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Situated on the western bank of Li River in the northern
part of the city, this attraction is actually an integrative garden
park in the city center with a handsome hill, unique mountain caves
and elegant garden rock formations.
Elegantly standing on the riverside, Fubo Hill (Wave-Subduing Hill)
has its half standing in the river and the other half perching on
land. The river waters are blocked by the hill and eddy, creating
wavelets, hence the name - Subduing Wave Hill (literally means the
waters has been subdued by the hill). Another legend says the hill
got its name from a general, called Fubo who came to the place in
a past dynasty.
A cloister cruising on the eastern hillside leads to the top of
the hill, on the half-way of which stands a pavilion named Tingtao
Pavilion, (Listen-to-the-Wave Pavilion). The hilltop offers a breathtaking
view of the picturesque mountain and river scenery of the city.
At the eastern foot of the hill is a zigzagged water-eroded cave
called Huan-Zhu Cave (Pearl-Retreating Cave), in which a variety
of inscriptions of the well-known Chinese calligraphers and painters
in the past dynasties can be found. Among them, the self-portrait
and inscriptions of Mi Fu, one of the four greatest calligraphers
in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) is the most precious one. There are
also over 400 Buddhist carvings and statues of the Tang Dynasty
(618-907) on the interior wall of the cave.
The eastern exit of the cave is a large opening over the river and
there is a rock pillar hanging down from the cave with a larger
upper body and a small lower tip. The tip almost reaches the ground
with a gap only less than three centimeters (1.18 inches). Therefore,
being looked afar, it seems like a sword plugging into the ground.
It has a legend that a general named Fubo once tested his sword
here and another interesting one goes that if the pillar touches
the ground, there would be a Zhuang Yuan (the Number One Scholar,
the very best in the imperial exam) who had got his success.
At the entrance gate of the park, there is a huge iron bell at the
weight of over 2,500 kilograms and a big boiler, which is said to
cook meals for over 1,000 people. These are two relics from a Qing
Dynasty temple and the inscriptions on them are still discernible.
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