Author: Ji Tiancai
The mountains are majestic and straight, and the water is charming and tender. Yanzhi Mountain is an oil painting. Viewed from a distance, it is more harmonious, rich, full of reverie and more beautiful than viewed from a distance.
Yanzhi Mountain is a work that travels through history. It is located at the junction of Gansu and Liang in the wasp waist area of ??the Hexi Corridor. It is located 40 kilometers southeast of Shandan County, about 34 kilometers long from east to west, and wide from north to south. About 20 kilometers long, it has been known as the "sweet and cool throat" since ancient times. Baihualing, the main peak of Yanzhi Mountain, is 3,978 meters above sea level. It is also the virgin forest closest to the county seat.
Yanzhi Mountain is also called Rouge Mountain. It is named after a kind of flower and plant growing in the mountain, whose juice is very similar to rouge, and is used by women in the mountain to paint their eyebrows and lips. In the scenic area, there are evergreen pines and cypresses, lush vegetation, bees and butterflies, birds singing and flowers fragrant. The scenery is beautiful and pleasant. It is known as the "Little Huangshan" in Hexi.
Yanzhi Mountain has been recorded in history for a long time. First, in 121 BC, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent the young general Huo Qubing to lead his troops westward, crossed Yanzhi Mountain, defeated the Xiongnu, and captured the Hexi area, opening up the channel for exchanges between the Central Plains and the Western Regions. Since then, Yanzhi Mountain has become It went down in history as a symbol of victory. In the fifth year of Daye of the Sui Dynasty (609), Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty went westward. In order to unify the Hexi region, he implemented a soft and appeasement policy towards the 27 countries in the Western Regions such as Boya and Witutun. He also patrolled Zhangye in the west and issued an imperial edict ordering the monarchs of the 27 countries to envoys. Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty held the "World Exposition" in Yanzhi Mountain, Shandan. As a result, Yanzhi Mountain was known as the "Hometown of National Expos" and "Holy Land of World Expos", making Yanzhi Mountain the earliest origin of the World Expo. The place is famous all over the world.
Early summer is the most breathtaking season of the year in Yanzhi Mountain. The clear sky, the intoxicating sunshine, everything is green. The mountains are tall, handsome and colorful; the water is passionate and soft, flowing quietly, like a fairyland.
Depart from Shandan County and drive for about 2 hours to the entrance of "Guozigou". "Guozigou" is the only way to enter Yanzhi Mountain. It is known as "one man can guard the pass, and ten thousand men cannot open it". Walking along Guozigou, the entrance to Yanzhi Mountain comes into view from a distance.
During the Spring and Autumn Period, the Warring States Period, and the Qin and Han Dynasties, Yanzhi Mountain was a natural pasture with lush water and grass. Ancient nomadic peoples such as the Di, Qiang, Yueshi, and Xiongnu had successively lived here. An important producing area of ??red and blue flowers, the raw material for rouge. It is said that at that time, most of the wives and concubines of the Xiongnu vassal kings were selected from the beauties in this area. In the Xiongnu language, the wives of each vassal king were called "Lanshi", and "Yanzhi" or "Runzhi" is the homophone of its Chinese translation, Yanzhi. Zhishan got its name from this.
While walking by car, the early summer sunshine shines through the dense layers of branches and leaves, and the ground is covered with sparkling light spots the size of copper coins. The rushing stream sang happily with a strong sense of summer, and the laughter of tourists and children occasionally came from the woods not far away, making the entire valley a beautiful combination of movement and stillness. The distant and close views are clearly layered, like a flowing landscape painting. People are in the painting and the painting is in the heart. In the gorge between two mountains facing each other, a clear spring flows, crystal clear to the bottom, with many large rocks flowing in the water, making sounds. There are gorges and pines and mountains, fighting for heights and reaching hundreds of peaks. Some low shrubs among the pine forests bear various flowers, and the stars are dotted on the branches, which makes people feel enchanted. The freshness of a paradise makes everyone intoxicated.
A group of us walked up the mountain along the Yanzhi Gorge. The road was gentle at first, with mountains and rivers reflecting each other and flowing water. As the mountain rose, there were lush forests and winding paths. When appreciating and taking photos with my friends, I couldn't help but think of poetic idioms related to mountains and rivers: "If the mountains are not high, they will be famous if there are immortals; if the water is not deep, if there are dragons, they will be spiritual." The benevolent enjoy mountains and the wise enjoy water, and mountains and rivers are connected Mountains and rivers depend on each other, thousands of mountains and rivers, high mountains and flowing water, green mountains and green waters, mountains and rivers, mountains and rivers, etc. It can be seen that mountains, rivers, forests and land constitute the nature in which human beings live and are inseparable from each other. Entering such a landscape makes you relax and forget yourself.
The road ahead is full of green and lush greenery. The wild chrysanthemums at the foot of the mountain were swaying in the breeze, and the light bees had just landed on the petals, sucking the stamens, and suddenly flew away without a trace! A butterfly lay motionless on the lawn, as if thinking about something. Maybe it was too tired from flying and wanted to rest for a while.
