This carving is located on the upper part of Qingyan Cliff, engraved on a large rock face. The relief is about 1.4 meters wide and 2 meters high. The figure wears a long loose robe, resting his cheek on one hand while lying sideways. His kind facial features are vividly rendered with two pointed topknots, distinct hair strands, a plump face, a prominent nose and large ears, plus a moustache stretching to both cheeks. The carving looks deep in thought, as if observing all living beings or divining cosmic laws. The craftsmanship is mature with simple yet powerful lines. Fine detailed lines shape the head, while thicker strokes define the torso, yet the sculptor successfully conveys the figure’s spirit with just a few cuts. The robe folds clearly show the structure of the shoulders, back, arms, wrists and fingers.

Archaeologists confirm that this reclining sage is King Wen of Zhou meditating on the Taiji Diagram to create the I Ching. The exact carving date remains unknown. However, compared with an adjacent cliff stele dated the 27th year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1548), the relief can be dated no later than the Jiajing period, possibly even earlier. It provides crucial physical evidence for the legend that King Wen derived the Eight Trigrams and the I Ching from the natural Taiji Diagram.

A touching folk legend is attached to these stone coffins. During the Shang Dynasty, King Wen of Zhou was a benevolent ruler loved by his people. Slandered by treacherous ministers, he was imprisoned by King Zhou in a sheep pen on Qingyan Cliff, the imperial rear garden. The place was strategically secure; only a few guards at the Southern and Northern Heavenly Gates could hold the position. The jailers treated King Wen cruelly, feeding him rotten leftovers. He often went hungry and survived by picking wild fruits and herbs.

A young shepherdess from nearby Nanshan Village pitied him and secretly brought him dry food. After learning of his identity, she grew deep admiration for him, and the king was moved by her kindness and wisdom. Years later, King Wen observed celestial patterns day and night and created the timeless masterpiece, the I Ching and Eight Trigrams. Meanwhile, the shepherdess had grown into a beautiful young woman. She admired his talent and perseverance, and he cherished her beauty and virtue. The two gradually fell in love.

When King Zhou learned of the affair, he transferred King Wen to Youli City. Fascinated by the girl’s beauty, he tried to force her to become his concubine. The shepherdess refused firmly. Pining endlessly for King Wen, she wept day and night, fell seriously ill and passed away from sorrow.

Later, when King Wu campaigned against King Zhou, he heard the story of the profound bond between his father and the shepherdess. He buried them together on the northwest slope of Qingyan Temple Mountain, facing Nanshan Village, in memory of the loyal maiden. After thousands of years of geological changes, the tomb has turned into two stone coffins today. The famous legend of "seventy-two fake imperial tombs of the Son of Heaven" originated right here