Dayou Mountain is located south of the ancient Chenyang Town in Chenxi County, alongside the Chenshui River and on the south bank of the Yuanshui River. Stretching for dozens of miles, the mountain features towering peaks, jagged rocks, and crisscrossing gullies. From a distance, it resembles a vivid and lifelike diagram of the Eight Trigrams (Bagua) and Tai Chi. Since the era of the Three Sovereigns (ancient mythological rulers), the legends of Fuxi, Shanjuan, and Zhang Guolao have added profound mystery and endless charm to Dayou Mountain. Out of admiration and reverence, later generations built cultural attractions such as Shanjuan’s Tomb, Shanjuan Shrine, and Zhang Guolao’s Alchemy Pond on the mountain. Drawn by its allure, scholars, poets, and officials of successive dynasties passed through the Danshan Wharf with some climbing the mountain to pay homage, others viewing the scenic beauty of Danshan and the Yuanshui River. Inspired by the scenery, they composed numerous well-known poems and odes.
A famous mountain that inspires people with virtue
Legend has it that over 4,000 years ago, a refined scholar named Shanjuan lived in seclusion on a mountain at the mouth of Wangzhu River southeast of the Yuanshui River (present-day Deshan in Changde). When Emperor Yao went on a southern inspection tour to Cangwu by the Dongting Lake, he climbed the mountain to consult Shanjuan on major affairs of governing the country. Shanjuan's eloquent and insightful remarks deeply moved and impressed Yao, who then honored Shanjuan as his teacher. When Yao grew old, he abdicated and passed the throne to Emperor Shun. Knowing Shanjuan had been Yao's teacher, Shun intended to abdicate and pass the throne to Shanjuan, but Shanjuan politely declined. He then retreated into the deep mountains to live in seclusion until his death. After Shanjuan passed away, he was buried on Dayou Mountain. Later generations highly respected Shanjuan's virtue of “bearing all with great benevolence”, so they built Shanjuan's Tomb, Shanjuan Shrine, and an altar in his memory.
Rooted in Dayou Mountain’s profound cultural heritage, Emperor Zhenzong of the Northern Song Dynasty—a believer in Taoism—once visited the mountain and bestowed an official title upon it. During the Dazhong Xiangfu era of Emperor Zhenzong (1008 AD), the emperor issued an imperial edict to allocate funds for the renovation of the Shanjuan Shrine.
The burial site of King Mu of Zhou
Legend has it that Dayou Mountain was the first place where King Mu of the Western Zhou Dynasty stored books in the Eryou Caves on the mountain. After King Mu of Zhou passed away, he was buried on Dayou Mountain in Chenxi County. The Imperial Encyclopedia of the Wenyuan Pavilion: Hunan General Records records, “The Tomb of King Mu of Zhou is located on Zhonggu Mountain in Chenxi County. Surrounding Zhonggu Mountain stand nine peaks of Dayou Mountain.” It is said that there are nine caves among these nine peaks, which house the national historical documents of King Mu of the Western Zhou Dynasty. Hence, the area was also known as the “Nine Mounds” in ancient times.
The book-hiding site during the phrase of burning of the books and burial of the scholars in the Qin Dynasty
Fu Sheng, a scholar-official of the Qin Dynasty, traveled thousands of miles to hide books in the Eryou Caves (Dayou Cave and Xiaoyou Cave) on Dayou Mountain. Thus, Dayou Mountain is the origin of the Chinese idiom “learned enough to fill five carriages and well-versed in the books of the Two You Caves”, which describes a person of great erudition.
A famous Taoist sacred site
Guishan Mountain is an ancient site where Zhang Guo practiced Taoism and made alchemy. Zhang Guo, also known as Zhang Guolao, was from Longbiao County (present-day Qianyang County). He was born into a poor family that made a living by rafting and boating. After his father’s death, he lived with his mother in Chongyangxi Village of Longbiao County. He is one of the legendary “Eight Immortals” in Chinese mythology. Zhang Guolao was kind-hearted and famous for his filial piety; he was also persistent in his pursuits and highly perceptive. According to legend, following the guidance of an immortal elder, he devoted himself to practicing Taoism and making alchemy in the Dayou Cave on Guishan Mountain. Through years of unwavering dedication, he finally achieved enlightenment and became an immortal.
