Water Surrounding Four Gates
At the end of Golden Whip Stream where water winds around four gates lies an oasis, with four streams flowing around it from east, south, west, and north. A feng shui master said these four gates were four city gates, and one day a true emperor would rise here. One year, a couple named Xiang Zhaorong cleared the land, cut grass, and built a thatched hut on this oasis. The man hunted, the wife fished, and they lived a leisurely life.
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 Prices, business hours, administrative divisions, and statistical data mentioned in the text may already be outdated.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.
Water Winding Around Four Gates
At the end of Golden Whip Stream lies a green islet, with four streams winding around it from east, south, west, and north. The geomancers said: these four gates are four city gates, and in the future a Son of Heaven will emerge here.
One year, a couple named Xiang Zhaorong came to this green islet, cleared the land and cut the grass, and built a thatched hut to shelter themselves. The man hunted, the wife fished, and they lived quite leisurely.
In his lifetime, the hunter had eight sons, named respectively Daya, Dachao, Daqian, Dakun, Dayuan, Daheng, Dali, and Dazhen. When Dakun was born, he weighed a full twelve jin. According to local custom, the old hunter weighed out a lump of raw iron of twelve jin and soaked it in medicinal water. When Dakun was one year old, his parents used scorched bamboo strips to brand the soles of his feet, branding them until he could step on thorns without injury. At five, his father took him into the mountains to hunt tigers; though barefoot, he could stride swiftly through deep mountains and dense forests. When Dakun reached twelve, the raw iron had soaked for twelve years. His father forged the iron into a chopping knife and made a bow from willow wood, and had him practice with the knife and arrows every day.
When Dakun reached eighteen, all eight brothers were seized by the imperial court one by one to go to war. Although Xiang Dakun won brilliant military achievements through his great martial skill, he saw how the court and corrupt officials cruelly oppressed and exploited the poor, and his heart was filled with indignation. He vowed to rise above others, to change the dynasty, and to let all the poor people under heaven live in peace.
Because the Da Kun brothers were so famous, some treacherous officials took the opportunity to sow discord in front of the emperor, hoping to put them to death. After hearing this, the emperor summoned the eight Da Kun brothers, wanting to sound out the truth. The emperor asked: "Given that you eight brothers have such abilities, could it be that you are sons of noble houses? If so, I shall exempt you from tribute and taxes." Da Kun replied: "This humble one is neither of noble birth nor of a general's or minister's family — I am merely the son of a humble mountain hunter." The emperor was somewhat skeptical and asked again: "Your family estate must be quite large?" Da Kun thought, let me fool him a bit, and said: "My home has a thousand golden pillars for its base, and at night ten thousand silver lamps hang high; at dawn a clear breeze sweeps the floor, and when the moon sets, gongs and drums close the gate; in the hall there are seventy people carrying water, eighty people cooking rice, and three salt boats go down to the river — one year one capsized at Eagle Beak, and we had to eat plain rice." The emperor was greatly astonished and said: "Such a vast estate is rarely seen in the world!" Da Kun laughed inwardly: What they have is a thatched hut, star-lamps, wind blowing through the thatch, and a sieve and winnowing basket blocking the wicker door. A seventy-year-old father carries water, an eighty-year-old mother cooks rice, and because the family is poor, they rely entirely on three ducks laying eggs to trade for salt — that year an eagle snatched one away, so of course they had to eat plain rice!
Several treacherous officials seized the chance to slander them, saying: "The eight Xiang Da Kun brothers, tucked away in the southern barbarian lands, harbor deep ambitions and will sooner or later rebel against the court. Better to pull up the weeds by the roots!" The emperor nodded sinisterly again and again, then bestowed upon Da Kun a jar of imperial wine and permitted him to return home to visit his family. Halfway there, Da Kun got a craving for wine, tilted his head back, and gulped the whole jar down. After just a few steps, he suddenly felt a pain in his belly like being sliced by knives, and collapsed by the roadside.
