. We reached flat land when we emerged from the gorge and came to the main trail, where we passed Infinite Depth Cave [Wuji Dong]. The trail was like this for ten li. Crossed a ridge to the west, pressed on through some thick brush, and after five more li came to Dharma King Monastery [Fawang Si].¹⁸ The monastery has canary-creeper flowers (jinlian hua), a local specialty found nowhere else. A mountain rain suddenly began to fall, so I spent the night on a couch in a monk’s hut. To the east, two rocky peaks pressed together, standing erect. With the arrival of each new moon, it comes out in the very center of the gorge. This is the so-called Awaiting the Moon at the Gate to Mount Song [Songmen Daiyue]. The gorges I passed on my descent are above it. Now, as I sit facing it, I only sense the presence of cloudy mists, appearing and disappearing. I could not believe I had just come down from way up there!

Twenty-second day [22 March]: I left the mountain, proceeded east for five li, and reached the abandoned site on the Southern Side of Mount Song Palace [Songyang Gong].¹⁹ Only the Cypress Trees of the Three Generals [San Jiangjun Bai], thickly clustered like mountains, remain.²⁰ The trees were awarded this feudal title during the Han dynasty. The girth of the enormous tree measures the arm spans of seven people, the one in the middle five arm spans, and the smaller one three arm spans. North of the cypress trees is a hall with three columns in front, where sacrifices are offered to the two Cheng gentlemen.²¹ West of the cypress trees is a stone pillar from the ceremonial hall that used to be there. Inscribed on the pillar are the names of numerous figures dating from the Song dynasty. Most of it is underground. The only names I could make out were Zu Wuze (1006–85) of Fanyang, Kou Wuzhong of Shanggu, and Su Shunyuan (1006–54).²² Southwest of the cypress trees is a majestic stele standing prominently. On all four sides are carved exquisite water krakens. To the right is a Tang dynasty stele with text composed by Pei Jiong (fl. 750s) and written by Xu Hao (703–82) in the bafen calligraphy style.²³

Proceeded another two li east and passed the Exalted Prosperity Palace’s [Chongfu Gong] old site, also known as Myriad Longevities Palace [Wanshou Gong]. This is where chief ministers during the Song dynasty appointed and designated government officials. Farther east is Mother of Qi Rock [Qimu Shi], which is as big as several rooms.²⁴ On its flank is a single, flat rock resembling a whetstone. I proceeded another eight li east, where I returned to Sacred Mountain Temple for a meal and looked at some Song and Yuan dynasty steles. Moved eight li west and then passed into Dengfeng County. Proceeded west for five li and continued northwest along a small footpath. After another five li, entered the Assembled Goodness Monastery [Huishan Si]. Inside a small verandah west of the monastery is a tea board (chabang). The inscription on it dates from the Yuan dynasty.²⁵ Behind it is a stone stele connected to the lower part of a wall, upon which is inscribed “Account of the Ordination Estrade” (Jietan ji) dating from the Zhenyuan reign (785–805) of the Tang dynasty, composed by Lu Changyuan (d. 799), Prefect of Ru Subprefecture, and written in the calligraphy of Lu Ying from Henan. Farther west is the abandoned site of the Ordination Estrade [Jietan]. The inscriptions and carvings on the stone steles are exquisite and skillfully wrought, but they all lay abandoned in grass and gravel. I proceeded southwest for five li, then exited the main trail. After another ten li, reached Guo’s Inn [Guodian]. I then turned and headed southwest on the path to the Shaolin Monastery. Proceeded another five li and then entered the monastery. Spend the night in the monk Auspicious Light’s (Ruiguang) quarters.

In this next entry, Xu Xiake describes the Shaolin Monastery, traditionally regarded as the birthplace of Chan (or Zen) Buddhism. Built in 495 CE, the temple became associated with martial arts in the seventh century, when Shaolin monks—trained in kung fu (gongfu)—rescued an imperial prince who later became the founder of the Tang dynasty. Afterward, Shaolin expanded into a vast monastic complex and housed two thousand monks.

