Hebei Travel: Stepping into the Palace of Nüwa, the Goddess of Mythology (Photos)

On the morning of May 2, 2007, the self-driving caravan departed from the Longshan Hotel in Shexian and headed for the Palace of Nüwa Scenic Area in Hebei.

Heading to the Palace of Nüwa (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

Nüwa is a household name in China. This goddess, first appearing in the mythological tale from the 'Huainanzi · Lanming' chapter, is said to be the sister of Fuxi, the cultural ancestor, and is depicted with a human head and snake body. She is credited with smelting five-colored stones to mend the heavens, molding clay to create humans, instituting marriage rites, teaching people about marriage, and continuing human life, thus becoming the creator and ancestral goddess widely and long worshipped by the people. Generally speaking, Nüwa is regarded as the great mother of the Chinese nation.

Stone Archway of the Palace of Nüwa (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

According to relevant sources, the stories of Nüwa creating humans and repairing the sky are mere legends. In fact, the so-called 'later generations' built the Palace of Nüwa as a secondary palace for Emperor Gao Yang of the Northern Qi. Since Phoenix Mountain, with its lush peaks and beautiful scenery, was on the emperor's route between the Northern Qi capitals of Yecheng and Jinyang, and Emperor Gao Yang was known for his extravagance and passion for grand construction, especially for carving scriptures and statues, he chose Phoenix Mountain to build the palace.

Entering the Palace of Nüwa (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

Phoenix Mountain is located within Shexian County, Hebei. The Palace of Nüwa is renowned for its magnificent and unique architecture, as well as its large-scale, well-preserved cliffside sutra inscriptions. Construction began between 550 and 577 AD, spanning over 1,400 years of history. Coincidentally, the legend of Nüwa repairing the sky is also said to have taken place here. Thus, records state: 'The heavens were mended, the four corners were straightened, the floodwaters dried up, and Jizhou was pacified.' Later generations built the Palace of Nüwa, also known as 'Grandma Peak,' at the site where Nüwa smelted stones to repair the sky.

Palace of Nüwa Scenic Area (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

The 'Sunshine Yanzhao Tour' self-driving caravan set out from Shexian and reached the Palace of Nüwa Scenic Area in just over 20 minutes. Guided by a tour guide, the car enthusiasts passed through the stone archway and entered the scenic area. The Palace of Nüwa consists of four groups of buildings: Chaoyuan Palace, Tingcan Palace, Guangsheng Palace, and the main Palace of Nüwa. At the foot of the mountain lies Chaoyuan Palace, while on the slopes stand Tingcan Palace and Guangsheng Palace. Ascending the ancient winding path of the Eighteen Bends leads to the main structure, the Palace of Nüwa.

Statue of Nüwa (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

After touring the ancient building complex of Chaoyuan Palace, including the Heavenly King Hall, Mahayana Hall, Three Officials Temple, and Huatuo Temple, the reporters stepped out of the temples and suddenly found a vast open space. Before them stood a towering mountain range, and at the foot of the mountain was a large marble-carved Tai Chi Bagua square covering over a thousand square meters. This square, known as the Sky-Mending Plaza, was surrounded by lush, flower-filled lawns with beautiful scenery.

Corner of the Sky-Mending Plaza (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

Crossing the Sky-Mending Plaza and ascending the steps once more, there stood a tall statue of Nüwa. The base of the statue was adorned with murals depicting ancient stories, with lifelike figures. Behind the statue were the ancient building complexes of Tingcan Palace, Guangsheng Palace, and Xiemadian. In the distance, the main building complex of the Palace of Nüwa seemed to hang on the sheer cliff halfway up the mountain. Beyond this complex and the Fengxian Bridge began the Eighteen Bends climbing trail.

Climbing the winding mountain path (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

The reason the Palace of Nüwa has the Eighteen Bends climbing trail, the reporter believes, is that the mountain body is not wide enough to accommodate a steep, short path. Thus, the winding, meandering trail not only makes the ascent gentle but also earns the pleasant name 'Eighteen Bends.'

Tiaofeng Pavilion at the Palace of Nüwa (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

As everyone ascended from the foot of the mountain, there was no particular feeling of fatigue. Along the mountain path, four scenic pavilions were built according to the terrain: 'Shuixiu Pavilion,' 'Shanming Pavilion,' 'Wangzhang Pavilion,' and 'Tiaofeng Pavilion.' If one extracts characters from these pavilion names, they surprisingly form the poetic phrase 'Tiao wang shan shui, feng zhang ming xiu' (Overlooking mountains and waters, peaks and Zhang River are bright and beautiful), a design that is truly ingenious.

Eighteen Bends Mountain Path (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

The Palace of Nüwa is known as the 'Hanging Building,' 'Suspended Temple,' or 'Living Building,' also called 'Nüwa Pavilion,' and is the most distinctive structure here. As the main hall, other buildings such as the Dressing Tower and Bell and Drum Towers flank it on left and right. Being built against the mountain on three sides—east, south, and north—the structures cling to the precipice, appearing to hover in mid-air.

