Heptachord Terrace, also
named Boya Terrace, is
located on the bank of
Moon Lake, western foot
of Tortoise Hill in
Hanyang district.
Story goes that Yu Boya
used to be a famous
musician in Chu kingdom
during the Spring and
Autumn Period (770 - 476
B.C.). Although good at
musical instrument, he
was always depressed for
few people can keenly
comprehended his music.
One day, on his way back
to his country after a
diplomatic mission, he
was blocked here by a
sudden heavy rain. When
it cleared up, Yu Boya
played a piece of music.
Zhong Ziqi, a
woodcutter, understood
quite well the message
conveyed in Boya’s music
- a vivid description of
mountains and rivers,
then traced the music
and found Yu Boya. Thus
the two became bosom
friends. One year later,
when Ziqi died, Boya,
knowing there would be
no one else to
appreciate the beauty of
his music, smashed his
lute in grief and never
again played music.
Later people built this
terrace in memory of the
friends.
The original terrace was
built in the Northern
Song dynasty (960-1127),
experiencing several
destroys and rebuilds,
the present one was the
result of construction
in 1957. The whole
complex, although small
in size, is elegant in
layout and demarcated in
arrangement. The main
structure is a wide
hall. A platform by the
waterside in front of
the hall is said to be
the place where Yu Boya
played heptachord. A
two-meter-high stele was
set in the center of the
courtyard, with image of
Boya engraved on one
side and epigraphy about
this story the other.
Heptachord Terrace now
is a notable scenic spot
in Wuhan. |