Cultural Landscape
Hengshan Mountain
Mt. Hengshan is located about 120km south of Changsha. It is one of the five sacred Buddhist mountains in China, although much of the mountain is also dedicated to Taoist belief. The mountain extends for 80 kilometers, and there are 72 peaks in all, the highest of which is Zhurong Peak. It rises to 1,298 meters above sea level. For a long time, Mount Hengshan has been acknowledged as a holy place of religions, the Civilization Special Area, the Shou Mountain, and the most scenic mount of the Five Sacred Mountains in China. Besides, this mountain is a historical site, a model of national civilized scenic spots and a national 5A-level scenic area.
At the foot of the mountain stands the biggest temple in southern China, Nanyue Grand Temple, which covers an area of 100,000 square meters and which is the largest group of ancient buildings in Hunan Province. The original temple is said to have dated back to at least as far as the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), although it was destroyed by fire at various stages. The present temple dates back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD) and is based on Beijing's Imperial Palace. There are nine courtyards here, with the main hall as a highlight, at 22 meters high and supported by 72 stone pillars in tribute to the mountain's peaks. The temple, glazed in red and yellow, is linked with many other buildings and is a grand palace complex.
The temples on the mountain are mostly austerely charming and small. The most interesting temple here is Zhurong Palace, which is known for its mystical appearance, often through the mist, and the charm of its solid stone walls and iron roof. Other temples definitely worth a visit include Zhusheng Temple, just out of the village, which was built for an unconsummated imperial visit by the Qing Emperor Kangxi; Nantai Temple, which was built during the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368 AD) and is regarded as the origin of a Buddhist branch in Japan and the Fangguang Temple, which is quiet and has some breathtaking views.
Nanyue Grand Temple
File photo/ hunan.gov.cn
The main hall was rebuilt according to the design and style of Beijing Imperial Palace in the 8th year of Emperor Guangxu’s reign (1882). It occupies a land area of 98,900 square meters altogether, and the height of the palace is 72 feet.
It is the biggest and most complete ancient palace-like temple in overall layout in our country’s five mountains. Nanyue Grand Temple comprises four groups of courtyards and nine buildings and maintains the Tang and Song’s artistic essence.
Nanyue Grand Temple is divided into seven entrances. Each entrance possessed its own unique characteristic and purpose, where it displayed the architect’s exquisite craft and skill.
Lingxin Gate, the entry gate to Nanyue Grand Temple, is 20 meters in height, 20 meters in width, and 1.1 meters in thickness. It is the only stone entry gate of such size that remains in China. On each side of the gate, there are one side entrances to the Taoism temples and Buddhist temples. In the second courtyard of Nanyue Grand Temple, a stage called Kuixing Pavilion is built to put on performances to entertain the Gods. The 2-meter-high granite stage has been particularly designed and carved to amplify the voices of the performers on the stage.
Hengyang Cai Lun Memorial Hall
File photo/ hunan.gov.cn
On the bank of Caizi Lake in northern Leiyang City, a memorial hall was built in memory of Cai Lun (63AD-121AD). It occupied an area of 408 square meters. It was made with brick and wood structure and faces the north. The memorial hall consists of three wood-brick bungalows. The hall is elegantly designed and constructed. It houses a statue of Cai Lun and several historical documents relating to paper-making technology. The hall is of great historical and cultural value.
It is not exactly known when Marquis Cai Memorial was begun to be built. In 1338, Chen Zongyi, the governor of Leiyang City, rebuilt the memorial. Being destroyed and reconstructed for several times, the building remaining today was rebuilt in Qing Dynasty. It is simple, unsophisticated, and elegant. Facing the south, it takes an area of 408 square meters and is of bricktimberworks. There are three layers and two courtyards. In the antehall, there are three small houses with green tile roofs. There are corridors on both sides. The middle axis is a paved path with cover leading to the middle hall. There are also three houses in the middle and back halls, connected by a walkway and corridor. Over the main door, there is a stone plaque of "Marquis Cai Memorial", a stone couplet of "with beautiful pool and shining moon, the style of the original residence remains here".
Cai Lun invented paper-making in 105AD, and made the world’s first plant tissue paper, rewriting the history of bamboo and cloth writing notes. It became one of the four greatest inventions in ancient times of China. More than a thousand years later, the skill of paper-making is passed to Eastern Asia and Europe.
Fushou Culture
The South Mountain (Hengshan Mountain) is the Shou Mountain in China's Five Sacred Mountains. Its blessing and Shou culture have a long history, and over a long time, it is a halidome for blessing and begging for long life. South Mountain was called the "Shou Mountain" since the Han dynasty. Since Emperor Huizong of Song Dynasty left the carved stone "Shou Mountain" in the Jinjian Peak of South Mountain, the name "Shou Mountain" was popular. For thousands of years, the South Mountain has been respected as the symbol of long life and prosperity.
South Mountain has a prosperous shou mountain culture, and the atmosphere is dense. Many architectures and relics are named after "shou", such as Wanshou Palace, Shouning Palace, Shoujian Bridge, Shoujian Stream, Baishou Booth, Yanshou Booth, Yanshou Village, Shoufo Hall.
A tripod is located at the top of Jiahe Peak behind the Nanyue Grand Temple. The tripod is 9.9 meters in height and 56 tons in weight, representing the unity of the 56 nationalities in China and longevity of its people. A total of 10,000 gold characters of "Shou" (Longevity) in different Chinese writing styles are engraved on the frontispiece of the tripod, with the biggest cursive script "shou" written by Chairman Mao Zedong. According to the Guinness World Records, the tripod is the tallest, heaviest, and largest of its kind in the world.