Shadow Play Gorge & Military Books and Precious Sword Gorge
Xiling Gorge
Shadow Play Gorge & Military Books and Precious Sword Gorge
Shadow Play Gorge
Most people are familiar with the four major characters in the Chinese classic novel Journey to the West, that is, the priest Xuanzang and his three disciples (the irreverent and capable Monkey, greedy Pig and Friar Sand). Interestingly enough, they can be met in the Shadow-Play Gorge.
Ten kilometers (about 6.2 miles) west of the Nanjin Pass, visitors move into a gorge that appears narrow and straight and is rich in limestone. Many odd rocks and grotesque stelae conjure up different scenes. Looking up to the mountain on the south bank, visitors see four grotesque rocks standing on the top resembling the argus-eyed Monkey, the corpulent Pig, the heavy loaded Sand and the calm Xuanzang on horseback. Every passer-by is astonished by the coincidence of nature. The four characters became alive when sunlight sweeps down, reflecting the exultation after their obtaining of the Buddhist sutras from India. Viewed from afar, the scene looks very much like a local shadow play, so people refer to this section of the gorge as Shadow-Play Gorge.
Military Books and Precious Sword Gorge
This four-kilometer gorge is situated between Xin Tan (New Rapid) and Xiangxi Stream (Fragrant Stream). On top of the northern cliff, stratified layers of rock slabs resemble a pile of books, called "military books", and a sword-shaped rock right beside, which thrusts in the river, resemble a sword, hence the name Military Books and Sword (Bingshu Baojian Xia) .
One legend has it that Zhuge Liang, military adviser to the King of Shu in Three Kingdoms Period, became seriously ill while passing this way. He placed his valuable military treatises up here to keep them safe for later generations. Another legend said that it was when he retired from official life and went into seclusion that he hid his military writings and sword here.
According to the records, once an official asked his entourages to find out that the "Military Books" were suspended coffins on the cliff when his boat passing by. There came relics like bronze swords and pottery, which later have proved to be the heritages of Ba people in ancient times. And the "Precious Sword" is falling slabs of Just opposite the gorge a large cleft rock stands on the south side. Fine sand, blown by river winds, piles up on this rock and then slowly sifts through a hole below, so the gorge has another name called Rice Granary Gorge (Micang Xia).
