Lamp Wick Rock
Lamp Wick Rock: In Ten-Mile Gallery stands a stone peak shaped like a lamp wick, named Lamp Wick Rock. On dark nights, gazing closely, one can almost feel a faint glow at its summit. It is said the name was originally given by Zhang Liang. After Zhang Liang retired to Zhangjiajie, he spent his days touring mountains and waters, wandering everywhere. One day he rode his horse to Ten-Mile Gallery and for some reason got lost in the valley...
This article has been compiled from historical materials on 'Zhangjiajie Tour Guide Network' (33519.com · Specialty Foods / Cuisine / Customs section). Prices, business hours, administrative divisions, and statistical data mentioned in the text may already be outdated. Before traveling, please refer to the latest announcements from merchants, scenic areas, and local competent authorities; the parts involving folk legends and folk customs are local historical and cultural anecdotes, provided for cultural reference.
Lamp Wick Rock
In the "Ten-Li Gallery" stands a stone peak shaped like a lamp wick, named Lamp Wick Rock. On dark nights, if you gaze at it closely, you can almost feel a faint glow at its summit.
It is said that the name Lamp Wick Rock was originally given by Zhang Liang.
After Zhang Liang retired into seclusion in Zhangjiajie, he spent his days wandering among the mountains and waters, strolling about everywhere. One day he rode his horse to the Ten-Li Gallery and, for some unknown reason, lost his way in the valley. As darkness fell, in this deep mountain gorge with no village ahead and no inn behind, where could he find lodging? Just when he was at his wit's end, a beam of red light suddenly shot out from the mountain opposite, illuminating everything before him. Zhang Liang looked carefully and saw before him a stone peak shaped like a lamp wick, and the red light was coming from its summit. Zhang Liang knew there was no finding shelter tonight, so he simply took out his military book and sat beneath the stone peak to study. Thus he read through the night until dawn, and strangely felt not the slightest fatigue. So Zhang Liang gave this stone peak a name: Lamp Wick Rock. Later, Zhang Liang built a thatched cottage nearby, where he often tested swords and discussed the Way with friends. After Zhang Liang died, Lamp Wick Rock went dark.
Now, Xiang Dakun had shot three arrows at the imperial palace without success, and the heavenly soldiers and generals had not gathered strength. He thought he must still rely on himself, so he took his sons Zhidao, Zhide, and Zhishan, along with his daughter Zhici, and traveled through the prefectures and counties of Chen, Chang, and Li, linking up with the leaders of the eighteen caves. At Shuirao Simen he raised his banner and proclaimed himself king, establishing the "Xiang King's Heavenly Kingdom." People from all around came to join him like birds flocking to a phoenix. "Within ten days, he had gathered tens of thousands..." (Wanli-era Cili County Gazetteer, November). Xiang Dakun was both glad and worried: glad that the rebel ranks were growing rapidly and becoming ever stronger; worried that although he had served as a soldier and fought in battle, he did not understand military strategy, and to command thousands upon thousands of troops was truly beyond him. He thought day and night, and suddenly remembered the story of Zhang Liang winning the empire with a single military book. He slapped his head and said to himself: Did not Immortal Master Zhang Liang instruct me in a dream that day about "borrowing the book"? Legend has it that Zhang Liang followed the great immortal Chi Songzi roaming the clouds and lived in seclusion in Zhangjiajie, and the "Taigong Military Book" bestowed by Lord Huangshi was always kept by his close disciple, the Iron Flute Fairy. At this thought, he felt a surge of excitement. Late that night, while everyone was sound asleep, he went alone to Zhang Liang's tomb, bowed respectfully three times, and silently intoned: "General Zhang, please lend me a hand and let me borrow your military book for a reading." He bowed once—no response. He bowed a second time—still no answer. Undeterred, he bowed three times and knocked his head nine times, until his forehead bled and the earth shook and the mountains swayed. Then suddenly a wisp of light smoke rose from behind the tomb and drifted away, and thereafter a melodious, elegant flute melody came from afar. Dakun was overjoyed—was this not the Iron Flute Fairy? So he followed the flute sound to the mountain opposite, but the sound seemed to drift in another valley. Thus from spring to summer, from summer to autumn, he searched every ravine and gully of Zhangjiajie, and finally discovered a rock house, on whose lintel were four characters in seal script: "Langhuan Stone Chamber." A fairy with rosy cheeks and white teeth leaned against a pile of wildflowers, snoring softly. Beside her lay an iron flute. Dakun concluded that this must be the Iron Flute Fairy who kept Zhang Liang's military book, and he knelt reverently before her. After about two hours, the fairy awoke. She took a golden-jade treasure box from her pillow and handed it to Dakun, instructing: "Do not reveal Heaven's secrets; do not miss the good opportunity!" With that, she flung her water sleeves and rode the wind away. Dakun immediately opened the treasure box, held up the book with both hands, and began to leaf through it. Strangely, there was not a single word in the book—it was a wordless Heavenly Book! As King Xiang walked on, thinking, he unconsciously came before Lamp Wick Rock. Suddenly the summit blazed with red light, dazzling to the eyes—Lamp Wick Rock, dark for a thousand years, had actually lit up! King Xiang opened the Heavenly Book, and lines of writing immediately appeared on it. Overjoyed, King Xiang began reading the military book in the deep of night...