[SUMMER 1620, XINGHUA PREFECTURE, XIANYOU COUNTY, FUJIAN]

Nine Carp is a small mountain lake 8 mi/13 km northeast of modern Xianyou Xian in southeastern Fujian. According to legend, during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han (Han Wudi; r. 141–87 BCE), nine blind brothers trained at Nine Carp Lake to become Daoist transcendents. After mastering their life-extending techniques, each supposedly ascended into the heavens riding on a carp. The opening lines of this diary entry are important because therein Xu Xiake outlines his future travel plans, which will take him to destinations as far north as Mount Heng in Shanxi and Mount Hua [Huashan] in Shaanxi, as far southwest as Mount Emei in Sichuan, and as far south as the city of Guilin in Guangxi and Mount Luofu [Luofu Shan] in Guangdong.

My sightseeing trip to Zhe and Min took place long ago.¹ I aim to reach Mount Emei in Shu and Guilin in Yue, along with the mountains of Taihua and Heng the Sacred Mountain in the North. Mountains like Luofu and Heng the Sacred Mountain in the South are next, after which come Five Waterfalls [Wuxie] in Zhejiang and Nine Cascades in Min. But to Shu, Guang, and Guanzhong, the road is far, and my mother is old, so a sightseeing trip to those places is a matter for the future. As for Mount Heng, the Sacred Mountain in the South and the Xiang River, I could visit them on the way to those other places, so I would not need to make a special trip.

Nine Cascades through Three Rocks [Sanshi] on Mount Jianglang is the closest among these sites. So on the day after the Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu Jie) in the gengshen year [6 June 1620], I agreed to meet with my uncle Fangruo to begin our journey.² This was precisely when the lichees in Maple Pavilion [Fengting] had just ripened.

Note in this next diary entry how Xu Xiake describes the changing appearance of Mount Jianglang as he moves closer to it from a distance.

Twenty-third day [23 June]: I only passed Blue Lake in Jiangshan County today. Here, the mountains gradually begin to merge. Along the eastern spur stand numerous dangerous peaks and sheer barriers, while those in the west crouch down and stay low. When I turned my gaze to the far end of the eastern spur, south of it was a peak towering aloft that rubbed against the clouds and poked into the sky, poised as if it was about to take flight. Upon inquiry, I discovered this was Mount Jianglang. As I gazed at it, I pressed on for twenty li, passing Rock Gate Market. Mount Jianglang suddenly split in two as I gradually hastened toward it and drew closer. After I made a turn, it split into three sections. By then, the top of the mountain had forked into two halves, split straight down to the base. As I pressed toward the mountain, it became more pointed on top and restrained below, looking like it had broken in two and then reconnected. As I moved toward the mountain, with each step, its form changed, appearing just as illusory as the shapes of clouds!

Numinous Peak on Yandang and Rocky Bamboo Shoot Promontory on Mount Huang stand in clusters, sheer, and upthrust, forming a superlative sight. Both lie within deep valleys. But with their various peaks set against each other, they lose their distinctiveness. The landscape features of Tripod Cauldron Lake Peak [Dinghu Feng] in Jinyun County, vaulted like a dome and rising alone, are even more imposing and pinnacled, but towering right next to it is Pacing the Void Mountain [Buxu Shan].³ Neither mountain surrenders to the other. Gazing at them from a distance, they seem to form into a single mountain. They are inferior to this peak, which stands prominently above the nearby masses of mountains, and with each of its magical transformations reveals the sum of its wonders.

Seventh day of the sixth month [6 July]: I reached Xinghua Prefecture.

Eighth day [7 July]: I left through the west gate of Pu Commandery.⁴ Proceeded northwest for five li, climbed up a ridge, and proceeded another forty li. After descending and ascending through many ridges, I reached Ju Stream [Juxi]. Ju Stream is the lower reaches of the Nine Cascades. I went by the Ju Stream Government Guesthouse [Juxi Gongguan] and then passed a stream from Rock Step [Shibu].⁵ After another two li, the stream came to a westbound footpath leading into a depression. Next, to the north, I went to a flight of stairs, then turned and ascended the mountain. The mountain was steep, the sun cruel, and the trail devoid of human traffic. I got lost and needed directions. Since the water from Nine Carp Lake goes through the Nine Cascades as it descends, I assumed that there must be some extraordinary scenes as one ascends the steps. So I pressed on up the steps. Uncle and the servants dreaded and feared the high climb. They thought we had gone the wrong way. A short time later, the way gradually became more obstructed. Uncle and servants became even more convinced that we had gone the wrong way, but I became increasingly more encouraged. Not long afterward, as we ascended more, the higher we went. The trail was secluded, with seemingly no end to it. The scorching sun blazed and burned. I, too, was worn out and exhausted. After several more li, we traversed the top of a ridge and mistook it for the absolute summit.

