Wuxiang Mountain

History

juan 17 of the Collected Works of Tao An (Ming), "Record of a Visit to Longming Mountain", records that Tao An was invited by friends to visit Longming Mountain. In the text he states:

即无想山也

Translated: "That is Wuxiang Mountain." This rendering is a translation by this library, not the wording of the original text; the statement is the author's own judgement and is cited here as such, with the juan and the title of the piece given.

The same record notes the site of Han Xizai's reading hall and the juniper he planted, still standing. The era is given as Southern Tang on the strength of Han Xizai's reading hall. The relation between the two mountain names, Longming and Wuxiang, is not recorded in the sources used.

Present state and remains

Wuxiang Mountain has three cliff inscriptions, all in seal script, which are a Cultural Relic Site Protected at the Municipal Level of Nanjing (The Paper, Nanjing Culture and Tourism Bureau account). A website run by the Wuxiang Mountain Scenic Area itself also carries an account of the founding of Zhongshan Academy; it is of limited authority and is used here only as a clue, not as a basis for conclusions.

Points of doubt

• The identification "that is Wuxiang Mountain" is the author's judgement in the Collected Works of Tao An; it is cited as documentary evidence with juan and title, and the naming history of the mountain is not rewritten on its basis.
• The sources used do not record when Han Xizai's reading hall was built or when he studied there.
• The scenic-area website is run by the site itself and is of limited authority; its statements need to be checked against gazetteers and heritage records.