Anyue Stone Carvings - Yuanjue Cave Scenic Area III

Yuanjue Cave Cliff Carvings Scenic Area, Anyue, Ziyang After visiting Yuanjue Cave, continue up the stone steps beside the Lotus Hand Guanyin Grotto. When you reach the next platform, you will see the characters "龟鹤" (turtle and crane) carved into the cliff on the right. This is a magical sight. Below the characters is a square pool. When visitors look at the reflection of the characters in the water, the characters appear to be carved in relief. The famous Turtle and Crane Pool on Yunju Mountain is 1.6 meters high and 1 meter wide. The characters were carved by Li Shi of Gaoling at the end of the Tang dynasty. At the top of Yunju Mountain, opposite the Turtle and Crane Pool, are Ge Xian Well and Liuxian Pavilion. Legend has it that Ge Xian Well is a relic of Ge Hong from the Eastern Jin dynasty. It is said that Ge Hong, a famous Taoist theorist and physician, practiced Taoism here and became an immortal. After he left, he left behind two wells. Continue down the mountain to see the God of Wealth Temple and Tang Gong Temple. In addition to its exquisite carvings, Yuanjue Temple Scenic Area is also a place to commemorate Chen Tuan. Chen Tuan was a native of Guanyin Valley, Longtai Town, Anyue County. He was known as Tunan and Fuyaozi, and was a famous Taoist figure in the late Five Dynasties and early Song dynasty. He is known as the founder of Neo-Confucianism in the Song dynasty. He wrote "Wu Ji Tu," "Xian Tian Tu," and "Yi Long Tu," and is revered by Taoists as Chen Tuan Laozu. Chen Tuan Hall was originally called Zhenxiang Temple. It is located in front of Chen Tuan's tomb and is the oldest temple on Yunju Mountain. In 1999, a statue of Chen Tuan was erected in the hall, and it became known as Chen Tuan Hall. Yuanjue Cave Grottoes fully embody the characteristics of Anyue Grottoes: ancient, numerous, exquisite, and beautiful. They are known as "another great treasure trove of ancient Chinese stone carvings."