Twenty-third day [23 March]: The clouds and mists have completely disappeared. Went into the main ceremonial hall. After finishing a ritual ceremony venerating the Buddha, I began my climb to the South Stronghold [Nanzhai]. South Stronghold is on the ultimate summit of Lesser Chambers. Its height equals Greater Chambers’, but its peaks and tors are steep and abrupt, bearing the collective name Nine Tripod Cauldrons Lotus Blossom [Jiuding Lianhua]. Looking down, Nine Teat Peak [Jiuru Feng] rings behind it, wiggling and writhing east until it connects with Lesser Chambers. The Shaolin Monastery is to its north. The monastery is orderly and beautiful. In its courtyard, new and old steles stand in ranks, forming rows, all in perfect condition. The two pine trees on each side of the monastery’s flight of steps are lofty, magnificent, and orderly as if they had been measured to order. Lesser Chambers spans across and towers in front of the monastery. It is so high one cannot see the top. When sightseers stand facing the wall-like peak, they often mistakenly assume that Lesser Chambers is farther away and superior in height. When I entered the monastery at dusk last night, I immediately asked about the trail to Lesser Chambers. Everyone remarked that the snow was deep, and the trail cut off, so there was no way to go there. As a rule, when climbing mountains, the ideal time is when the weather is sunny and bright. When I climbed Greater Chambers, the clouds and mists were brimming and boundless. Some people take this to be a refusal of the mountain’s spirits and transcendents to allow visitors, unaware that the mountain is imposing and colossal. One must hold off until only half its profile is revealed to see its true form. If the artistry of Lesser Chambers lies in how rocks and mists complement one another, then how could the presence of some minuscule clouds tinge and taint the mountain’s beauty? Today, the skies have cleared up quite a bit. Having come upon this opportunity, how could anything stop me? So from the monastery’s south, I crossed a mountain stream and began climbing Lesser Chambers.

After six or seven li, I came to Second Patriarch Retreat [Erzu An].²⁶ Upon reaching this part of the mountain, the earthen terrain ended abruptly, turning to rock. Rocky cliffs plummeted down, forming ravines. Half of the ravines have waterfalls flying down to jutting rocks below. They are also called “beaded curtains” (zhulian). Leaning on my walking stick alone, I proceeded ahead. The farther I descended, the harder it was to find the trail. I reached the cliff only after some time passed. It is not as majestic and expansive as Lu’s Cliff but is deeper and steeper. Below the cliff is a deep pool, hidden and cerulean, with hard-packed snow piled all around it. Continuing my ascent, I reached Refining Cinnabar Terrace. It stands alone, overhanging on three sides. Slanted and nestled against a blue-green wall, it has a pavilion called Little Bit of Heaven [Xiaoyou Tian Ting]. Climber clogs worn to explore deeply secluded spots have never reached this place.²⁷

After passing through a rocky ridge, I climbed and clambered straight up some stone steps. On both sides are dangerous cliffs, countless fathoms high. The rocky ridge I was on stood poised among them. There probably was not even an inch of earth on the ground. I was only able to ascend by using both my hands and feet. I traversed the great peak only after covering seven more li. The peak’s contour is broad and extended. When I was on a precipitous rock, suddenly everything turned to earth again. The perilous rocks ahead abruptly ended. Everything turned to soil. Amid bushes and brambles, thick and teeming, I ascended about five li to the south and drew near the summit of South Stronghold (Nanzhai). Only then did the layer of earth covering the rocks disappear. South Stronghold is actually on the northern summit of Lesser Chambers. But when described from the Shaolin Monastery, it becomes South Stronghold, or so I was told. Presumably, its summit is split down the middle, forming a horizontal boundary from south to north. The northern summit appears to be spread out like a standing screen; the southern summit, like an arrayed row of halberds, towers in front of it. The two summits are about eight to ten feet apart, with a deep cliff between them, which seemed to be split down the middle. Hemmed between the two cliffs, a single peak rises prominently from the base of a ravine, taller than the other peaks. This is the so-called Plucking Stars Terrace [Zhaixing Tai], the center of Lesser Chambers. Its absolute summit nestles near the north cliff, but its peaks are entirely cut off from one another, so one cannot cross. I gazed down below it and saw a single silk-thread trail. I took off my robe and followed it, climbing to the top. Then before me, standing like a forest, were the nine peaks of the south summit, while behind me, like a transverse barrier, was half the wall of the northern summit. Everywhere to the east and west were deep ravines. I looked down but could not see the bottom. Suddenly, a blast of wind arrived, and I imagined I was a feather about to fly away.

