《岱史》Vol. 14

The fourteenth volume of Dai Shi (Records of Mount Tai) documents calamities and auspicious signs associated with Mount Tai. These phenomena were recorded because Mount Tai, as a convergence point of the vital energies (Qi) of heaven and earth, manifests omens closely linked to the rise and fall of dynasties. Historically, notable auspicious signs from Mount Tai include: during Emperor Xuan of Han’s reign, a massive stone stood upright on its own, foretelling his ascension to the throne; and during Emperor Guangwu’s era, auspicious clouds formed the shape of a palace, symbolizing the restoration of the Han dynasty. Among the infamous disasters were: birds’ nests burning, foreshadowing Wang Mang’s usurpation of the Han, and pheasants intruding into the imperial path, hinting at Wu Zetian’s replacement of the Tang dynasty.

Specific examples include the appearance of five auspicious ears of wheat during the Jiayou era of the Song dynasty, and a single stalk bearing five ears during the Jiajing era of our own dynasty—such omens nourished the people’s livelihood. Yet disasters like the imperial tent being swept away by floods, drowning over 300 households, or the stampede during the opening and closing of the Bixia Palace, which claimed 60 to 70 lives in an instant, directly harmed human life. These phenomena were not mere omens but clear warnings from heaven.

Auspicious signs might correspond to benevolent governance, but they could also encourage extravagance; calamities might be heaven’s condemnation or trials to temper virtue. The will of heaven is unpredictable, but the key lies in this: when encountering auspicious signs, one must remain diligent to preserve blessings; when facing disasters, one must swiftly cultivate virtue (De) to dispel misfortune. This principle is not only for rulers and ministers—all who receive imperial salaries bear the responsibility of harmonizing the energies of heaven and earth and must never remain indifferent to these signs.

A recorded case: In the third year of the Yuanfeng era of Emperor Zhao of Han, a massive stone on Mount Tai stood upright on its own, towering over five meters, with thousands of white birds gathering around it. A withered willow tree revived, and insects gnawing its leaves formed the characters "Gongsun Bingyi li" ("Gongsun the sick one shall rise"). Sui Hong, an official in charge of tallies, interpreted this as "stones belong to Yin, symbolizing the common people, foretelling a commoner’s rise to the throne." He was executed for his bluntness, but the prophecy was later fulfilled when Emperor Xuan, who had lived among the people, ascended the throne.

In the first year of the Heping era of Emperor Cheng of Han, a bird’s nest in a mulberry tree on Mount Tai spontaneously caught fire. Locals like Sun Tong heard the birds’ mournful cries and found three fledglings burned to death. This corresponded to the Book of Changes’ ominous omen of "birds burning their nests," which Jing Fang’s Commentary on the Changes explained as heaven’s condemnation of a ruler’s tyranny.

During the reign of the Zhao Feiyan sisters in the imperial harem, they murdered every concubine who bore the emperor's child, sparing not even the mothers. Later, when the emperor passed away, they were convicted and executed for their crimes. This mirrors the act of burning a nest to kill its fledglings—an act that ultimately invites tragic retribution. Another interpretation suggests that Wang Mang's greed and tyranny while wielding state power ultimately led to the calamity of dynastic overthrow.

In the first year of Emperor Guangwu's Jianwu era during the Eastern Han, ethereal clouds coalesced into palace-like formations over Mount Tai. In the second month of the second year of Emperor Zhang's Yuanhe era, thirty yellow cranes flew past Mount Tai's altar, circling and descending over the fasting palace northeast of the mountain. In the seventh month of the fourth year of Emperor Wu's Taishi era in the Jin dynasty, a landslide occurred on Mount Tai, sending rocks tumbling across a three-mile radius. According to the Jingfang's Commentary on the Changes, such a collapse from above foretells that a sage will receive the Mandate of Heaven while the ruler is captured. Later, Emperors Huai and Min of Jin were indeed taken captive by northern tribes, and only when Emperor Yuan reestablished the dynasty in the south did this omen find fulfillment.

In the sixth month of the second year of Emperor Yuan's Taikang era, a flash flood on Mount Tai destroyed over three hundred households and drowned more than six thousand people. At the time, the Eastern Wu had just been pacified, yet the victorious general Wang Jun faced slander while the incompetent Xun Xu and Jia Chong received lavish rewards. Moreover, five thousand palace women from Wu were taken into the imperial harem—this disaster served as an omen for such injustices.

During the eighth year of Emperor Cheng's Xiankang era, corresponding to the Jianwu era of Later Zhao's Shi Hu, rocks on Mount Tai spontaneously ignited and burned for eight days before extinguishing. In the seventh month of the first year of Emperor Xiaowu's Daming era in the Liu Song dynasty, auspicious white birds appeared on Mount Tai. In the eighth month of the third year of Emperor Xuanwu's Jingming era in the Eastern Wei, Mount Tai collapsed, releasing seventeen springs, and in the fourth month of the sixth year of Wuding, sweet dew descended upon the mountain.

At the beginning of the Tiantong era in Northern Qi, the ceremonial jade bi (璧) of Mount Tai's Fengshan altar appeared spontaneously. Mount Tai was where emperors performed the Fengshan rites during dynastic transitions, and the bi was a ritual vessel—its spontaneous emergence foretold the rise of a new dynasty that would employ these sacred objects. Later, Northern Qi fell, its territories absorbed by Northern Zhou, until Emperor Wen of Sui accepted the abdication of Zhou and unified the realm. When he conducted the Heaven-reporting ceremony at Mount Tai, burning offerings, the earlier omen was fulfilled.

