The Legend of Jiyu Mountain and Houzi Rock

2020-11-12

Jiyu Mountain and Houzi Rock are located on the north and south sides of the Zelin Reservoir dam. Before the dam was built, these two mountains stood majestically on either side of the Xiushui River.

Legend One: It is said that during the late Tang Dynasty and early Song Dynasty, the area now known as Xihai in Lushan belonged to Haihun (whose county seat was located at Wucheng on Poyang Lake). Most of the people living in Haihun were immigrants from the Loess Plateau in Shanxi Province. At the height of Haihun’s prosperity, its people lived in peace and contentment. However, a malevolent dragon from the Dragon Palace had ill intentions and refused to let the people of Haihun enjoy a good life. The dragon planned to unleash a torrential downpour lasting forty-nine days straight, submerging Haihun completely. As disaster loomed over the people of Haihun, an angel, deeply alarmed by this news, rushed to consult with heavenly generals late at night. Together, they devised a plan: they would cause the Jiuyu Mountain and Houzi Rock to grow across the river, bringing the two mountains together to form a natural barrier against the floodwaters. But the growth of these mountains had to stop precisely at the crowing of the rooster—hence the folk legend, “Houzi Rock, grow forth; Jiuyu Lady, grow across the river.” While the immortals were deliberating, a boat happened to be moored beneath Houzi Rock. The boatman broke into a cold sweat, realizing that if the two mountains did indeed join together, his life would be in grave danger. In his moment of panic, the boatman cleverly imitated the crowing of a rooster before the appointed hour had arrived. As a result, the two mountains stopped growing just short of meeting in the middle of the river, saving the boatman from certain doom. Meanwhile, Haihun was engulfed by the floodwaters and reduced to ruins. Several years later, when Haihun was being rebuilt, a Taoist master who had attained enlightenment while cultivating himself passed through Zhelin. Stopping at Jiuyu Mountain and Houzi Cliff, he looked around carefully and declared, “During the day, a thousand people will come here to pay homage; at night, ten thousand lamps will shine brightly.”

Legend Two: In ancient times, there was a merchant who traveled from Wucheng to Xiushui for business. As his boat approached Houzi Rock, he anchored in the middle of the river at night. Around midnight, the merchant was awakened by loud arguing. Dressing quickly and listening closely, he realized that Houzi Rock and Jiyu Po were locked in a fierce quarrel, each claiming that they could grow faster than the other. Houzi Rock declared, “I’m Houzi Rock—I’ll grow right over here, right now!” Jiyu Po retorted defiantly, “I’m Jiyu Po—I’ll grow across the river before you!” With that, the two rocks began to move straight toward each other, closing in on one another rapidly. Hearing this, the merchant immediately shouted to the boatman to set sail—but before the boat could even leave its berth, the two rocks were about to collide. The merchant, realizing his life was in grave danger, broke into a cold sweat. Just as he was in utter despair, suddenly a white-bearded old man appeared, shouting loudly, “Hold it! Hold it! I’m the Mountain God! How dare you two act so presumptuously without first seeking my permission? If you really want to cross the river, you’ll have to wait another thousand years before you even think about it!” At that very moment, Houzi Rock and Jiyu Po, which had already grown to within just over a hundred meters of each other, were halted by the Mountain God’s intervention. From then on, this spot became the narrowest section of the Xiushui River. Deeply grateful for the Mountain God’s rescue, the merchant burned incense and offered prayers at the bow of his boat. Since then, whenever any vessel passes by Houzi Rock, it is customary for the crew to burn incense, set off firecrackers, and offer sacrifices to the Mountain God—a practice that has continued ever since.

Keywords:

The Legend of Taohua Jian

The Legend of Longtan

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