Lu Guimeng and the Duck-Contesting Pond

In the northwest corner of Baosheng Temple in Luzhi, there is a Jiangsu Province Key Cultural Relics Protection Site—the “Site of Tang Dynasty Scholar Lu Guimeng.”

Lu Guimeng was a literary figure and poet of the Tang Dynasty. His courtesy name was Luwang, and he styled himself Tiansuizi, also going by the aliases Jianghu Sanren and Fuli Xiansheng. He was a native of Changzhou (modern-day Suzhou).

Lu Guimeng harbored lofty ambitions and longed to serve his country and its people, yet unfortunately, fate was unkind. Though he burned with patriotic fervor, he could only lament that his talents went unrecognized. Later, he chose to retire in seclusion at Fuli (present-day Luzhi). Within the Baosheng Temple, he acquired several mu of land and built a modest retreat called Yuqingju.

Lu Guimeng’s four lifelong passions were writing, savoring tea, duck fighting, and fishing. The ducks he trained were fierce and skilled in combat, earning him a reputation at the time. At the southern bank of Shejing River in Luzhi, he established a duck‑fighting pond and hired people to raise and tend the birds. He selected handsome, imposing ducks and kept them in a fighting pool at his residence. Then he chose particular ducks for training, preparing them to take part in duck fights. The fighting pool measured twenty meters square, its perimeter lined with dressed stone, and it was adorned with water lilies. In the center stood a four‑sided pavilion called the Qingfeng Pavilion, surrounded by viewing railings. At either end of the pavilion, small arched bridges led to the shore—known as the East Chuihong Bridge and the West Chuihong Bridge. Whenever Lu Guimeng felt like it, he would lean on the railing of the pavilion, watching the ducks frolic amid the verdant lotus and emerald waters, while fish swam leisurely beneath the pavilion’s reflection and the shade of the trees. The ducks amused themselves, and he, too, found peace and contentment.

During the Tang Dynasty, duck fighting was all the rage. In these contests, two ducks were placed in a narrow path enclosed by wooden fences. With so many spectators present, the fences would often collapse under the pressure, startling the ducks and spoiling the spectacle. Lu Guimeng commissioned artisans to carve two stone pools from massive Wukang stones, which he named “Duck-Fighting Pools.” Spectators stood beside these stone pools to watch the matches, ensuring that the duck fights could proceed smoothly. The original pair of Duck-Fighting Pools is now preserved next to the site.

Lu Guimeng not only had a fondness for duck fighting but was also skilled at training and handling ducks. He believed that a truly good fighting duck must be large yet lean, with pure, lustrous plumage, broad, powerful wings, a thick, long neck, large feet with thick webbing, a loud, resonant call, and an aptitude for flight. In his daily routine, he instructed his servants in the following training methods: releasing the duck from a height to strengthen its wings; setting up poles to enhance leg strength; driving the duck around an open field to build courage; pitting two ducks against one to practice blocking and parrying; regularly exercising the neck to keep it strong and robust; and tapping the duck’s beak to fortify its jaw strength. Only after a duck had been thoroughly trained and deemed fit would Lu proceed to teach it its signature moves.

Once, Lu Guimeng took a mallard duck with him to another place to participate in a large duck‑fighting competition. On the field, ducks of all kinds made their grand appearances, but Lu Guimeng’s mallard stood out hardly at all. When it was finally Lu Guimeng’s turn, his opponent was a hefty gray duck weighing nearly eight kilograms. The gray duck struck first, letting out three loud quacks that drew everyone’s attention. As the fight began, the gray duck relentlessly pursued the mallard. The mallard busied itself dodging and only seized brief moments to deliver a few quick pecks. Enraged, the gray duck seemed determined to finish off its rival. After several rounds, both ducks were badly wounded; feathers flew, and blood stained their crimson wings. It became clear that the mallard could no longer hold on. At that moment, Lu Guimeng, standing nearby, clenched his right fist and placed it atop his left hand—his signal. Seeing this cue, the mallard sprang into action, landing firmly on the gray duck’s back. With its feet locked tightly around the gray duck’s wing pits, it plunged its beak straight into the bird’s eyes. By then, the gray duck had exhausted most of its strength, its eyes now blinded by the relentless pecking. Screaming in agony, it thrashed wildly, trying to shake the mallard off its back. But the mallard held fast, unflinching, and intensified its attacks, striking the gray duck’s neck again and again. The pecks severed the blood vessels in the gray duck’s neck, sending blood splattering against the fence. In an instant, the gray duck collapsed, gasping for air, and slowly died. At that very moment, the mallard raised its head high and let out a triumphant series of quacks: “quack, quack, quack.” In this match, the mallard stole the show, leaving the spectators utterly astonished. Later, people came to call the ducks trained by Lu Guimeng “Guimeng Ducks.”