Who knows how long passed — Da Kun seemed to see an old Daoist with crane-white beard and youthful face sitting beside him. The old Daoist said: "You just drank poisoned wine. The court wants to wipe out your entire clan." Da Kun asked: "Please, venerable elder, show me the way." The old Daoist said: "I give you four lines: Head at Ershen Pool, tail at Fengqi Mountain; the family rises at Paper Horse Landing, and ends at Shen Tang Bay." Da Kun guessed these were four lines of prophecy, but could not fathom them for the moment. The old Daoist added: "I give you eight more words: Borrow the book — take the sword — subdue the horse — shoot the arrow." Da Kun half-understood and asked: "May I ask your venerable name, so that if I survive this great calamity, I may repay you generously?" The old Daoist did not answer directly, but slowly chanted a poem in a long, drawn-out voice:
Peace was originally won by generals, yet generals are not allowed to see peace.
The foolish covet rank and die on the blade; better to go straight to the woods and springs and hide one's name.
Da Kun dropped to one knee and kowtowed, saying: "So you are the immortal Marshal Zhang Liang who wanders through Zhangjiajie! I was just thinking of immediately charging against the court for revenge."
The old Daoist said: "The time has not yet come; you must not be rash!" With that, he took an iron bow from his back and handed it to Da Kun, saying: "You must still shut yourself in and train hard for three years and six months. When the chickens fly and the dogs climb onto the roof, open the central door and shoot three arrows toward the east — then you will surely succeed." Da Kun took the iron bow, knelt and bowed, only to feel a sharp pain in his knees — it had all been a dream.
When Da Kun returned, he saw that his parents had already been killed by the court, so he shut the main hall door tight and trained day and night in martial arts. He trained and trained — he could pick up fish from the stream with chopsticks, toss a three-hundred-catty stone lock into midair, lift a five-hundred-catty stone roller over his head, hit a yellow oriole's eye with an arrow from a hundred paces, and walk across plant ash without leaving footprints... This training went on for three years. One day, his younger sister Jinhua came down from Xiangtian Bay to visit their parents' graves, and seeing her brother still shut in training, she urged him to open the door and shoot the arrows for revenge. Da Kun said: "I have only trained for three years. My archery is not precise, my skills not yet mastered, and the time when chickens fly and dogs jump onto the roof has not come — how can I shoot?" His sister was impatient. The next morning, she grabbed a bamboo pole and chased and beat the chickens and dogs until they all flew and jumped onto the roof. Jinhua ran to her brother and said: "Brother, the chickens have flown and the dogs are on the roof — you can shoot now!" Da Kun came out and saw it was indeed so. He mounted his white horse, climbed to the Southern Heavenly Gate, drew the iron bow, and toward the east — whoosh! whoosh! whoosh! — shot three arrows in succession. The emperor was holding his morning court when one arrow came flying and with a clang! shot off a corner of the dragon desk! Before the emperor could recover from the shock, a second arrow came whistling and embedded itself in the dragon pillar behind him! Then a third arrow came, passing right through the emperor's golden crown! The emperor was scared ashen-faced and dove under the desk,
shouting loudly for the assassin to be caught. Someone pulled an arrow from the dragon pillar, and on it were written the three characters "Xiang Da Kun." The emperor cried in shock: "How is this Da Kun not dead from poison?" Then he roared: "This Da Kun barbarian has indeed rebelled! I will raze Wuling to the ground and wash Suoxi in blood!"
Meanwhile, just as Xiang Da Kun had shot the three arrows, at the nan bamboo weir across the way (in present-day Longweiba Village) there came a crackling burst of explosions — every nan bamboo stalk split open, and from each joint leaped out a man, a horse, and a spear. Some had only one leg over the horse; some had noses and eyebrows not yet fully formed. When the bamboo exploded, a fierce wind blew all the paper men and paper horses into the sky, drifting and floating down to the sandbar. Because the time had not yet come, none of the three thousand heavenly soldiers and generals had matured. Afterwards, people called Shuirao Simen "Paper Horse Landing."