From South Stronghold, I turned northeast, descended an earthen hill, and suddenly saw tiger tracks as big as a pint.²⁸ In the thick brush, I proceeded five or six li and came to a thatch grass retreat. I struck a flint and made some porridge from the rice I had brought. After drinking down three or four bowls, my hunger and thirst were quickly dispelled. I asked the monk at the retreat to tell me the way to Dragon Pool. I descended to a peak. The peak’s ridge gradually narrowed, with earth and rock appearing alternately, covered by brambles and creepers. I grasped hanging branches to continue. Suddenly, I came to a rocky crag that tapered upward for countless rods, the landscape features of which made it impossible to cross. I turned and ascended a stone stairway, then gazed at a spot on the peak that seemed to wiggle and writhe, on which I hastened downward.²⁹ But the rocky crag tapered high, like before, so I went back and forth for no less than a few li, and only then was I able to bypass this obstruction by going through a mountain depression. After another five li, a trail appeared. This led to Dragon Pool Gully [Longtan Gou]. When I looked up and gazed at where I had previously gotten lost on the trail, all the precipitous cliffs nestling against rocky crags were above the cliff walls, countless fathoms high. Cascading waterfalls gushed and spurted between them. The cliff rock is darkly dense and steeply scarped and scatters to form a sunglow silk brocade. In the gorge, I held close to a ravine and then turned, where along the two cliff walls are some quiet monk cells that look like hornets and swallow’s nests. In all, I covered five more li. The entire Dragon Pool area is a submerged pure, deep blue culvert. Its depth cannot be calculated in rods. Next, we passed through two places with dragon pools and emerged from the gorge. I spent the night at the Shaolin Monastery.

Twenty-fourth day [24 March]: I proceeded northwest from the monastery and passed Sweet Due Terrace [Ganlu Tai]. Next passed First Patriarch Retreat [Chuzu An]. Proceeded four li north, then ascended to Five Teat Peak [Wuru Feng], where I explored First Patriarch Cave [Chuzu Dong]. The cave is two rods deep and less than that in breadth. This is the place where Bodhidharma faced a wall for nine years.³⁰ The area below the entrance to the cavern overlooks a monastery, which faces Lesser Chambers. The land here lacks streams, so no one lives here. I descended and reached First Patriarch Retreat. In the retreat is the shadow rock wall that honors Bodhidharma. The shadow on the wall is less than three feet tall. Its mass is white, while its decorative pattern is black. In his image, the foreign monk stands solemnly. In the middle ceremonial hall is a cypress tree planted by the hands of the Sixth Patriarch.³¹ It is already so large that in girth, it measures the arm spans of three people. The stele said that the seeds for the tree were placed in an alms bowl and then carried here from Guangdong. The two pines bestride the monastery’s entrance staircase are inferior to those at the Shaolin Monastery. Shaolin’s pines and cypress trees are tall and stately, unlike those at the Sacred Mountain Temple, which bend, connect, twist, and wind. The pines here are also like those at the Shaolin Monastery.

I descended and reached Sweet Dew Terrace (Ganlu Tai), where earthen mounds rise high. On them is the Buddhist Sutras Ceremonial Hall [Cangjing Dian]. I descended from the terrace and then transited through three ceremonial halls. The round- and square-topped steles are scattered, so I could only read some of their inscriptions. Behind the ceremonial halls is Thousand Buddhas Ceremonial Hall [Qianfo Dian], the majesty and beauty of which are rarely matched elsewhere. I left the hall to eat at the monk Auspicious Light’s cottage. Whipping my horse, I hastened toward Dengfeng County, where I spent the night at Big Village [Datun].