We then turned and headed west. Above the mountain are still higher peaks twice the height of this one. Following the mountain, as it twisted and turned, we proceeded for three li to a stretch of level farmland, vast and extensive. I was sure we had made a wrong turn into Wuling, and was no longer aware that we were on the summits of countless mountain peaks.⁶ Halfway to our destination, there is a pavilion, from which a path to the west serves as the trail to Xianyou County. We took the eastern path. To the south, passed Reaching to the Transcendents Bridge [Tongxian Qiao], crossed a small ridge, and then descended to a guesthouse and Penglai Rock [Penglai Shi] and Bell and Drum Tower [Zhonggu Lou]. Thunderous Boom Cascade [Leihong Ji] is there. A mountain stream emerges from the side of Penglai Rock. The rocks in the stream bed are as flat as a whetstone that has been polished smoothly. Water spills evenly over the faces of the rocks, so that it looks just like a veil of thin gauze. As we descended a little farther down, the smooth spots became many depressions, among which were round holes that form “crucibles,” “mortars,” “goblets,” and “wells,” all of which take names related to cinnabar. These items are vestiges of the Nine Transcendents.⁷ The stream’s flow is calm until it reaches here, where suddenly it plummets down into Nine Carp Lake like countless horses at a first gallop, indeed with the force of a thunderclap. This, then, is the extraordinary scene at the first cascade.

Nine Transcendents Shrine [Jiuxian Ci] towers to its west. In front, it overlooks Nine Carp Lake. The lake is not vast and mighty but forms a clear blue expanse above the countless mountains, surrounded by blue sky and rolling, lush green vegetation. The collective spiritual power of the Fashioner of Things (Zaowuzhe) is extraordinary!⁸ To the shrine’s right are scenic sites such as Stone Drum [Shigu], Prime Pearl [Yuanzhu], and Ancient Plum Tree Cavern [Gumei Dong]. Large, coupled rocks on the shrine’s flank form Ancient Plum Tree Cavern. A rift in the rocks serves as its entrance. I passed through it and then ascended. This is the former site of the Nine Transcendents Belvedere [Jiuxian Ge]. In front of the shrine is the former site of the Water Crystal Palace [Shuijing Gong]. Today, both locations are in ruins. Where water plummets down across the lake, facing the shrine—this is the stream from the Second to the Ninth Cascades. I proceeded on, following the right side of the lake, until I reached Third Cascade. Then, together with Uncle Fangruo, I quickly backtracked. I told him, “We should calm our minds, rest our spirits, and quietly meet with the Nine Transcendents in our dreams tonight. Our minds and eyes have labored enough for today; let us wait until tomorrow to speak of more extraordinary scenic sights.”

I backtracked to the shrine, then went to Penglai Rock, where I waded barefoot through a mountain stream. Its flowing water babbled over the soft, vast stream bed; its clear current was light and shallow. I felt like I was on the Ten Islets [Shizhou] and Three Islands [Sandao].⁹ Eventually, I lifted my robe and waded across the stream. As I sat in the shrine that evening, the new moon hung above a peak’s summit. Looking down, I bowed to the tranquil lake with my hands clasped. My spirit and emotions both felt serenely peaceful. Amid the silence, the stream water burbled and gurgled while the cascades occasionally rumbled like thunder. I prayed to the Nine Transcendents in my dreams that night in the shrine.

