Caishi Rock

Caishi Rock is located on the southern shore of the Yangtze, directly west of Ma'anshan. It is surrounded on the west by the Yangtze, on the north and east by the Suoxi River (锁溪河), and further south by the Caishi River (采石河). It occupies an area of around 80 hectares.^[3] It has been an important crossing over the Yangtze during Imperial China, as its flow becomes less steep after moving towards a northeastern direction.^[4]

Caishi Rock is the origin of the famous Caishi Rock Chagan (采石矶茶干), made out of soybeans into a type of dougan, wrapped in different seasonings including tea leaves.^[5] This chagan requires fifty-six procedures to be made.^[6]

Owing to its strategic location over the Yangtze, between Wuhu and Nanjing, it has been a major crossing over the Yangtze. This has led to many military engagements and famous poets to visit Caishi.

Over its history, Caishi Rock was famous for its many military engagements throughout Chinese history since the Eastern Han dynasty.^[7] Historically, invading armies from the North have primarily selected Caishi as their primary crossing over the Yangtze, by building a navy at Chaohu Lake and attacking the Southern governments' capital Nanjing.^[4] Some battles are listed below:

• 195, Three Kingdoms, part of Sun Ce's conquests in Jiangdong: Sun Ce crosses the Yangtze and defeats Liu Yao's army led by Ze Rong here, but is himself wounded during the battle.
• July 880, Huang Chao Rebellion: Huang Chao shatters Imperial resistance and forcefully crosses the Yangtze here. He proceeds to cross the Huai River and captures Luoyang in November.
• October 974 [zh], part of Song conquest of Southern Tang: Song troops decisively defeat the Southern Tang army, exposing the Southern Tang Capital Nanjing directly.
• November 1161, part of the Jin-Song Wars: The Song army led by Chen Kangbo and Yu Yunwen decisively defeats the invading Jin army led by Wanyan Liang, who is assassinated after the battle in a mutiny.^[8]
• February 1356 [zh]: Zhu Yuanzhang, founding emperor of the Ming dynasty, decisively defeats the Yuan army here, and takes Nanjing the next month.

The famous Tang poet Li Bai visited Caishi many times, and spent the later years of his life near Caishi and Dangtu. During his time at Caishi, he wrote more than fifty poems, including Hengjiangci (横江词), Niuzhu Rock (牛渚矶), and Looking towards the Tianmen Mountains (望天门山).^[2]

By legend, Li Bai is said to have died by drowning after falling from his boat while drunk, as he tried to embrace the reflection of the moon in the Yangtze River. The Tomb of Li Bai is located here.^[9]