Twenty-fifth day [25 March]: I proceeded southwest for fifty li and came to a sudden break in the mountain ridge. This is the Yi Pylons [Yique].³² The Yi River [Yishui], approaching from the south, flows below it. It is deep enough to accommodate boats loaded with several heavy boulders. The Yi Pylons connect to the ridge crosswise from east to west. Above the river, planks have been strung together to form a bridge across it. I crossed the bridge and proceeded west, where the cliffs were even more precipitous and towering. The entire mountain is split into steep banks full of Buddhist images. There are several scores of large caverns, all of which are scores of rods in height. Outside the large caverns, a cliff wall leads directly to the mountain’s summit, where small caves have been carved, and inside all those caves are carved images of Buddhas.³³ Even in those spaces measuring a hand’s width, none fail to have images. I gazed at them but could not calculate their numbers. On the left of the caves, a waterfall flows down from the mountain, the water of which gathers to form a rectangular pool. The excess water then pours down into the Yi River. The hill’s height does not reach a hundred rods, but the waterfall’s clear flow—whooshing and swooshing—never stops. This is something hard to find in these parts. The Yi Pylons is where many people rub shoulders and converge at the carriage hub, the main road to Chu and Yu that transits through Guanshaan to the northwest.³⁴ From here, I will take the road to the Sacred Mountain in the West.

—Translated by James M. Hargett

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Source: “You Songshan riji; Henan, Henan fu, Dengfeng xian” (YJJZ, 1:58–71; YJ, 1:39–46). During the Ming dynasty, the administrative seat of Henan Prefecture was in modern Luoyang Shi. Dengfeng County corresponds to modern Dengfeng Shi, about 46 mi/74 km southeast of Luoyang.

1. 1  Xiang and Yun refer to Xiangyang and Yunyang Prefectures in northern Hubei, along the border with Henan. As noted earlier, Taihua, which Xu Xiake describes in his next diary, is another name for Mount Hua, also known the Sacred Mountain in the West. “Sword Belvedere” refers to Sword Belvedere Road [Jian’ge Dao], also known as Sword Gate Pass on the Road to Shu [Jianmen Shudao], a strategic passageway that connects Shaanxi and Sichuan. It is situated in a narrow gap between two mountains with high walls that resemble “belvederes.” Traditionally, it was regarded as the “gateway” into Sichuan.

2. 2  The diary of Xu’s journey to Mount Taihe is translated below. The expression “sightseeing trip with a specific destination” (you fang zhi you 有方之游) refers to Xu Xiake’s filial responsibilities to his mother. As noted earlier, those obligations led him to choose a closer travel destination [Mount Taihe] if he needed to return home to Jiangyin on short notice.

3. 3  The four counties mentioned here were all in modern Henan.

4. 4  Mount Tai in Shandong is also known as Dongyue, or the Sacred Mountain in the East. “Pay court” means “to visit.”

5. 5  Modern Mi Xian, Henan.

6. 6  In Chinese mythology, the Yellow Emperor is the first and most revered of five legendary emperors. He is also a mythical patron of Daoism.

7. 7  In other words, she transformed into a transcendent.

8. 8  Rocky Roar, also known as the Rocky Roar River [Shicong He], is a scenic waterway that originates on Mount Song. The beautiful landscape along the river has attracted sightseers since at least the Tang dynasty.

9. 9  Daliang was the capital of the State of Wei (Weiguo) during the Warring States period. Later, this same name was used (as it is here) as an alternate designation for the area in and around modern Kaifeng Shi, Henan. Luhai refers to the region’s location between the land (lu) and the sea (hai). The same area is known as the Central Plains [Zhongyuan].

10. 10  The expression “wash one’s dusty eyes” (xi chenyan 洗塵眼) is commonly used to mean “provide a lavish dinner to welcome a guest from far away.” However, Xu uses the expression figuratively; he never imagined the scene at Rocky Roar would “welcome” him so warmly, especially after he had trudged through grasses and reeds to get there.

11. 11  Gaocheng is well-known in Chinese history. Before the eighth century, it was called Yangcheng and supposedly served as the capital of the Xia dynasty, founded by the legendary emperor Yu the Great, who tamed the great floods in remote antiquity. It is also the site of one of China’s earliest astronomical observatories, which reportedly dates from the Western Zhou period.

12. 12  The Sacred Mountain Thearch is the principal resident deity of Mount Song.

13. 13  In ancient China, imperial audience halls were arranged on a north-south axis. The emperor sat in the northernmost section of the hall facing south, usually with a standing screen behind him. In court ritual, the emperor was regarded as the North Star, while everyone in the hall positioned themselves as stars to his south. The expression “face one’s back to the screen” (fuyi) is a metaphor meaning “regard oneself emperor.”