Ninth day [8 July]: After departing from Nine Transcendents Shrine, I descended to thoroughly probe Nine Cascades, roughly a few li from Nine Carp Lake. The trail down from Third Cascade has already been inaccessible for a long time. Several months ago, the libation official [jijiu], Lin Yaoyu (1558–1626), a native of Putian, ordered Lu Shan to restore the bird-track trail here to directly connect through the Nine Cascades and then come out at Ju Stream.¹⁰ I regretted that we did not ascend by the flank footpath that traces back to yesterday’s waterfall. As it turns out, we had taken a long way around on the main trail, so we missed seeing this extraordinary scenery. We thereupon packed up our things and changed to this new route. Eventually, we emerged at Nine Cascades. This waterfall is the Second Cascade. Located south of the lake, it is directly opposite the Nine Transcendents Shrine. The water at the end of the lake soars down from here into a deep gorge. Where the rocks in the gorge seem to part—two cliff walls stand countless fathoms high. When the water first comes out of the lake, it is checked by rocks and unable to reach full force. In a rage, it just tumbles down from midair, soaring and spraying, crashing and spurting. The water and rocks each make an incredibly majestic display. After you descend, next comes the Third Cascade’s Beaded Curtain Waterfall [Zhulian Quan], the scenery of which is the same as the waterfall above it. The cliff on the right has the Viewing Billows Pavilion [Guanlan Ting]. There is a rock there called Natural Seat [Tianran Zuo]. A pavilion also shelters it. We ascended and descended over ridges and canyons from here, turning and twisting through gorges. The cliff walls in the gorges are hidden on top but peek out below. As for the water at Beaded Curtain Waterfall, it plummets down directly in front. The water of Jade Chopsticks [Yuzhu] gushes and brims over in a cloud of mist. The two waterfalls hang down, side by side. The bases of cliff walls in the gorge are sheer, like iron barriers surrounding it on four sides, which join with the sky on top. Like a pair of jade dragons dancing in the air, the waterfalls descend to the pool’s rim below. The water in the pool is deep and hidden, clear and blue. The pool is smaller than Nine Carp Lake, but it is surrounded and bounded by cliff walls, where interweaving waterfalls gather their extraordinary qualities and assemble their surpassing scenes. At the so-called Fourth Cascade, this view is the most beautiful!

Uncle Fangruo was anxious to leave the gorge when we first reached the ravine base. So he sat down at the gorge entrance to wait for me and did not go in. I scaled the edge of the canyon’s rocks and went in. I crouched to rest on a rock beside a pool and looked up at the twin waterfalls as they gracefully glided through the air. The cliff rocks overhead were shaped like the mouth of a jar. The rising sun, positioned precisely above the cliff’s edge, joined with cascading waves and dashing billows hidden in vapors and a flowing radiance. As I looked up and down, taking in this scene, I could not drag myself away. Following the canyon, I retraced my path as I descended. Suddenly, sheer walls shot up between the two sides of a gorge, through which a river slanted and turned. This marked the trail’s end along the mountain stream’s right side. To the left, I gazed at wooden planks that formed a bridge over a dangerous jetty amid crumbled stone steps. I crossed the turbulent flow of the stream to where I could clamber and scramble forward. So on the left, where I waded across the mountain stream—this turned out to be Rock Gate at the Fifth Cascade. As for its two cliffs, their walls converge when you reach that spot, leaving only enough space for a single thread. They seem about to join, but they do not join; they seem about to open, but do not open. Below, a fleeting waterfall surges; above, cloud-like shadows block one’s view. I apparently was destined to continue, so I scampered right over the wooden planks like a macaque. A cold wind blew. I shivered and shuddered with fear that the planks were about to collapse. The mountains had become deeper as we approached from Fourth Cascade, and the trails had disappeared. The secluded nature and sheer heights around us reached the extreme. But I heard only the trickling of spring water and the chirping of birds.

After I left the Fifth Cascade, the mountain landscape gradually began to open out. On the right side of the torrent, precipitous tors aligned like standing screens. On its left is Flying Phoenix Peak [Feifeng Feng], turning and soaring as it faces the tors. The turbulent flow of the torrent coiled around the base of the peak, sometimes forming into clear pools and at other times casting the peak’s reflections. Just like Five Stars [Wuxing] at the Sixth Cascade, Flying Phoenix at the Seventh Cascade, Chessboard Rock at the Eighth Cascade, and General’s Cliff [Jiangjun Yan] at the Ninth Cascade, all have names according to their order. The charm of this area lies in the rising clouds and colorful mist, so I come here to enjoy the surrounding mountains and rivers. Why is it necessary, then, to pursue and then leave a mark on them?¹¹ Presumably, the rivers take advantage of the landscape where the gorges spread out, thus flowing about at will. Beside them are collapsed cliffs and fallen rocks. The rocks that slant and stick out form crags; those that are cross-angled and erect form chambers; those piled in layers become lofts; those that twist and turn become caverns. Water seemingly poised in midair forms waterfalls; water that flows in circles forms streams; water that collects in one place forms springs. One can sit, lie, rest, and wash in these places. And in the shade cast by bamboo and trees, one can frolic in clouds and mist. I could not take my eyes off these sights for several more li. All day long, I encountered scenes where my feet refused to advance! Whenever I descended to a place where I spotted another cave, I had to push through a crevice and go in. Inside, the caves are winding but unimpeded; the sides are spacious. It was impossible to take in the entire scene! As for Three Shelves on Mount Lu and the Dragon Splash Pool on Mount Yandang, some waters there are seemingly poised in midair, some are motionless, and some are in winged flight, pouring down in layers. Each has surpassing scenery with only one unique aspect, unlike this mountain, which is unassuming in stature but has it all.

