Cliffs of Tanghai

The Cliffs of Tanghai were a series of cliffs or bluffs beside the Hungtse River in Shou Lung. Inscribed with the teachings of the Path of Enlightenment by the Celestial Emperor himself, they were a holy site of the faith and the surest evidence of the existence of the Celestial Heaven.

Geography
The Cliffs of Tanghai overlooked the mouth of the Hungste River near Taitun, where the Upper Hungste River and another river flowed into the main Hungste River. They comprised a huge cliff of black basalt and sheer bluffs of granite.

Description
The letters of the inscriptions each stood a full meter high (3.3 feet) and were carved into the solid stone. They were carved along the cliff's outer face, and were so high above the ground they could only be reached via flight.

History
It was believed that the Celestial Emperor caused red-hued lighting to rain from the heavens and blast the letters into the face of the Cliffs of Tanghai in Shou Year 440 (−810 DR), in order that mortals be reminded of his will for all time. Old histories recorded that the firestorm was visible across Kara-Tur and the skies seemed alight, even to bubble like boiling blood, but no people or plants beside the Hungtse were harmed. For example, Wei Tsao Te's Shichi Hsi, a collection of history, legend, and official history, spoke of flaming words appearing in the sky. Revealed in the aftermath were the teachings of the Path of Enlightenment. However, contemporary emperors initially denied these teachings. Other faiths tried to downplay the scale of the event recorded in the histories, or even its divine origin.

Nevertheless, the inscriptions remained intact and clearly visible by Shou Year 2607 (1357 DR).

Significance
The Cliffs of Tanghai were a holy site and the basis for the following of the Path of Enlightenment. Many pilgrims journeyed to read them.