14. 14  The Feng sacrificial ceremony to heaven was sometimes performed by emperors on the summits of China’s sacred mountains, especially Mount Tai in Shandong, to honor and communicate with spirits and deities. Xu Xiake mentions in the next line that Emperor Wu of the Han (Wudi; r. 141–87 BCE) performed the Feng Sacrifice on Mount Song.

15. 15  Mount Song is about 96 mi/155 km southwest of Kaifeng, the capital of the Northern Song dynasty.

16. 16  Presumably, this is the same Iron Beam Bridge mentioned earlier.

17. 17  I have not been able to confirm that the Song dynasty emperor Zhenzong visited Mount Song “to escape the heat of summer,” but we know that in 1013, he provided funds for substantial building projects on the mountain.

18. 18  Reading Fawang Si 法王寺, or Dharma King Monastery, rather than Fahuang Si 法皇寺. Constructed in 71 CE, this is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in China.

19. 19  This is the most famous religious site on the mountain, along with the Shaolin Monastery [Shaolin Si]. It was founded in 484 on a land plot that would later host the famous Southern Side of Mount Song Academy (Songyang Shuyuan). Xu Xiake used the name Songyang Palace here, which was adopted later.

20. 20  Some sources report that Emperor Wu of the Han granted these giant cypress trees military titles when he visited Mount Song in 110 BCE.

21. 21  The “two Cheng gentlemen” referenced here are Cheng Hao (1032–85) and his younger brother Cheng Yi (1033–1107), both of whom were prominent advocates of Neo-Confucianism during the Northern Song dynasty. They supposedly lectured on Mount Song during the reign of the Northern Song emperor Shenzong (r. 1068–85).

22. 22  Zu Wuze was a well-known Northern Song political figure. Kou Wuzhong is not further identified. Su Shunyuan (courtesy name Caiweng) was a noted artist, calligrapher, and poet.

23. 23  When the stele was erected, Pei Jiong was Henan’s municipal governor. Xu Hao was a famous Tang dynasty calligrapher. The bafen Chinese calligraphy style is a variety of clerical script (lishu) that is based on elements or parts of other styles.

24. 24  Qi (dates unknown) was the son of Yu the Great, the first sovereign of the Xia dynasty. Qi later succeeded his father as king.

25. 25  “Tea board” is a term related to tea culture in China. Usually, it ranks or lists tea-related items or experiences on a “board” or tablet. The tea board mentioned here was probably mounted on a wall.

26. 26  “Second Patriarch” (Erzu) is Wise Possibility (Huike, 487–593), the Second Patriarch of the Chan/Zen lineage in China. The First Patriarch, Bodhidharma (Chinese: Damo dashi; ca. fifth cent.), is mentioned at the beginning of the next diary entry below.

27. 27  In other words, even the most capable sightseers, who wear special climbing clogs, have never reached this remote section of Mount Song.

28. 28  A Chinese “pint” (sheng) is roughly thirty-two cubic inches. Tiger tracks this size suggests an extremely large animal.

29. 29  That is to say, a narrow trail.

30. 30  Bodhidharma, the First Patriarch of Chan (or Zen) Buddhism, practiced a type of meditation called wall-gazing (biguan). According to legend, he sat facing a wall for nine years and cut off his eyelids to stay awake. Bodhidharma’s place of origin is a mystery, but some accounts say he hailed from the Western Regions (Xiyu; regions west of China inhabited by non-Chinese people). Hence, Xu Xiake refers to him below as “the foreign monk.”

31. 31  The Sixth Patriarch was the Tang dynasty monk Wise Ability (Huineng, 638–713).

32. 32  Also known as Dragon Gate Mountain [Longmen Shan], this marks the site of a famous battle fought in 293 BCE between the state of Qin and an allied force of Wei and Han armies. Qin forces prevailed, and afterward, the states of Wei and Han were forced to cede their combined territories to Qin.

33. 33  Today, these caves, situated outside the city of Luoyang, are known as Dragon Gate Grottoes [Longmen Shiku]. They extend along both sides of the Yi River.

34. 34  That is to say, many people come and go through this area so heavy carriage traffic is a result. “Chu” probably refers to Hunan and “Yu” to Henan; “Guanshaan” is an alternate name for Shaanxi.