Junshan Isle

A woody island isolated by the vast expanse of the Dongting Lake, The Junshan Isle looks in a birds eye view like”an emerald snail in a silver plate. It consists of 72 hillocks, covering an area of 0.96 km, and rising only 55 meters above sea level .

The islet, small enough, used to be crowned with as many as 36 pavilions and 48 temple , which were mostly in ruins around china’s liberation in 1949. Since the park was established in
1979. many historic sites have been renovated.The Tomb of Two Concubines is enveloped in a moving story. Legend has it that the two beau ties buried here were daughters of Emperor Yao, a mighty tribal leader at the end of the primitive society. When Shun succeeded their father they were married to him as imperial concubines. Y according to Historical Records, when Emperor Shun went the rounds in present-day Ningyuan County of Hunan, he died a sudden death and was buried there Wondering why their husband had been away for so long a time, the care laden sisters hurried to South China. When they came all the way to this islet, they heard of Emperor shun’s death and were heartbroken. At last, they died of grief, leaving all later generations in everlasting nostalgia for them as shining examples of chaste and faithful women.

To commemorate them, people built the tomb in the east of the islet and renovated it dozens of times. And now, 70 meters north of the tomb stands the Temple to Two Concubines, a magnificent courtyard style architectural complex The Recitation Pavilion, it is said, is where Li Dongbin, one of the eight immortals in Taoism, used to read and recite poetic works. The Bell from Nowhere, as a story goes, was an automatic alarm bell of the uprising army of peasants at the end of the Song dynasty. Most fabulously Liu Yi Well, according to a legend, was the passage through which Liu Yi, an ancient literary man,used to go as a messenger from this world to the underground palace of the Dragon King.Along with other historic sites, they turn the islet into a land densely capped with tourist attractions.