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Penglai Water City and Penglai Pavilion
The Penglai Water City is located in the east foot
of Danya Mountain in the north of Penglai County, Shandong Province.
The Penglai Water City, also called Beiwo City, was a fortress of coastal
defense and a hinge of sea transportation. Facing the sea and learning against
the mountain, the water city has a precipitous cliff, which makes it a natural
barrier itself. The city became a military stronghold in the Han Dynasty
(206BC-220AD) and the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Establishments for coastal
defenses were built in the second year (1042) of the Qingli reign of the
Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). The water city was built in the ninth year
(1376) of the Hongwu reign of the early Ming Dynasty (1368-1644); military
headquarters against Japanese was established in the sixth year (1408) of the
Yongle reign. Established in the twenty-fourth year (1596) of the Wanli reign,
Chief Department of War Inspection (a governmental department in ancient China)
governed the affairs about the fight and the coast defense of Shandong Province
and concurrently managed the sea transportation. Qi Jiguang, a famous
anti-Japanese general, used to lead the navy and prepare for the battle against
Japan here. A large number of troops had been stationed here in the early Qing
Dynasty.
Having a perimeter of 2,200 meters, the water city was built of mixed earth
and stones, with a rectangle plane. The only two doors open are the south door
and the north door. The former is a land door leading to a land route. The
latter is a water door leading to the sea. Located in the center of the water
city, Xiaohai (small sea) has a rectangular plane, with a length of 655 meters
from south to north, and splits the city into two parts, east part and west
part. Occupying half of water surface, it is a main construction in the city and
is for berthing ships and training the navy. In its flourishing age in the Ming
Dynasty, there are waterside pavilions dotting the bank, with music and songs
all through the night. Several establishments for war were built inside and
outside the water city, such as docks, anti-wave platforms, wave-preventing
dams, navy encampments, lighthouses, emplacements, fight platforms, water gates
and moats, etc, which form a precise sea defense system that holds an important
place in the history of Chinese seaport architecture.
The Penglai Pavilion is located on the top of Danya Mountain in the north of
Penglai County, east of Shandong Province.
The buildings of the Penglai Pavilion are high up in the air, with cloud and
mist around, making it look like an Asgard or a jade pavilion. Stepping on and
looking around the mountains and islands, one can see unbounded sea with water
and sky in the same color, illusively; the wonder of mirage appears often. This
is the famous Penglai fairyland in ancient stories. The Penglai Pavilion was
first built in the Jiayou reign of the Northern Song Dynasty and latter expanded
in the Ming Dynasty. It has a double-eave gable and hip roof and is 15 meters
tall with cloister around. On its top hangs a stele with the name of the
pavilion written in golden letters by Tie Bao, a calligrapher of the Qing
Dynasty (1644-1911). There are several constructions in the south of the
pavilion, such as the Sanqing Hall, the Luzu Hall, the Tianhou Palace, the
Longwang Palace, the Guanlan Platform, etc. These buildings feature a compact
layout.
Penglai Mountain is one of the three immortal mountains (Penglai, Fangzhang,
Yingzhou) of Taoism. According to the historical record, when the Great Yu came
here to control the floods, he worshipped the God in the cave and credited the
water control to the empyrean. Later, Qin Emperor Shihuang, Han Emperor Wudi
also sought gods here for pills of immortal. Assigned by Qin Emperor Shihuang,
Xu Fu, an alchemist in the Qin Dynasty (221-206BC), set sail here to seek gods
but never returned. The Guanlan Pavilion is located in the southeast of the
Penglai Pavilion. Viewing the sea scenery and the sunrise in the pavilion is
full of sentiment. Below the cliff of the Guanlan Pavilion is the old water
city, where Qi Jiguang, a national hero, used to direct the navy drilling for
the fight against Japanese invasion. The Penglai Pavilion has been a
conglomeration place for literators and scholars since long before. More than
200 inscriptions for sea viewing and notes in past dynasties were preserved
there now.
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