In the fourteenth year of Emperor Wen's Kaihuang era in the Sui dynasty, as preparations were made for sacrifices at Mount Tai, an envoy transporting divine statues to the temple saw them suddenly consumed by wildfire mere miles from their destination. At the time, Emperor Wen, swayed by slander, drove Prince Yang Zan to a despondent death, executed many meritorious officials, and later put Crown Prince Yang Yong to death.

In the seventh month of the second year of Emperor Gaozong's Yonghui era in the Tang dynasty, a great flood surged from Mount Tai...

On the wuzi day of the tenth month, a pheasant was seen docilely flying into the fasting palace at Mount Tai. The Fengshan sacrifices—ancient imperial ceremonies reporting achievements to Heaven and Earth—demanded strict security, yet this wild bird fearlessly entered the restricted area, which was interpreted as an ominous sign.

In the fifth month of 1008 (the first year of the Dazhong Xiangfu era under Emperor Zhenzong of Song), sweet springs emerged at Mount Tai. On the dingchou day, the waters of Wangmu Pool (a famous pond on the mountain) turned reddish-purple. Records state that a child digging in the fields of commoner Wang Yong from Qianfeng County uncovered dozens of bronze coins. As villagers scrambled for them, the coins fell into a rock crevice, whereupon twenty-four sweet-tasting springs gushed forth. Simultaneously, twenty-five springs appeared at the dry Stone River, one of which—located on a high slope—swelled overnight into branching streams. Twin fish leaped from these waters, and sweet plum-like fruits floated to the surface. Official Wang Qinruo presented samples to the emperor, who on the gengxu day of the sixth month named them "Numinous Liquid" and erected a commemorative pavilion. That same month, Wang reported the appearance of sweet springs (liquan), celestial texts, and 38,250 spirit mushrooms (lingzhi) at Mount Tai (while sweet springs and mushrooms might be credible, the so-called "celestial texts" smack of self-deception). In the twelfth month, sweet springs emerged again at the Jade Maiden Pool, White Dragon Pool, and Wangmu Pool, with the emperor distributing the waters to officials on the dingyou day. During construction work in the tenth month of 1013, workers encountered strange raven-like birds with red beaks and feet that cawed to hurry them whenever they rested. Laborers would resume work at its approach until dusk when it departed—a daily routine earning it the name "Taskmaster Bird."

In the seventh month of 1058 (the third year of the Jiayou era under Emperor Renzong of Song), five auspicious ears of wheat grew on Mount Tai.

The Yuan dynasty witnessed frequent disasters at Mount Tai: In the ninth month of 1272 (the ninth year of Zhiyuan under Kublai Khan), torrential rains triggered floods that destroyed croplands; catastrophic flooding struck in the sixth month of 1295 (the first year of Yuanzhen under Emperor Chengzong); another deluge came in the ninth month of 1308 (the first year of Zhida under Emperor Wuzong); three consecutive days of frost and snow plagued the mountain in the third month of 1314 (the first year of Yanyou under Emperor Renzong); floods returned in 1328 (the first year of Tianli under Emperor Wenzong); the first year of Yuantong (1333) under Emperor Shun brought famine after storms and inundations; and in the second month of spring 1346 (the sixth year of Zhizheng), Fengfu County at Mount Tai suffered severe famine followed by seven days of earthquakes affecting neighboring counties.

During the second and third months of 1485 (the twenty-first year of Chenghua under the Ming dynasty), Mount Tai experienced successive earthquakes.

In the spring of the 16th year of the Zhengde reign (1521), a fire broke out in the eastern corridor of the Dai Temple (the Temple of Mount Tai).

During the Jiajing era, the Mount Tai region suffered frequent disasters: In the 8th year (1529), a locust plague occurred, followed by consecutive outbreaks in the 9th and 10th years (1530-1531). In the 6th month of the 16th year (1537), a catastrophic flash flood struck Mount Tai, drowning hundreds. That same year in the 11th month, a fire ravaged Tai'an Prefecture, destroying dozens of homes. While locusts reappeared in the 21st year (1542), they caused no major damage. The summer of the 22nd year (1543) brought an auspicious harvest to the Mount Tai region, with wheat stalks miraculously bearing three to five ears each—an omen so significant that Prefect Ma Fengbo presented these auspicious ears to the imperial court.

On the 12th month of the 29th year (1550), the Dai Temple was again consumed by flames, with the Celestial Hall, temple gates, and corridors completely destroyed, along with damage to ancient trees and stone tablets. A catastrophic flood in the 6th month of the 30th year (1551) swept away the Imperial Encampment (the emperor's traveling palace) and claimed numerous lives. Famine struck in the 32nd year (1553), leading to rampant banditry that blocked roads. By spring of the 33rd year (1554), starvation reached horrific proportions—corpses littered the land, and some desperate survivors resorted to cannibalizing the dead.

On the 18th day of the 10th month in the 14th year of the Wanli reign (1586), a deadly stampede occurred at the Bixia Palace (the Shrine of Bixia Yuanjun on Mount Tai). Pilgrims from all directions, gathered for incense-burning rituals (fendao), trampled one another in the chaos, resulting in sixty-one fatalities. The incumbent Provincial Surveillance Commissioner (xunfu duyushi) Li (name unrecorded) dispatched Jinan Prefecture Assistant Prefect Sang Dongyang to oversee burial arrangements for the victims.

(Note: This chronicle documents natural disasters, auspicious signs, and major incidents in the Mount Tai region over 150 years during the Ming Dynasty, reflecting the sacred mountain's ritual significance and the devastating impact of calamities on local communities. The term "fendao" refers to religious incense-burning ceremonies, while "xunfu duyushi" denotes the highest provincial administrative official in Ming governance.)