I left Ninth Cascade. Following the torrent and holding close to the mountain, I turned and headed east for five li. Proceeded another five li and reached Rock Step at Ju Stream, where I came out onto the trail we had taken before. Only then did I come across families who tilled fields in the clouds and gathered firewood among the rocks. However, seeing that a stranger had arrived, all of them were surprised and amazed.

Tenth day [9 July]: Passed Garlic Ridge Relay Station [Suanling Yi] and reached Elm Stream [Yuxi]. I heard it was forty li to Transverse Route Relay Station [Henglu Yi], where I would find Rock and Bamboo Mountain [Shizhu Shan].¹² Its craggy rocks are its most surpassing scenic sight. It is also where the Nine Transcendents prayed to spirits in their dreams. In Min, there is a saying: “In the spring, go sightseeing at Rock and Bamboo Mountain; in the fall, go sightseeing at Nine Carp Lake.” Transverse Route Relay Station was another fifteen li from here, so I spent the night at Elm Stream. Although I failed to time our visit to the right season, we were so nearby that I could not pass up the opportunity. And, since we were in high spirits, we made the trip.

Eleventh Day [10 July]: Reached Glass Post Station [Boli Pu], where I followed a small path to sightsee at Rock and Bamboo Mountain.¹³ Headed toward the mountains in the west for five li, then crossed a small ridge. After another five li, crossed a stream. This area is the southern foothills of Rock and Bamboo Mountain. Following the foothills, I turned west. Looking up, I saw peak summits and amassed cliffs, some of which seemed intact while others seemed split. I proceeded northwest for quite a while and came to a loft on a mountainside facing west, with a trail to climb up to it. Its stone steps were quite steep, and so, in my short jacket, I ascended, step by step. The stairway zigzagged in the shady foliage of trees and rocks. Gnarly branches and old vines intertwined on the tops of precipitous rocks leaning against the cliffs. Gibbons cried out above and below us, calling and responding to no end. Suddenly, a pavilion arose, perched on a precipitous rock, upthrust, lofty, and utterly matchless. This pavilion marks the midpoint of the mountain. I turned again, where the stone steps, tall and majestic, ascended straight up. When the steps ended, the eaves of flying crags covered me almost as if they were hanging poised in midair. After two more turns on the ascent, I went through the side entrance of a rocky cavern. You emerge from the other side at the Nine Transcendents Belvedere, which is spacious, expansive, elegant, and immaculate. On the left are cottages for monks, nestled against the mountain and standing loftily in the void, where one can linger and loiter and gaze far into the distance. Behind the belvedere, five or six sheer peaks stand side by side, several scores of rods high. Each peak is two or three feet distant from the next. The cracks between the peaks and their rocky walls look like they have been cut with a knife. The trail twists and turns through the cracks, penetrating and passing through to the summit of each peak. Pine tree branches hanging down and vines extending out made a dramatic scene as far as the eye could see. A monk served tea grown on the mountain that was fragrant and relaxing. I descended a side footpath and then reached a hanging crag. The trail on the left changed into another footpath. I said to the others: “There must be some unusual sights hereabouts.” And sure enough, another rocky cavern was embedded in the void, standing erect. I pushed through the cavern, began my descent, and immediately reached Mountain Midpoint Pavilion [Banshan Ting]. I descended the mountain and came out at Transverse Route Relay Station and then made my return.

This sightseeing tour lasted sixty-three days. I transited through two provinces and passed through nineteen counties and eleven prefectures. As for sightseeing tours to famous mountains, there were three.

—Translated by James M. Hargett

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Source: “You Jiuli Hu riji; Fujian, Xinghua fu, Xianyou xian” (YJJZ, 1:51–57; YJ, 1:33–37). Xinghua is the area’s historical name in Fujian, where it is also known as Putian. Nine Carp Lake is about 8 mi/13 km northeast of modern Xianyou Xian in southern Fujian.

