History of Three Visitors Cave

The Three Visitors Cave lies on the Xiling Mountain northwest of Yichang, Hubei Province. From Tang Dynasty to the Republican period in China's history, the Three Visitors Cave was visited by many poets and scholars. And it is well known for its frequent contacts and close connection with the literatus.

History of Three Visitors Cave - Tang Dynasty

In Tang Dynasty, the insurgency of Huaixi Jiedushi (Provincial Military Commander) Wu Yuanji was suppressed. In order to celebrate the success of the settling down the civil strife, Tang Xianzong (Emperor Xianzong of Tang Dynasty) declared to absolve the demoted officials, among which the famous poets Bai Juyi and Yuan Zhen were included. When Bai Juyi was leaving Jiangzhou (today's Jiujiang City in Jiangxi Province) for Zhongzhou (today's Zhongxian County in Chongiqng) and Yuan Zhen was leaving from Tongzhou (today's Dazhou County in Sichuan Province) for Guozhou (today's Sanmenxia City in Henan Province), both of them and Bai Juyi's brother Bai Xingjian encountered in Yiling. They were close friends and were very exalted. During their talk, they found by chance that in one of the caves, the spring water gurgling like singing, jagged rocks in strange shapes and mists and clouds rising. They were astonished and stunned by the fascinating views and wrote poems and a prelude for the unexpected meeting and the magnificent cave. The cave was thus named Three Visitors Cave due to they three meeting and visiting there.

History of Three Visitors Cave - North Song Dynasty

During the North Song Dynasty, the literatus Su Xun and his two sons, Su Shi and Su zhe came to pay a visit to the Three Visitors Cave. Su Xun, Su Shi and Su zhe were all the famous scholars and officials in their times. The same as Bai Juyi, Bai Xingjian and Yuan Zhen, each of the three also wrote a piece of poem on the wall of the cave and were called the "latter three visitors".

History of Three Visitors Cave - South Song Dynasty

On the 8th day of the 10th month of the lunar calendar in 1169 of South Song Dynasty, the then literati and official Lu You was living together with the army. When they passed Yiling on the way to Shu, Lu You found many inscriptions of Huang Tingjian, Ouyang Xiu and other famous literatus. He was full of emotions and made tea with the spring water in the cave. The tea was surprisingly tasty. Lu You wrote an essay on the wall of the cave to record his experience there. From then on , that spring in the cave was called Lu You Spring.

History of Three Visitors Cave - Ming Dynasty

In Ming Dynasty, the noted literatus, Wang Shizhen, Liu Yiru, Gong Shaoren and Lu Xianbang came to the Three Visitors Cave successively and left poems, essays, and inscriptions on the wall of the cave.

History of Three Visitors Cave - The Republican Period

In the Republican period, there were also many scholars and literatus visited the Three Visitors Cave and left their works on the wall of the cave.