Guqin Terrace Scenic Area

Guqin Terrace, also known as Boya Terrace, lies on the western foot of Turtle Hill (Guishan) in Hanyang, beside the eastern shore of Yue Lake. It was built as a memorial to commemorate Yu Boya playing the guqin (zither) and meeting his true friend, Zhong Ziqi. Guqin Terrace was first built in the Northern Song dynasty and has been destroyed and rebuilt several times over the centuries. The main structure today has a single-eave hip-and-gable roof with a shallow hall projecting in front. In front of the hall is a square white marble platform, said to be where Boya played the guqin. The characters “Qin Tai” (Zither Terrace) are said to be the handwriting of Northern Song calligrapher Mi Fu, and the terrace walls are inlaid with relief carvings depicting the story of “Boya Smashes His Zither to Thank His True Friend,” vividly lifelike. The entire complex is exquisite and elegant, preserving the appearance of ancient architecture from that time.