The Rock Bridge at Mount Tiantai 天台石橋圖

Zhou Jichang 周季常 (active late 12th century) · 1178

The Tiantai Mountains are located in Zhejiang Province a short distance from the coastal city of Ningbo. Renowned for their wild, dramatic beauty, the mountains were reputedly the abode of gods and immortals. The natural rock bridge spanning a waterfall is one Tiantai's most famous sights. According to legend, this arch is also a pathway to paradise where the five-hundred luohan, saintly guradians of the Buddhist faith, worship and dwell among magnificent celestial temples. Those who venture to tread this perilous trail, however, find that the bridge, which narrows to a width of several centimeters, is obstructed at its far end by an insumountable block of stone.