Putuo Cliff

The Putuo Cliff is surrounded by mountains. There are many huge stones which are steep.   It’s a huge and steep rock, resembling the head of a tiger. So, it’s commonly known as the Tiger Head Cliff. In the Zhengyuan reign of the Tang Dynasty, Da Dian, an eminent monk, came here and built the Putuo Cliff Temple. In the 1^st year of the Xian gxing reign of the Southern Song (1278 A.D.), Fang Yuanshun, the ancestor of Fang Family in Huilai, concealed himself in the Putuo Cliff with his family in order to elude the soldiers of the Yuan Dynasty. They opened up wasteland, established forests and planted crops. They then rebuilt the temple and established the “ Puto Mountain House”, including, the meditation room, the Buddhist hall and the Bell house. On the left of it are deep hole and fountain. On the right of it is the scene of West Lake Mountain.

There are a lot of wonderful legends here, such as, “Rice-produced and Oil-produced Holes”, “the Revival of Snail and carp” and “Flying Bell and Furnace”.  They are all full of morals and give people edification. Because of quiet and secluded environment as well as miraculous and touching legends, the Putuo Cliff has always been looked on as a holy land.