The Fingerprint of the Earth scenic spot is located in Jingu Village, Hongxing Town, Ming Shan District, Ya'an City. Originally, it consisted of more than a dozen parallel and continuous dome-shaped hills, resembling copper drums, many of which were planted with Tea trees in ancient times. In the 1970s, they were extensively developed into tea gardens. Some tea rows wind around the mountains horizontally to the summit, while others are arranged vertically side by side, just like fingerprints on a hand. This unique landscape has been hailed as the “Fingerprint of the Earth” by photography enthusiasts and is a typical representation of the tea garden scenery in Ming Shan.

According to legend: During the Three Kingdoms period, Zhuge Liang, the Martial Marquis, led his army south to suppress a rebellion. When he arrived at Shuanghe in Ming Shan and faced off against Meng Huo's army, Meng Huo's forces were stationed on the high ground of Qilong Mountain Ridge to the northeast, exerting immense pressure. Zhuge Liang set up his main camp by the riverbank in the southwest (now known as Zaying Village), blocking Meng Huo's southern advance. He also deployed troops on the western mountains of Che Ling, arranging them like five lotus blossoms (now Wuhua Village) to ambush retreating enemies. However, this overall disposition was disadvantageous. Zhuge Liang, well-versed in geomancy and the Eight Trigrams, surveyed the terrain from a high mountain to the north (now Guandou Mountain in Bai Zhang Town) and was alarmed. The terrain and celestial signs indicated that Meng Huo had the potential to transform from a snake into a dragon, becoming a major threat to the Shu Han regime. Therefore, he ordered soldiers to excavate half of the mountain range between Mount Mengding and Qilong Ridge, cutting off the dragon's vital energy while preserving its life force. This location is now known as Diguan Mountain in Bai Zhang Town, embodying the strategic concept of “the lower priority is to capture the city; the higher priority is to win the heart.” The main camp was manned by General Liao Hua disguised as the elderly General Huang Zhong, with a Silver beard flowing, wielding a long sword and carrying a silver bow and arrows, mounted on a red horse named “Liaoyuan Fire,” appearing imposing and intimidating, deterring Meng Huo's army from advancing. To prevent Meng Huo's forces from attacking from the west with overwhelming force, Zhuge Liang enchanted eighteen peaks to resemble golden drums, emitting a “thumping!” sound, as part of a ruse. Whenever Meng Huo's army approached, they heard the thumping sounds, assuming there were numerous hidden troops nearby, and thus did not dare to launch a surprise attack on the Shu army. Ultimately, Zhuge Liang employed a feint to the east while striking to the west, launching a pincer attack that decisively defeated Meng Huo's forces. Meng Huo retreated through a western pass to Che Ling Town's Five Flowers Mountain, where he was captured alive. Zhuge Liang explained his reasoning, but Meng Huo remained unconvinced, claiming that he fell for Zhuge Liang's trickery rather than being defeated by the strength of the Shu army. He suggested that another battle might yield a different outcome. To pacify Meng Huo, Zhuge Liang released him, making this place the site of the first capture and release in the legendary “Seven Captures of Meng Huo.” To prevent Meng Huo and his followers from causing further unrest, Zhuge Liang established Changsha Prefecture (now Changsha Village) and erected a temple dedicated to General Huang Zhong (whose remains can still be seen today), venerating Huang Zhong to foster loyalty and deter rebellious hearts.

Later, the local people planted tea trees on the eighteen golden drum-like hills, and the tea rows resembled fingerprints, earning the name “Fingerprint of the Earth.” Zhong Guolin composed a poem in admiration, saying, “When Kongming once marched against Meng Huo, he transformed eighteen peaks into golden drums. Even now, their fingers seem to pound out war drums, urging us to strive bravely.”

The images and text were provided by Teacher Zhong Guolin. Please credit the source when reusing.