Dapeng Mountain Cliff Inscriptions consist of the Buddhist Traces Cave inscriptions and the Qin Du An portrait stone carvings. The Buddhist Traces Cave inscriptions are located on the east wall of the Buddhist Traces Cave, south side of the mill station on Dapeng Mountain, totaling three entries with 189 characters, inscribed by Qian Yu from Wulin and Chen Bangyan from Jinping during the Longxing year of the Song Dynasty, Tang Zhongwen, the county magistrate during the Chunxi year, and Qin Zong, a graduate and editor of the Hanlin Academy during the Kangxi year of the Qing Dynasty. The inscriptions feature a clear and vigorous calligraphy style, with a smooth charm that fully demonstrates the elegance of ancient calligraphy art. It is said that the ‘Buddhist Traces’ were discovered by the Tang Dynasty monk Da Hui when he built a hut in the cave for cultivation, hence the name. The late Ming and early Qing Dynasty thinker Huang Zongxi also visited the Buddhist Traces Cave.
The Qin Du An portrait stone carvings are located on the cliff 100 meters southeast of the Buddhist Traces Cave. The carvings face east, with a vertical height of 1.2 meters and a horizontal width of 3.5 meters, composed of a square shrine and accompanying texts and stone carving portraits. The portraits include figures, waves, ships, and mythical beasts, depicted in a grand and simple style, which experts have identified as being carved during the Yuan Dynasty. At the eastern end of the cliff, there is a separate rock formation, sculpted into the shape of a lion according to its natural form, blending seamlessly with the portrait stone carvings. Dapeng Mountain has a long history and is said to be the starting point for Xu Fu, a Qin Dynasty alchemist, who set sail to the east. It has long been a place for Buddhist dignitaries to meditate and for literati to visit. These two sets of inscriptions contain rich historical information, fully showcasing the charm of ancient stone carving art. They are important historical materials for the study of Xu Fu’s culture, the religious history of Eastern Zhejiang, and folklore, and have certain historical and artistic value. On August 4, 1986, the Cixi County People’s Government declared the Dapeng Mountain Cliff Inscriptions a county-level cultural relics protection unit, which was promoted to a provincial cultural relics protection unit in Zhejiang in January 2011. The inscriptions are well-preserved except for minor weathering. They are now an important attraction in the Xu Fu Cultural Park, invested and constructed by the Yagor Group. The specific business hours are subject to the daily opening conditions.
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