Hulu Mountain, named for its resemblance to a reclining gourd stretching from south to north, is a renowned tourist spot and a favored location for scholars and poets throughout the ages to inscribe their thoughts on stone.
It is home to one of the two famous cliff carving groups in Guangdong Province, the other being the Seven Star Crags in Zhaoqing. Since the Tang and Song dynasties, numerous inscriptions from famous officials and scholars of various dynasties have been left behind. A distinctive feature is the 2-meter character inscription ‘Lake Mountain Painting’ at Nanyan Temple, inscribed by Qing Dynasty calligrapher Ding Bingxian of Chaozhou during the Daoguang period. Other examples include ‘Joy in Doing Good’ by Yu Xianqian and ‘Broaden Your Horizons’ by Chen Yukui, whose calligraphic works are scattered across the cliffs of Hulu Mountain, becoming admired and appreciated by visitors. Most of the cliff carvings at Hulu Mountain are records of famous literati and scholars from different dynasties who traveled together, inscribed their names, composed poems to express their feelings, or left their marks. Originally, there were 15 inscriptions related to official titles, but now only three remain; among those who inscribed poems together, only a few from the Ming Dynasty, such as Xu Yiwei and Zhuang Cheng, Tang Boyuan and Dai Jing, still exist; solitary inscriptions include those by Zhou Jun, Rui Hao, Fang Yao, and Zhu Bingshou. Especially famous are the poems inscribed by visitors to the mountain, such as Lin Dachuan’s ‘Inscription at West Lake’ on the side of Guying Cave Heaven: ‘The water and mountain colors enter the painting, indeed the West Lake is comparable to Xi Shi, the famous area is sufficient to be passed down for thousands of years, there is no need to wait for the great Su to lead.’ Throughout Hulu Mountain, there are also scenic spots like Sword Gate, Fairy Trace Stone, Lake Stone, Living People Cave, and Fishing Pavilion, but most have been damaged, becoming ‘fairy traces’ that are told in old tales. The mountain is open all year round from 8:00 to 22:00.Hulu Mountain: A Historical and Scenic Destination
Hulu Mountain, named for its resemblance to a reclining gourd stretching from south to north, is a r[...]
