Haimen Bay was the mouth where the Lian River flowed into the sea. The bay formed an irregular crescent and served as the main port leading to Chaoyang City. Wen Tianxiang had once stationed troops at Haimen during the Southern Song dynasty, and it remained a strategic location even in the Qing dynasty.
Lotus Peak was a small mountain peak rising abruptly from the ground, made up of a great heap of vertically fractured granite. It was named for its resemblance to a budding lotus when viewed from land and a blooming lotus when viewed from the sea. The fort on the mountain intimidated any vessel that dared rashly enter the Lian River, and its ramparts held stone cannons cast during the Kangxi era.
On the northeastern shore at the head of the bay stood Haimen Town. Its facilities were quite good and greatly facilitated the loading and unloading of cargo ships. While the Admiral and the others handled official business, Nick wandered through the town and along the beach, sketching as he went.
On their last day there, they visited Lotus Peak with Nick. The mountain had a strong cultural atmosphere. Some people who believed their calligraphy was good would leave inscriptions carved into the rocks, then paint them red. Such carvings were known as cliff inscriptions. One person had carved the words "Wangdi," and Nick thought they referred to "Wangdi's spring heart longs for the cuckoo." Cao Xi explained that when the Song dynasty emperor came to Haimen, Wen Tianxiang climbed to the summit of Lotus Peak and gazed toward the imperial vessel. Seeing only the vast boundless sea, he was filled with emotion over the precarious Song dynasty, then used his sword to carve the two words "Mount Zhongnan" into a rock.
Nick still did not understand.