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. |
