Ruan Ji’s Roaring Terrace

Ruan Ji, courtesy name Sizong, was born in the 15th year of the Jian’an reign of the Han Dynasty (210 AD) and passed away in the 4th year of the Jingyuan reign of the Wei Dynasty (263 AD). He was buried in his hometown, Ruanzhuang Village of Weishi County.

Ruan Ji was a celebrated poet of the State of Wei during the Three Kingdoms Period. He was the son of Ruan Yu and once served as Colonel of Infantry, hence people called him Infantry Colonel Ruan. Living amid the turbulent transition from Wei to Jin, he grieved over the troubled times and feared political persecution. Therefore he indulged in wine and devoted himself to metaphysical discussions. He maintained close friendship with Ji Kang, Shan Tao, Xiang Xiu, Liu Ling, Ruan Xian and Wang Rong, collectively known as the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove.

Ruan Ji excelled at five-character poems, which are natural and magnificent. His eighty-two Songs of My Heart express sorrow for fleeting life and anxiety over the troubled age, filled with hesitation and veiled satire of reality. His unique poetic style was later praised as "the voice of the Zhengshi reign". He was also accomplished in prose, with his Biography of the Great Man enjoying wide renown. His literary works were compiled into Collected Works of Infantry Colonel Ruan which has been handed down through generations.

The Roaring Terrace, also known as Ruan Ji Terrace, was the place where Ruan Ji of the Jin Dynasty let out loud whistles. The relic stands on the southern section of the city wall near the Small East Gate in Weishi County. It adjoins the moat to the east and a lake to the west, with residential quarters for government cadres on both the north and south sides.

The exact construction date of the terrace remains unknown. The county chronicle preserves numerous poems and records written about this site. According to ancient local records: "East of Weishi City stands the Roaring Terrace, fifteen zhang in height and two zhang in width, with three rooms built on top. This was where Ruan Sizong (Ruan Ji) whistled freely..."

Legend has it that Ruan Ji often chanted poems on this stretch of the city wall. Later generations built the terrace to show their admiration for this ancient sage. Archaeological research indicates that the terrace was originally erected as early as the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods. There used to be a hall with three rooms on the terrace, enclosed by ornamental walls. An upright ancient cypress once grew in the courtyard. The terrace faced the Gaotai Platform of Weiliao from the Warring States Period in the north. During the Xuantong reign of the late Qing Dynasty, local residents unearthed a seven-sided well built with large cylindrical tiles on the western side beneath the terrace. This spot is believed to have been the site of Ruan Ji’s garden.

As a revered ancient scholar of the Jin Dynasty, Ruan Ji drew men of letters throughout history. Every celebrity visiting Weishi would climb the terrace, compose poems and leave inscriptions in memory of him. Famous figures including Bao Rong of the Tang Dynasty, Su Shi and Huang Tingjian of the Song Dynasty, as well as Li Mengyang of the Ming Dynasty all left their verses here. Two five-character poems by Bao Rong and Su Shi are presented below for appreciation.

Poem by Bao Rong Wild brambles overgrow the ruined mound; No clear path winds through the gloomy ground. This is the ancient sage’s abode, Where Master Ruan let out whistles loud. Even now fresh winds keep sweeping by, Stirring the woods beneath the sky. Long gone is the man of olden days; I climb and savour his lingering ways. Amid the weeds I quietly stand, Till truth unfolds in this barren land. His spirit shines eternally bright; A thousand years still kindle our respect and light.

Poem by Su Shi Ruan was an unrestrained soul of old, Who fled the world and kept his story untold. Burdens of worry filled his breast, He let out long whistles, free and unrestressed. His noble heart rose above mortal care, Refusing to argue with the worldly everywhere. When he climbed this height and poured out his mind, His passionate roar shook heaven and mankind. When sober, he laughed at worldly strife; When drunk, he sank into a carefree life. Who could match his wisdom and grace? In troubled times he secured a peaceful place.

The terrace was built of rammed loess with distinct horizontal layers, each nine centimetres thick. County records note four renovations in the Ming, Qing and Republican periods. Nevertheless, long-term weathering and soil erosion took their toll. During the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the Yellow River burst its banks. Homeless refugees fled into the county town and dug caves around the terrace for temporary shelter. Later, local villagers fetched earth from the mound to build houses, causing further severe damage.

After the founding of New China, the government attached great importance to cultural relics protection. In 1957, the county people’s committee listed the Roaring Terrace as a county-level key cultural relic protection unit, saving it from total destruction.

Today the terrace forms an irregular circle roughly 23 metres in diameter and 10 metres high. The flat platform on top is about 9 metres across. The Weishi County People’s Government has designated it a key tourist development project. Plans include restoring the earthen structure, building stone steps from west to east leading up to the summit. Stone steles inscribed with poems by ancient literati will be erected along both sides of the steps. Three rooms will be built on the top housing a statue of whistling Ruan Ji. An antique-style hall will be constructed on the southern side below the terrace to serve as the Ruan Ji Memorial Hall. Inside, wax figures of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove will be displayed alongside paintings and calligraphy dedicated to Ruan Ji. An ancient courtyard will be built on the western side for sightseeing. Together with the East Lake scenic zone, the whole site will become a high-grade cultural resort to cultivate visitors’ temperament.

In 1985, the Weishi County People’s Government reaffirmed its status as a key protected cultural relic. In 1990, a formal protection boundary was demarcated. In 2006, the People’s Government of Henan Province designated the Roaring Terrace as a Provincial-level Cultural Relic Protection Unit