Human Activities

History of Human Activities in Nominated

(1) Prehistoric Human Activities: The human activities associated with the use of natural resources in Danxia areas can be traced back to prehistoric times. There are prehistoric cultural sites in most of the candidate sites. Most of these are associated with hunting, fishing, gathering and farming in valleys, or the building of dwellings in natural caves.

Archaeological research has shown that there were human activities in most of the sites as early as the the Neolithic. For example, there are important ancient human cultural sites of "catfish turn" in the Neolithic Age (6,000 years ago). As many as 80 types of artefacts such as stone tools and stoneware have been excavated.

In 5,000 year old Neolithic sites in Zhoujiashan Mountain and Baimianzhai, in the southern part of Langshan, artefacts such as stone axes, cutting tools, scraping stones, stone chisels, stone spades, stone balls, stone clusters and grinding stones, have been excavated.

There are also some bone artefacts such as needles, hairpins, and crockery, including axes, cans, pots, and other pottery pieces. Research has shown that hunting and fishing, supplemented by gathering, were the main himan activities at that time in Langshan.

A large number of stone agricultural tools, such as cutters, spades and axes, and a large number of stone hunting tools, such as spears, arrowheads and shooting stars, have been excavated in cultural sites dating from the Neolithic era (4,500 years ago) in Longshan, and also in Longhushan. Archaeological research also shows a transition to an era of original rice farming and hunting. Thus, in excavations of sites from the late Neolithic Age (4,000 years ago) in Taining, stoneware such swords, arrowheads and axes, have been found together with clay pottery such as tripod legs, and spinning wheels.

(2) Ancient human activities: The valleys and plains on the margins of the nominated sites entered into an era of more developed agricultural civilizations during the Xiashangzhou Period (BC 2070 - BC 256). This saw the emergence of stable residential areas including cemeteries, pottery workshops and kilns, as revealed by the grains, animal bones, ceramic containers and bronzes that have been excavated.

Later, from conceiving a harmony between humanity and the earth, people began to appreciate the aesthetic value of Danxia landscapes and landforms, and they gave it a mysterious aura. People then began building dwellings in Danxia caves, or used them as cemeteries. In the so-called Spring and Autumn Period (BC770 - BC217), people began to bury their ancestors in cliff caves in Longhushan. The caves were used because they were places that people and animals found difficult to reach, while at the same time they provided ease of ascent to heaven, This epitomises the close association between people and nature.

Harmony between humanity and heaven on the cliffs
(Swan Lake in Longhushan)

The color, morphology, shape and sense of holiness of Danxia landscapes were first appreciated by the masters of religion, who began to build Taoist Courts and Grotto Temples in Danxia areas, especially in caves. In the East Han Dynasty Period, the founder of Taoism, Zhang Daoling (34-156 AD) educated himself according to religious doctrine and did alchemy in Longhushan. He then founded “Tianshi Taoism” in 142 AD, making Longhushan the birthplace of China's Taoism and Taoist’s civil courts. There were also people who studied and lived according to Taoist doctrine in natural caves in Taining and Danxiashan since the Han Dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty, at Lingnan in Danxiashan there was a Buddhist resort, known as the birthplace of “Yunmen Zen” in the southern Zen. After the Tang Dynasty, came the emergence of Buddhism in the Song Dynasty and especially in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The custom of establishing schools sprang up in southeast of China from the time of the Song Dynasty, with many schools and colleges being created in famous mountain areas. Looking at the uses that peoples have made of Danxia areas, we can detect a gradual transformation from original farming settlements to present day scenic spots. They are places which became associated with local folk beliefs, immortal cultures, religions and college cultures. These uses and activities stem from recognition of, and wonder at, the beauty and aesthetic qualities of Danxia landscapes, and realization of the close harmony between humanity and nature.

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