Ge Feng Tai was constructed in memory of Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, who returned to his hometown in glory and composed the ‘Da Feng Ge’. It is located in the central Han City Park of Pei County, Xuzhou City. As one of the ‘Ancient Eight Scenic Spots of Pei County’, it is also one of the important tourist attractions today. In 1982, it was listed as a key cultural relics protection unit by the People’s Government of Jiangsu Province.
In 196 BC, Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang, after quelling the rebellion of King Ying Bu of Huainan, returned to his hometown, set up a feast in Pei Palace, invited the elders of his hometown to a joyful banquet, reminisced over old times, and expressed his deep emotions. In a moment of high spirits, the founding emperor, who returned on horseback, and the hero in plain clothes, struck the zither and sang loudly: ‘A great wind rises, the clouds are flying; the might is within the seas, returning to the hometown; where to find brave warriors to guard the four directions!’. The construction and destruction have been repeated, and specific details can be found in this entry and ‘Pei County Chronicles’ and related materials. ‘Da Feng Ge’, after Liu Bang’s song, tears flowed down in several lines. One hundred and twenty young people sang along with it, and the crowd was inspired by this, which is the famous ‘Da Feng Ge’ in the history of literature. This song only has three sentences, but each word is like metal and stone, resounding, with its ambition to strive for success, its tragic and heroic boldness, its heart for establishing great achievements, and its momentum, as well as its deep concern for the country and its people, which is profound and sincere. It can be said to be full of intense feelings, touching the heart and lungs! There are three existing steles of ‘Da Feng Ge’. One is a Han Dynasty stele, one zhang and one chi high, and four chi and four cun wide. The font is round and vigorous, with a symmetrical and beautiful structure. According to ‘Pei County Chronicles’ and ‘Xuzhou Prefecture Chronicles’, it was written by Cai Yong or Cao Xi of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Mr. Feng Yiwu, a modern scholar, identified it as written by Ai Li, a literati from Pei during the Western Han Dynasty. There are various opinions, but all consider it a treasure of Chinese calligraphy. The Han Dynasty stele is mostly preserved, about three-quarters of the original stele, with fine stone quality. Although it has been eroded by two thousand years of wind and rain, the text is still clear and distinguishable. The Yuan Dynasty stele was copied during the Dadu period of the Yuan Dynasty, with clear and similar handwriting, enough to deceive the real one. The back of the Yuan stele has explanatory text, which is precious data for researchers. The third one, also known as the Jia Zi Stele, was copied by the Pei County People’s Government in 1984 (the year of Jia Zi) according to the scale of the original stele. In February 1982, the People’s Government of Jiangsu Province announced Ge Feng Tai and Da Feng Ge Stele as provincial key protected cultural relics. Ge Feng Tai was originally in the southeast of the ancient county, through the vicissitudes of life, it has been relocated and rebuilt repeatedly. Today’s Ge Feng Tai has a construction area of 12,600 square meters, with a total building height of 26.8 meters, making it the highest point of the Han City architectural complex, magnificent and grand, and can be considered the first among similar buildings in the country.Ge Feng Tai is a historical site located in Xuzhou, Jiangsu. It is open to visitors throughout the year from 06:30 to 17:30 and also from 18:30 to 22:00.
