Xiangshan Fishing Spot, a Pavilion for Quiet Reflection

At Mingxiang Lake in the Xiangshan Scenic Area of Zhangjiagang, Suzhou, the fishing pavilion stands quietly on the northern foothills of Xiangshan. From here, you can gaze over the flatlands and admire the clear waves nearby, making it a tranquil spot within the Xiangshan Scenic Area. The long-ago story dates back to the 11th century BC. It is said that after Jiang Ziya helped stabilize the Zhou dynasty, he was ordered by the king to travel east in search of worthy descendants. Passing by Xiangshan, he saw the clear river water and serene forest valleys on the northern foothills, so he fished by the water here, taking a brief respite from worldly affairs. Both the Jiangyin County Annals and the Fengtu Ji record: "Twenty li east of Jiangyin, on the northern foothills of Xiangshan, there is a stone measuring one zhang and three chi wide, which is where Jiang Taigong fished." This massive stone, having endured three thousand years of wind and rain, silently witnesses that historic era of great change. In later generations, to commemorate Taigong’s legacy, this pavilion was built beside the stone. Today, when visitors climb up and rest in the pavilion, watching the lake and mountain scenery and listening to the wind through the treetops, it almost feels as if they can still see—across the vast misty waves—a lone figure with a bamboo hat and fishing rod, drifting through the river of time, silently meeting the present. A wisp of quiet reflection has thus quietly flowed between the mountains, water, pavilion, and stone for a thousand years.