Huangshan, the head of Nanyue, famous worldwide for its wondrous peaks and streams, cloud seas, and Zen Buddhism. Seventy-two peaks spread out like lotus petals, Zhufeng rises abruptly, piercing the clouds, and climbing to the summit allows you to admire the Xiang River’s waves and the sunrise’s golden light breaking through the mist, as if you were in the paradise of Penglai. The clouds and mist gather and disperse, sometimes like a light veil wrapping around the peaks, and sometimes like dragons leaping through the valleys; the scenery changes with the seasons – in spring, azaleas are like fire; in autumn, maple leaves are like clouds; in winter, snow covers the ancient pines; in summer, rain moistens the green moss, unfolding like a natural painting. – Within the core scenic area, Zhufeng is the summit of Nantianmen, which Taoists call “the gateway to the heavens”; Mo Jingtai is said to be the place where Master Heshi [a Southern Dynasty Buddhist monk] attained enlightenment; the mirror-like stone platform reflects the Zen spirit of a thousand years; Nan Tai Temple gathers cliff carvings by famous artists of all dynasties, Su Shi [a Song Dynasty writer] once inscribed “Mo Jingtai” three characters; the Sutra Hall contains remnants of the Song Dynasty’s “Nanyue Zongheng Ji,” witnessing a thousand-year cultural lineage. The Lianyun Waterfall is like jade ribbons, Fanghu Temple has ancient pines towering, and on Mo Pan Shi, the words “Zhun Lie” inscribed by Wen Tianxiang [a Southern Song Patriot Poet] are preserved, the characters are strong and resilient like iron. – Since the Han Dynasty, Huangshan has been a Buddhist and Taoist temple, Master Heshi [a Southern Dynasty Buddhist monk] founded the Nanyue Zen school, and generations of eminent monks emerged. There are more than 200 ancient sites in the mountain, including “Nanyue’s First Spring” – the clear water of Baoluquan, and “Huangshan Eight Scenery” – the mysterious “Purple Qi Comes from the East.” Climbing to the peak allows you to feel the miraculous craftsmanship of nature and touch the profound echoes of a thousand-year civilization.