Taking a photo during the climb (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

On the cliff face behind the halls of the Palace of Nüwa, eight 'horse-tethering noses' have been chiseled, and eight iron chains tightly fasten the buildings to the sheer precipice. Initially, the buildings were entirely wooden. It is said that when the buildings were full of visitors, the center of gravity shifted forward, causing the iron chains to be pulled taut—a masterpiece of dynamic and static integration in ancient Chinese architecture.

Nüwa Pavilion on the Cliff (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

The Nüwa Pavilion is meticulously constructed, majestic and spectacular. This four-story pavilion, 23 meters high, 16.8 meters long, and 13.6 meters deep, sits on a rocky ledge facing south, leaning against a hundred-foot sheer cliff. Its multiple layers of flying eaves and painted wood resemble the wings of a phoenix about to take flight.

The reporter at the Palace of Nüwa (Photo by Cao Qun)

The entire building features glazed tile roofs, painted beams, and carved rafters. Looking up, one sees towering cliffs and jade-like pavilions with layered eaves embedded in the precipice, evoking the feeling that 'the lofty peak and perilous pavilion rival the sky, overlooking the mortal world as lowly.' The entire complex is built to follow the mountain's contours, a masterpiece of craftsmanship. Ascending the pavilion and gazing into the distance, the Taihang Mountains display layers of green peaks, a delightful scene.

Palace of Nüwa on the Cliff (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

On the cliff outside the Nüwa Pavilion are cliffside inscriptions of the 'Lotus Sutra' and the 'Sandhinirmocana Sutra.' The characters are neat, vigorous, and elegant, carved during the Northern Qi period. On the stone wall inside the gate of the Palace of Nüwa stands a Northern Qi stele, inscribed with four large characters: 'Gu Zhong Huang Shan' (Ancient Central Royal Mountain). On the cliff, there are large-character carvings from the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty reading 'Tian Zao Di She Zhi Jing' (Realm Created by Heaven and Earth). Additionally, there are grottoes excavated during the Northern Qi period. The Palace of Nüwa is ancient, serene, and steeped in history, holding great value for the study of history, calligraphy, stone carving art, and Buddhist origins.

Archway of Nüwa Ancient Site (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

Records indicate that the Palace of Nüwa underwent major and minor repairs up to thirty times from the Ming Dynasty onward, with the last renovation in the second year of Xianfeng Emperor of the Qing Dynasty (1852). Existing structures include the Nüwa Pavilion, Mountain Gate, Pi Yang Temple, Dressing Tower, Bell and Drum Towers, Merits Shrine, Yanguang Cave, and Cangu Cave.

Corner of the Palace of Nüwa Building Complex (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

The cliffside sutra inscriptions in the temple are national first-class protected cultural relics, covering an area of 165 square meters. They are carved in five sections on the cliff, comprising six sutras: 'Sutra of the Questions of Brahma Vishnus.,' 'Ten Stages Sutra,' 'Sutra on the Buddha's Final Nirvana.,' 'Sutra on the Ullambana Festival,' 'Sandhinirmocana Sutra,' and 'Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma,' totaling over 1.37 million characters.

Looking into the distance from the Nüwa Pavilion (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

The calligraphy styles include clerical, regular, and Wei stele scripts, described as 'silver hooks and iron strokes, unparalleled wonders under heaven,' making them artistic treasures. This site is the earliest and most extensive cliffside sutra inscription in China, and a precious resource in the history of Buddhism, particularly for early Buddhist scriptures. It holds significant meaning and value for studying the regional distribution, schools, and evolution of calligraphy and carving in early Chinese Buddhism, and is acclaimed as the 'Number One Cliff Scripture Group.' Among the cultural relics at the Nüwa ancient site, the cliffside sutra inscriptions are the most precious and the essence of this historic site.

Bell Tower of the Palace of Nüwa (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

The Nüwa ancient site originated from the veneration of Buddhism and sutra carving, and only later were temples built to worship deities. This reflects the characteristics of Han Chinese cultural psychology, namely a religious concept of multiple worship that venerates both Buddhism and deities. Thus, from cliffside sutra inscriptions to ancient Nüwa architecture, it is a vivid testimony to the integration of indigenous Chinese culture with foreign culture.

Murals on Stone Base (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

Over the millennia, the Palace of Nüwa has gone through several dynasties, suffering repeated destruction. What we see today are mostly structures from the Ming and Qing dynasties, while Northern Qi relics remain only in the grottoes and cliffside sutra inscriptions. Three grottoes remain on the cliff; besides the grotto at the base of Nüwa Pavilion, there are the 'Yanguang' and 'Cangu' grottoes on its right. The stone statues inside the grottoes have been damaged and are incomplete, but the sutras carved around the inner walls are relatively well-preserved.

In front of the Nüwa Pavilion (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

The 2007 May Day self-driving Yanzhao Tour's visit to the Palace of Nüwa deeply impressed the car enthusiasts with the profoundness of Chinese culture. In particular, the accompanying children unconsciously enriched their historical knowledge beyond textbooks. Many car enthusiasts expressed to the reporter that this trip was truly rewarding and beneficial. (Text and photos by Feng Ganyong)