The Wuxi Stone Carving is located along the banks of the Xiangshui River two kilometers west of Qiyang County, Hunan Province.
Wuxi is a famous scenic spot in the south of Hunan, with peculiar stones, beautiful forests, pretty streams, wonderful cliffs and many stone carvings and steles from successive dynasties.
Some 1,200 years ago, the famous literary craftsman of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), Yuan Jie retired on account of old age and returned to his hometown. As he passed through Wuxi, Yuan was attracted by the beautiful scenery and lingered there, finally settling down. He called an original stream as Wuxi Stream, invited three calligraphers to write his three verses in three kinds of characters of the Han style, and then engraved them on the cliffs. In 761, Yuan asked Yan Zhenqing to write the regular script of his Ode for the Resurgence of the Tang Dynasty, and engraved it on the natural precipice of the section of Wuxi near the Xiangjiang River in 771. The Xuxi Stream is world-famous for its three uniques -- the wonderful text, peculiar characters and splendid cliffs.
The stone carving, of which Yan was very proud, is seven meters high and contains 332 words, each 13 cm wide. The text records the history of the Anshi Turmoil, Emperor Xuanzong's escape to Sichuan and the ceremony of Emperor Suzong's ascendance of throne. Next to the carving on the same cliff stands a bright black stone -- the Mirror Stone -- that can reflect nearby objects.
For several kilometers, the cliffs along the Wuxi Stream are full of inscriptions made by visitors, making it a rare stele forest of poems in the open air. According to statistics, there are 486 stone carvings by over 300 persons there -- most of them in good condition.
With its charming scenery, the Wuxi Stream is a famous tourist place that has gained world fame for its Eight Spots of Wuxi.
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