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| Mount Jiuhua |
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Mount Jiuhua is located in the Qingyang County of the Anhui Province
and covers more than 100 square kilometers in area. The Shiwang Mountain,
the main peak, is 1342 meters above sea level. Mount Jiuhua is full
of waterfalls, streams, exotic-looking boulders, ancient caves, old
pines and exuberant bamboo. With the richly variegated landscape,
the ancient temples are tucked away amid the dense woods, and the
air reverberates with the tolling of the bells at dawn and dusk. With
99 peaks, 16 ridges, 14 overhanging cliffs, 18 gurgling spring, many
caves, deep pools rare stones, and waterfalls, the mountain has attracted
since ancient times numerous men of letters, who have written poems
and articles praising its Southeast China, only the Jiuhua Mountain
incorporates both grandeur and wonder. "on poem reads. The mountain
is thus famed as the "No.1 Mountain in Southeast China".
The great variety of the beauty of Mount Jiuhua ranges from the
hair-raising to the gracefully tranquil. And the scenery keeps varying
with the seasonal changes. For instance, the Sea of Bamboo at Minyuan
covers 1000 acres (mu), and when the wind blows, the bamboo leaves
sibilate with an ear-pleasing cadence while the streams are gurgling
and the springs gushing in the background. Standing by a mountain
path that threads its way through the Sea of Bamboo is the renowned
Phoenix Pine, the so-called "Number One Pine in the Land Under
Heaven", which was planted during the Northern and Southern
Dynasties, around 1,400 years ago. The tree's verdant foliage, together
with its flat, scaly twin trunks form what looks like a green phoenix
craning it's neck and flying towards the Heavenly Terrace.
Popular for its spectacular peaks and perilous cliffs, Jiuhuashan
is endowed with myriad of springs, streams, waterfalls, grotesque
rocks and ancient caves. Covered with luxuriantly green pines and
bamboo groves, and gleaming with crystal-clear waters, it offers
enchanting scenery. It's also famous for the grand scale of temples
and nunneries, which are unique in style and magnificent in architecture.
At present, still exist 79 well-preserved temples, over 1500 Buddha
statues and more than 1300 pieces of cultural relics like Buddhist
scriptures, musical instruments etc. Huacheng Temple lies in mid
Jiuhuashan, it's enclosed by the mountains, with Furong Peak to
the south, Shenguang Ridge to the west, White Clouds Mountain to
the north, and cliffs to the east. The Temple, consisting of four
rows of houses, was built on the mountainside.
Mount Jiuhua was originally known as Jiuzi (Nine-Peak) Mountain.
But ever since Li Bai, the celebrated poet in the Tang Dynasty wrote
of the mountain: "Sailing down the Jiujiang River the other
day, I saw the Jiuhua Peaks in the distance. Looking like a heavenly
river hanging in heaven, Its green water embroidering cottonrose
hibiscuses.", the mountain was renamed as Mount Jiuhua.The
10 major sights of Jiuhua are as follows:
1. The mountain scenery by the Five Streams
2. The waterfall at Taoyan
3. The moon mirrored in the Shutan Pool
4. The serene form of the East Cliff
5. The snow mantle over the Flat Terrace
6. Evening Bell Tolls at Huacheng
7. The Sea of Clouds around the Lotus Peak
8.The Singing Stream at Jiuzi
9. Cellestial Presence at the Heavenly Pillar
10. Sunrise at the Heavenly Terrace. |
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