Complete Map of the Sacred Peak of the South

Qing dynasty (1644–1911), undated, ca. 1908

Handscroll, ink and color on paper; 31.8 x 210.0 cm

Inventory number: 074.3/(226.51)/1908/2882

Mount Heng, the sacred peak of the south, was first mentioned in the ancient texts Shu jing (Book of Documents) and Zhou li (Rites of Zhou).  Mount Heng is actually a 400-kilometer-long range of 72 granite peaks stretching between Hengyang in the south and Changsha in the north, towering above the low-lying Xiang River valley.  The highest, the Blessed Fire Peak, reaches an elevation of 1,298 meters above sea level.

This handscroll map takes the form of a traditional Chinese landscape painting.  Depicted from right to left (north to south) are the provincial capital of Changsha, the county seat of Xiangtan, and prefectural seat of Hengzhou.  Among the scenic spots identified are the Yuelu Peak across the Xiang River from Changsha; Shibing Peak; Tianzhu Peak; the main cluster of peaks culminating in the Blessed Fire Peak; the Mid-Mountain Pavilion; the Water Curtain Cave; the Temple of Offerings; the South Terrace Monastery, first built in the sixth century; the Guanyin Peak with a cave temple dedicated to Guanyin; and the Nine Transcendents Monastery.  The most prominent architectural feature on the map is the Temple of the Sacred Peak of the South, one of the most magnificent in China.  First built during the Tang dynasty in 725 and expanded over the course of the Song, Yuan, and Ming periods, it was destroyed by fire in the late Ming.  Rebuilt in 1708, it again succumbed to flames during the Tongzhi period (1862–74).  It is depicted on the map as it appeared after the last rebuilding of 1882.  At the end of the scroll is the prefectural seat of Hengzhou; a three-character inscription on the lower edge denotes the eastern bank, reminding the viewer that the peaks of Mount Heng are located on the western side of the Xiang River.