As we move forward, we listen to the guide’s introduction.
The natural scenery and cultural landscape in Yanzhi Mountain Scenic Area are very rich, including Yangsilang Spring, Northwest Ethnic Customs Garden, Jade Emperor Temple, Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda, Sui Yang Emperor's Palace, Zhongshan Temple, Centennial Yanzhi Pine, Yanzhi Yuxi, Wanshou Ridge, etc., every scenery has intriguing and different splendor.
As the altitude increased, everyone walked slowly and heavily. Looking at the endless road leading to the distant woods, we felt increasingly less confident. Friends encouraged each other and moved forward. Until we heard a long and unique sound of wooden fish, in the quiet and ethereal silence, we finally arrived at Zhongshan Temple out of breath. Zhongshan Temple was originally the Ningji Gong Temple, also known as the Hou Temple. In the 13th year of Tianbao in the Tang Dynasty (754 AD), Xuanzong Li Longji issued an edict to confer the title of Ningji Gong to the Yanzhi Mountain God, which means tranquility and Kuangji. The temple stands on a cliff, with pillars erected according to the mountain topography, and stone paths and ropes as paths. Climb on it and look out in all directions. You can have a panoramic view of the scenery inside and outside the mountains, which is refreshing and refreshing.
From Zhongshan Temple to Jade Emperor Temple, the road conditions are relatively gentle and it feels like going down a mountain. I didn't want to take this winding road, but the front was extremely open and the mountains were lush and green. However, my eyes were attracted by the cattle grazing leisurely on the gentle and green hillside, and I couldn't help but take more photos.
Come to Jade Emperor Temple, which is full of incense and is a famous pilgrimage holy place. Every year on the sixth day of the sixth lunar month, thousands of tourists come here to view the mountains and escape the summer heat. The buildings, pavilions, pavilions, pavilions, towers, squares and verandahs are cleverly arranged to create momentum based on the mountains, covered with forests, with overhanging eaves and carved beams, and achieve the harmonious unity of nature and humanity.
Leaving the Jade Emperor Temple and arriving at the Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas. The Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda is a palace and pagoda building with Sui and Tang style. The main hall is painted with brackets, sparse and grand, with far-reaching eaves. The tower is 49 meters high, with a square and octagonal base and seven floors. It is exquisitely designed and magnificent. The view from the tower is breathtaking.
Continuing forward, a scenic valley with towering peaks, turbulent clear water, lush flowers and trees, and shrouded in clouds and mist breaks into our sight. This is Shenxianzhai. When I first saw the trail, it followed the mountain, winding and extending upward. It was endless and daunting. Looking up, it gives the impression that you are constantly climbing a mountain and stepping into it, which is indeed the case.
Going all the way up and onto the wooden plank road, the dark yellow railings and stairs look particularly beautiful against the backdrop of tall green trees. There was no human voice around him, only the wind from the mountains whistling in his ears. The quiet trails, tall and handsome pines, and green grass on the slopes surrounded by various wild flowers swaying in the breeze are so beautiful that people can't help but continue to explore.
When you come to Shenxianzhai, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of nature and feel the uncanny workmanship of the Creator. According to legend, in ancient times, the Queen Mother of the West hosted a banquet at Shenxianping and Yaochi in Yanzhi Yuxi to entertain King Mu of Zhou on his way to the west.
After 2 hours of zigzagging along the forest trail, we finally arrived at the flower pond at the top of Yanzhi Mountain. Hundreds of flowers are vying for beauty, mountain flowers are heard from all directions, pines and cypresses are shaded, and flowing water is flowing... walking slowly around the flower pond, the silence in the depths of the forest and the singing of cuckoos are approaching from far away. The scenery in front of me is already picturesque, " The poetic scene of "Qilian's snow-capped mountains and a few branches of grass covered with grass" surged in my heart again.
At the foot of Yanzhi Mountain is a large grassy beach that is difficult to have a panoramic view of. Looking at it, you can see the thousand-mile thoroughfare of the Hexi Corridor, overlooking the spectacular scenery of mountains and mountains. Watching the mountains rise and fall, soaring and dancing, clouds circling in all directions, and wind blowing from all directions, all passing through your eyes, makes you feel filled with emotions!
Times have passed, and the relics of the World Expo have disappeared. The majesty and glory once possessed by a generation of heroes have long since escaped. Only the crisp bells of the temple on the top of the mountain along with the misty clouds can vaguely evoke people. It is not only its illustrious history that makes people pursue it, but also its wonderful scenery with thousands of green peaks and green pines and cypresses.
Yanzhi Mountain is a scenery that cannot be seen enough and a history book that cannot be read to the end. In Yanzhi Mountain, the mountains have stories and the waters have legends. A tree is a legend; a stone is a piece of history. It can be said that one mountain story and one folk song. This story and this song are quietly waiting for you to read and listen!