Dayou Temple, located at the foot of Dayou Mountain, is a well-known Taoist site in Chenxi County. The exact year of its founding is unknown. With a long history and exquisite architectural craftsmanship, Dayou Temple has long been a must-visit spot for passing government officials, scholars, and poets. In 1983, it was designated as a county-level key cultural relics protection unit and is one of the “Eight Ancient Scenic Spots of Chenxi”.
Danshan cliff carvings: testament to Dayou Mountain’s rich historical and cultural heritage
Danshan cliff carvings are situated along the banks of the Yuanshui River, opposite the county seat. The entire cliff face stands vertically against the river. More than 10 carved poems and essays are distributed on the middle section of this steep cliff. The content of these inscriptions includes descriptions of the exotic mountains and rivers of ancient Chenyang, depictions of Dayou Mountain, Zhonggu Cave, and the scenery of the Yuanshui River, as well as expressions of emotions and aspirations inspired by the landscape. The authors of these works include over 30 prominent figures, such as: Liu Yuxi (a poet and writer of the Mid-Tang Dynasty), Huang Tingjian (a poet and calligrapher of the Northern Song Dynasty), Zhu Xi (a Neo-Confucian philosopher of the Southern Song Dynasty), He Jingming (a writer of the Ming Dynasty), Wang Shouren (also known as Wang Yangming, a philosopher and Minister of War of the Ming Dynasty), Chen Ruoshui (Minister of Rites of the Ming Dynasty), Deng Zilong (a general of the Ming Dynasty), Man Chaojian (Minister of the Imperial Stud of the Ming Dynasty), Xu Shan (Magistrate of Chenzhou Prefecture during the Jiajing Reign of the Ming Dynasty), Lin Zexu (Governor-General of Huguang of the Qing Dynasty), Xiong Xiling (Premier of the Republic of China), and Shen Congwen (a famous writer of the Republic of China). The Danshan Cliff Carvings represent an unprecedented scale and magnificent momentum among cultural landscapes of their kind.
Quzi Pavilion: adding a brilliant touch to Dayou Mountain’s cultural status
Over 2,000 years ago, Qu Yuan—a great patriotic poet of the Warring States Period—passed through Chenxi three times. During his first exile, he entered Hunan, passed through Cangwu (present-day Changde), and arrived at ancient Chenyang in Chenxi. Upon hearing the mysterious legends of Dayou Mountain, he decided to stay. During his second trip to the Yuanshui River, Qu Yuan had already planned to stop in Chenxi to pay homage to Shanjuan. Because Qu Yuan left his footprints all over Dayou Mountain, later generations built Quzi Pavilion at the spot where he once rested to commemorate him.
Dayou Mountain Martyrs’ Cemetery of the Anti-Japanese War: a patriotic education base
In June 1945 (the 34th year of the Republic of China), Japanese militarism, in its attempt to conquer China, launched the Xuefeng Mountain Campaign to occupy western Hunan. The Chinese defenders—including soldiers from the 3rd Front Army (commanded by Tang Enbo) and the 4th Front Army (commanded by Wang Yaowu)—built an impregnable defense line in the Xuefeng Mountain area to resist the Japanese invasion. The Chinese military and civilians fought bravely with bloodshed. The battle lasted for more than two months, and the Chinese side achieved a complete victory in the battle, accelerating Japan’s unconditional surrender. Over 150 severely wounded soldiers were treated at the 95th Field Hospital in Zaozilin (opposite Tanwan Town) but ultimately succumbed to their injuries. They were buried in the scenic Dayou Mountain Martyrs’ Cemetery.
(Translated by Yang Hong)