Discover Dieshan Cultural Park: A Southern Song Poetry Retreat in China
Nestled among green hills and clear streams in Yiyang County, Shangrao, Jiangxi Province, Dieshan Cultural Park honors the Southern Song poet Xie Fangde (style name “Dieshan”). More than a pilgrimage site for history lovers, it’s an ideal escape for urban visitors seeking quiet and cultural depth. White-walled Hui-style buildings and winding Jiangnan garden paths evoke the rustic lyricism of Xie’s “Silkwoman’s Song.” Spread across 300 mu (about 20 hectares), the park uses steles, sculptures, and interactive exhibits to tell the Dieshan story of loyalty, filial piety, and righteousness—while live intangible-heritage performances and landscape scenes stitch together an 800-year cultural dream.
1. Core Features: A Fusion of Poetry, Ritual, and Landscape
The park’s soul lies in restoring the intellectual world of Southern Song literati while offering modern visitors tangible ways to touch history. Unlike noisy theme parks, Dieshan sells “cultural immersion” as its unique attraction:
– Poetic legacy: The reconstructed Dieshan Academy follows Song-era layouts. Under timber eaves you’ll find facsimiles of Xie Fangde’s manuscripts and panels describing his life. Certain rubbing displays in the corridors let visitors scan QR codes to hear poems read aloud.
– Living heritage: Every Saturday afternoon, performers of the Yiyang-qiang opera present selections from The Injustice to Dou E (Dou E Yuan) with soaring vocal styles. Visitors can try on costumes and practice “water-sleeve” movements.
– Garden philosophy: Designers use the terrain to create “a scene at every step”—from the loyalty-themed sculpture group in the cultural square to a poetry corridor planted with 40 species of trees and flowers mentioned in classical poems, each detail a subtle allusion.
2. Immersive Experiences: Traveling Through Time Between Landscape and Letters
Theme scenes and sensory details bring the past alive:
– At the Dieshan Academy, attendants dressed in Song-style clothing guide guests through rubbing poems and practicing calligraphy; hidden speakers occasionally let an old guqin melody surface as a delightful surprise.
– The poetry corridor is interactive: beneath each stone stele sits a touch screen that plays local-dialect recitations. The Silkwoman’s Song, for example, pairs with documentary footage of Yiyang sericulture scenes.
Natural healing elements:
– Mirror-Heart Lake on the park’s north side hosts vast lotus beds; in summer you can boat and pick lotus pods (¥20 per boat). A camphor grove on the western slope shelters a teahouse whose misty, rain-soaked atmosphere resembles an ink wash painting.
– Locals favor early mornings here for tai chi, while the evening corridor is a photographer’s golden hour—sunset light gilds carved poems with warm tones.
3. Can’t-Miss Activities and Hidden Tips
Highlights:
– Book-Reading Morning (free): Daily 7:30–8:30 AM volunteers lead readings from the Complete Dieshan Collection; participants receive an Xuan paper bookmark.
– Yiyang-qiang Workshop (¥50 per person): Intangible-heritage inheritors teach basic vocal techniques; attendees can step onstage for photos with professional actors after class.
– Night Poetry Lantern Walk (holiday-only): Hundreds of lanterns hang along the corridor, with light projections turning the ground into a flowing river of poetic lines.
Local insider tips:
– Avoid weekend morning school groups—visit Tuesday or Thursday afternoons to enjoy the academy in peace.
– The “Ting Yu Xuan” teahouse east of the cultural square serves unlimited refills of local white tea for ¥10; the second-floor window offers a panoramic view.
4. Practical Guide: From Transportation to Pitfalls
Basic information:
– Address: No.1 Dieshan Road, Nanyan Town, Yiyang County (3 km from county center)
– Opening hours: 8:00–18:00 (extended to 19:00 in summer). Intangible-heritage performances: Saturdays 14:00–15:30.
– Admission: ¥60 per person (includes Academy + heritage exhibits). Student half-price. Audio guide: ¥20 per device (Chinese-English bilingual).
Transport tips:
– From Shangrao high-speed rail station, take the Yiyang Direct Bus (about 1 hour). The bus terminus is an 800 m walk to the park.
– By car, navigate to “Dieshan Cultural Park South Gate.” Parking costs ¥5 per hour; only about 80 spaces are available—arrive before 10:00 for the best chances.
Spending reference:
– On-site dining is simple (around ¥30 per person). Try the local Yiyang rice-cake set. The gift shop offers a hand-carved block-printed poetry book (¥88), an exclusive cultural souvenir.
5. Why It’s Worth a Special Visit
Compared with crowded 5A attractions, Dieshan Cultural Park reads like a slowly recited narrative poem. When you trace fingers over weathered engraved verses in the corridor, or hear a gardener humming in the Yiyang dialect, you may suddenly understand what “living culture” means. If your itinerary includes Wuyuan or Mount Sanqing, leave half a day for this small town—there are no roller-coasters, but your spirit will be soothed by landscape and letters.
Visitor note: The park covers roughly 300 mu (about 20 hectares), so comfortable shoes and a spare hour or two will let you enjoy its quieter corners.
(Approx. 1,560 Chinese characters in the original)
