Wuhan Attractions: Guqin Terrace

The Guqin Terrace was built during the Northern Song Dynasty. It is said that during the Spring and Autumn period, Yu Boya, a lute player from the State of Chu, played the lute here to express his feelings; Zhong Ziqi, a woodcutter living on the mountain, was able to recognize the melodies he played and understand that his aspirations were related to the beauty of mountains and flowing water. As a result, Boya regarded Ziqi as a true friend. A few years later, Bo Ya passed by Turtle Mountain again and learned that Zi Qi had died of illness. Overcome with grief, he broke his zither and cut its strings, never playing the zither again for the rest of his life. Moved by the depth of their friendship, later generations built a platform here to commemorate them. To the east of the Guqin Platform lies Gui Mountain, while to the north is Yue Lake; the view of the lake complements the landscape, creating a beautiful and serene scene with rich cultural significance, thus forming a vast and profound artistic realm. In the early years of the Jiaqing reign of the Qing dynasty, Bi Yuan, the governor of Huguang, supervised the reconstruction of the Guqin Platform. He asked Wang Zhong to write the \"Inscription and Preface to the Guqin Platform\" (some say it was titled \"Inscription and Preface to the Guqin Platform on the Han River\") as well as \"Research on the Story of Boya\". In the 10th year of the Guangxu era (1884 AD), Huang Pengnian wrote \"A Record of the Reconstruction of the Qintai in Hanyang.\" In the 16th year of the Guangxu era (1890 AD), Yang Shoujing took charge of the project and personally inscribed the text; he had \"The Inscription and Preface of the Qin Platform,\" \"Research on Boya’s Life,\" and \"Record of the Reconstruction of the Hanyang Qin Platform\" re-erected in the stele corridor of the Qin Platform, and he also wrote the three characters \"Ancient Qin Platform\" on the lintel of the main gate.

Legend 1: It is said that during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, there was a minister in the state of Chu named Yu Boya, who was extremely skilled at playing the zither. Once, Bo Ya was sent on a official mission by the King of Chu; he traveled down the river by boat. As he passed by the Hanyang area, a violent storm broke out. He stopped his boat at the foot of Gui Mountain. Unable to wait for the weather to clear, he felt uplifted and inspired, so Bo Ya played the zither to express his feelings. As soon as the strings of the zither broke during that short piece played, Bo Ya realized that someone was eavesdropping. He asked that person to come out, and it turned out to be the woodcutter Zhong Ziqi. Boya tuned his zither, pondered for a moment, then played a piece expressing the spirit of lofty mountains. Zi Qi praised, “How beautiful!” Lofty are the aspirations that reach for the heights. ”Boya played another piece on the zither, one whose theme was flowing water. Zi Qi praised again, “How beautiful!” The spirit wanders like flowing water. ”Boya was overjoyed to have found a kindred spirit; they became close friends and agreed to meet again the following year. The following year, it was the time when Boya was to meet Ziqi, but unfortunately, Ziqi had already passed away from illness. Boya was filled with grief; he played the tune “High Mountains and Flowing Water” in front of Ziqi’s grave. After the music ended, Bo Ya felt even more lonely without his kindred spirit; overwhelmed with grief, he realized that playing the zither was meaningless, so he broke the strings and shattered the instrument, vowing never to play the zither again.

Legend 2: Another version suggests that Yu Boya was from Ying, the capital of the State of Chu, and served as a high-ranking official in the State of Jin; the story takes place during his mission to Chu. On a Mid-Autumn night marked by strong winds and rough waves, the woodcutter Zhong Ziqi, caught in the rain while chopping wood, hurried home and saw an official boat. At the bow of the boat, a scholar played the zither, creating melodies that evoked the imagery of towering mountains and flowing rivers, thus expressing his feelings about the river and the moon. In order not to disturb the nobleman, he hid in the bushes. Lost in the beauty of the music, he made noise without realizing it; Bo Ya questioned him. Since Zhong Ziqi recognized the quality of this zither, he explained that it had been made from fine trees such as the wutong tree, and this earned Bo Ya’s appreciation. Thus, the two became soulmates. The story of Yu Boya and Zhong Ziqi becoming soulmates has been widely circulated among scholars and the general public for thousands of years; the legendary nature of their bond has added a touching and admirable chapter to Chinese culture. True friendship has evolved into an unwavering loyalty among friends, and it has also become an excellent tradition and a noble virtue of the Chinese nation.

The main attractions of the Guqin Terrace scenic area include: the story of Yu Boya and Zhong Ziqi becoming soulmates, as well as the \"Wax Figure Museum\"”； The \"Heart-Imprinting Stone House\" personally inscribed by Emperor Daoguang of the Qing Dynasty for Tao Wenyi” ； “Statue of Boya Playing the Zither in White Marble ； The stele corridor houses inscriptions such as \"Inscription and Preface to the Qin Platform,\" \"Research on Boya’s Story,\" and \"Record of the Reconstruction of the Hanyang Qin Platform.\" ； In the sixth year of the Daoguang era of the Qing dynasty (1826 AD), Song Xiang, who was in charge of grain distribution in Hubei and was also a calligrapher, wrote the poem \"Poem Inscribed on the Wall of the Qin Terrace\" using bamboo leaves as a writing tool dipped in ink. The square stele of “Qintai”, a relic from the construction of Qintai in 1976 ；