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.