Caishi Rock

Caishi Rock is located on the southern shore of the Yangtze, directly west of Ma'anshan. It is surrounded on the west by the Yangtze, on the north and east by the Suoxi River (锁溪河), and further south by the Caishi River (采石河). It occupies an area of around 80 hectares.{{cite web|url=http://www.bytravel.cn/landscape/18/caishi.html|website=bytravel.cn|title=采石矶文化生态旅游区-马鞍山市雨山区采石矶文化生态旅游区旅游指南[组图]|access-date=2024-12-30}} It has been an important crossing over the Yangtze during Imperial China, as its flow becomes less steep after moving towards a northeastern direction.{{cite web|url=https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_15162523|website=thepaper.cn|title=采石之战：一场被过度渲染的大捷_澎湃号·湃客_澎湃新闻-The Paper|access-date=2024-12-30}}

Caishi Rock is the origin of the famous Caishi Rock Chagan (采石矶茶干), made out of soybeans into a type of dougan, wrapped in different seasonings including tea leaves.https://www.mas.gov.cn/wap/content/article/273513 This chagan requires fifty-six procedures to be made.{{cite web | url=https://www.sohu.com/a/272080983_114967 | title=香飘四海的采石矶茶干_记者 | website=Sohu }}

Owing to its strategic location over the Yangtze, between Wuhu and Nanjing, it has been a major crossing over the Yangtze. This has led to many military engagements and famous poets to visit Caishi.

Over its history, Caishi Rock was famous for its many military engagements throughout Chinese history since the Eastern Han dynasty.{{cite web|url=http://www.drhuang.com/chinese/regional/travel/asia/china/ANHUI/Maanshan/Caishiji.htm|website=drhuang.com|title=中国旅游|access-date=2024-12-30}} Historically, invading armies from the North have primarily selected Caishi as their primary crossing over the Yangtze, by building a navy at Chaohu Lake and attacking the Southern governments' capital Nanjing. Some battles are listed below:

• 195, Three Kingdoms, part of Sun Ce's conquests in Jiangdong: Sun Ce crosses the Yangtze and defeats Liu Yao's army led by Ze Rong here, but is himself wounded during the battle.
• July 880, Huang Chao Rebellion: Huang Chao shatters Imperial resistance and forcefully crosses the Yangtze here. He proceeds to cross the Huai River and captures Luoyang in November.
• {{ill|October 974|zh|采石之战 (974年)}}, part of Song conquest of Southern Tang: Song troops decisively defeat the Southern Tang army, exposing the Southern Tang Capital Nanjing directly.
• November 1161, part of the Jin-Song Wars: The Song army led by Chen Kangbo and Yu Yunwen decisively defeats the invading Jin army led by Wanyan Liang, who is assassinated after the battle in a mutiny.{{cite web|url=https://www.allhistory.com/article/5fb77aacef4c9f00012bab56|title=全历史 – 完全的历史|website=allhistory.com|access-date=2024-12-30}}
• {{ill|February 1356|zh|集庆之战}}: Zhu Yuanzhang, founding emperor of the Ming dynasty, decisively defeats the Yuan army here, and takes Nanjing the next month.

The famous Tang poet Li Bai visited Caishi many times, and spent the later years of his life near Caishi and Dangtu. During his time at Caishi, he wrote more than fifty poems, including Hengjiangci (横江词), Niuzhu Rock (牛渚矶), and Looking towards the Tianmen Mountains (望天门山).

By legend, Li Bai is said to have died by drowning after falling from his boat while drunk, as he tried to embrace the reflection of the moon in the Yangtze River. The Tomb of Li Bai is located here.{{cite web|url=http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrbhwb/html/2013-08/30/content_1291714.htm|website=paper.people.com.cn|title=人民日报海外版-人民网|access-date=2024-12-30}}

A Buddhist temple, Guangji Temple, is located here. It was built during the Eastern Wu period, in 239 AD. Only the well (Chiniao Well赤乌井) is original – the temple has been rebuilt many times due to damage from wars.{{cite web|url=http://travel.sina.com.cn/spot/guangjs.html|website=travel.sina.com.cn|title=广济寺_旅游频道_新浪网|access-date=2024-12-30}}

Sanyuan Cave (三元洞),{{cite web|url=http://www.zglxw.com/anh/maanshan/25191.html|website=zglxw.com|title=【三元洞】马鞍山三元洞景点介绍,门票,在哪里-国旅北京|access-date=2024-12-30}}

Santai Pavilion (三台阁) is a five-story,https://www.masys.gov.cn/zjys/tpys/13169771.html {{convert|30|m|ft|sp=us|adj=mid|-tall|}} pavilion located at the highest point of Caishi Rock. It was built during the fifteenth year of the Chongzhen era in the Ming dynasty (1642 AD).{{cite web | url=https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/kRq-7RXlC4RykyG1c5k9IQ | title=【名篇佳作】《三台阁题记》 }} It was destroyed by war during the Qianlong era, and later rebuilt.{{cite web | url=https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/VtSWdlNQDAau8HMDocpbGg | title=【景区风光】三台阁 }}

Taibai Tower (太白楼) and Taibai Hall (太白祠) is the biggest Li Bai memorial hall in China.{{cite web|url=https://news.hangzhou.com.cn/gnxw/content/2023-11/17/content_8644979.htm|website=news.hangzhou.com.cn|title=探访采石矶：诗仙李白为何在此安歇？_杭州网|access-date=2024-12-30}} It is a three-story {{convert|18|m|ft|sp=us|adj=mid|-tall|}} building. A statue of Li Bai is located within the complex.https://www.masys.gov.cn/zjys/msly/13169521.html The complex was destroyed many times by fire since its building in the Tang dynasty (although this is contestedhttp://www.chinalibai.com/index.php?m=content&c=index&a=show&catid=44&id=14509 ), while the current complex was the result of rebuilding during the third year of the Guangxu era by {{ill|Peng Yulin|zh|彭玉麟}}.{{cite web | url=https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/46E4ztelv3Yd6PiIYr24KQ | title=看《长安三万里》，听听李白与马鞍山的故事~ }}

It is grouped with the famous Yueyang Tower, Yellow Crane Tower, and Pavilion of Prince Teng as the Four Towers of the Yangtze (长江三楼一阁). It is a 7th batch Historical National priority protected site.https://www.gov.cn/guoqing/2014-07/21/dqpqgzdwwbhdwmd.pdf

• Chenglingji
• Swallow Rock
• Yangtze
• Dangtu County
• Ma'anshan

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