1. 1  Zhe and Min refer to Zhejiang and Fujian. Xu Xiake’s travels in those provinces and to Anhui had been undertaken four years earlier, in 1616. Since the comments and place-names mentioned in the next and subsequent lines reveal Xu Xiake’s future travel plans, identifying these toponyms is in order. Mount Emei is in Sichuan, referred to here by the province’s ancient name Shu. Guilin, still a popular tourist destination, is in Guangxi. Taihua, better known as Mount Hua, is in Shaanxi, about 75 mi/120 km east of modern Xi’an Shi. Among the Five Sacred Mountains, Mount Hua is also known as the Xiyue, or the Sacred Mountain in the West. Mount Heng, or the Sacred Mountain in the North, is in north-central Shanxi. Mount Luofu is in Guangdong, far to the south, and is known for its associations with religious Daoism. The second Mount Heng mentioned by Xu Xiake refers to the Sacred Mountain in the South [Nanyue] in Hunan. The Five Waterfalls are in Zhejiang (referred to here as Yue), while the Nine Cascades [Jiuji]—described in great detail by Xu Xiake in his diary entries below—are the main scenic attraction at Nine Carp Lake in Fujian (or Min). Shu, Guang, and Guanzhong refer to Sichuan, Guangxi, and the Central Shaanxi Plain (Guanzhong, or “the area within the passes”; bounded by mountains to the north and south; the modern city of Xi’an lies in the heart of this plain). The Hengshan mentioned in conjunction with the Xiang River, a major waterway in south China, refers to the Sacred Mountain in the South. Mount Jianglang is in southern Zhejiang.

2. 2  The Dragon Boat Festival, honoring the courtier-poet Qu Yuan (fl. 300 BCE), falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. One of the main activities on the holiday, still celebrated today, is races in dragon-shaped boats.

3. 3  The term “tripod cauldron” (ding) is mentioned often in Xu Xiake’s travel diaries. Sometimes, as we see here, it is part of a place-name. At other times, it is used in landscape descriptions. A ding is a three-legged bronze pot with two loop handles on the sides and a removable lid used in ancient China for cooking and serving food. Jinyun County is modern Jinyun Xian, Zhejiang.

4. 4  Pu Commandery [Pujun] is an alternate name for Xinghua Prefecture.

5. 5  Following YJJZ, 1:53, and reading Shibu 石步 (“Rock Step”) as a place-name.

6. 6  Here, Xu Xiake references a famous poem and prose account by Tao Qian (or Tao Yuanming, 365–427) titled “Peach Blossom Spring” (Taohua yuan). This popular tale describes the chance discovery by a fisherman from Wuling of a hidden utopia populated by a village [Wuling] whose people had led an idyllic existence there for centuries, free from the political instability and the troubled nature of the world outside. The fisherman mistakenly found the utopia by following a stream lined with peach trees in full bloom. He found a cave at the stream’s source, which led him to the village.

7. 7  The various alchemical items mentioned in the previous line—all related to cinnabar—were used by the Nine Transcendents to concoct elixirs that helped them transform into transcendent beings.

8. 8  The Fashioner of Things is a supernatural entity responsible for creating the wanwu, or “countless things.” “Things” refers to everything from human beings to landscape features. Here, Xu Xiake extols the Fashioner’s skill at creating the extraordinary scenery around Nine Carp Lake.

9. 9  The terms “Ten Islets” and “Three Islands” refer to imaginary ocean paradises inhabited by transcendent beings.

10. 10  Lin Yaoyu was a native of Xinghua Prefecture, which Xu Xiake refers to here by an alternate name: Putian. The person, Lu Shan, is not further identified.

11. 11  This line marks one of the few times in Xu Xiake’s diaries where he comments on the purpose of sightseeing. His rhetorical question suggests that a place’s actual value lies in its landscape’s natural beauty. At the same time, he questions the notion of seeking personal recognition by leaving one’s mark at scenic sites. The term keji 刻跡 (leaving one’s mark) refers to sightseers who leave graffiti on cliff walls or rocks to commemorate their visit to a notable place. Instead, Xu emphasizes appreciating places like Nine Carp Lake for their intrinsic beauty and value.

12. 12  Following YJJZ, 1:56n15, and reading: “Rock and Bamboo Mountain” [Shizhu Shan 石竹山].

13. 13  Reading boli 波黎 in the name of this relay station as an alternate written form of boli 玻璃, or “glass.”