Millennium-old Liaoxi, Millennium-old North Town

Western Liaoning is a magical land. Hundreds of millions of years ago, the climate was warm and humid, the water and grass were abundant, and prehistoric creatures thrived here. Over the long years, the earth's crust has moved, volcanoes have erupted frequently, and the truth has come to light. Ancient life has been frozen into fossils and accumulated layer by layer. This giant book of the evolution of paleontology written by nature makes today's people marvel and daydream.

Liaoxi Bird, Confucius Bird, Wolf-finned Fish, Liaoning Dragon, Loonosaurus... Because of these fossils, Western Liaoning has become a world-renowned Mesozoic rare biological fossil enrichment area. It is a precious part of the world's natural heritage and is known as It is “the world’s treasure house of paleontological fossils” and “the cornucopia of Mesozoic paleontological fossils”.

Five or six thousand years ago, the Hongshan Culture, which lasted for two thousand years, became famous because of the Red Mountain in Chifeng. It is distributed from the central and southern Inner Mongolia in the north to northern Hebei in the south and as far as the east. Western Liaoning.

The discovery and excavation of the goddess temple, altar, and stone tomb in Dongshanzui-Niuheliang Hongshan Culture in Western Liaoning have advanced the history of Chinese civilization from four thousand years ago to five thousand years ago, making the ancient Chinese nation The study of history expanded from the Yellow River Basin to the Xiliao River Basin north of Yanshan Mountain.

Nuwa kneaded earth to create humans, smelted five-color stones to mend the sky, cut off the legs of a giant turtle in the sea to prop up the four pillars of heaven, killed the black dragon to save Jizhou, and piled up reed ashes to block the flood. The ancient legend is well-known to every household, and the discovery of the Goddess Temple in Western Liaoning is considered to be the proof of this legend. The Chinese claim to be the descendants of the dragon, and the jade pig dragon unearthed in western Liaoning is the original image of the dragon totem.

According to the Hongshan Cultural Site, some scholars believe that the Chinese civilization more than 4,000 years ago originated in western Liaoning and then developed to the Central Plains and the South. The descendants of Zhuanxu, the grandson of the Yellow Emperor, and Emperor Yan came to the site of the Industrial War. Also in western Liaoning, and the descendants of Zhuanxu became the later Northeastern Yi.

The "Great Wilderness North Classic" in "The Classic of Mountains and Seas" records: "Beyond the Northeast Sea, in the wilderness, between rivers, on the mountain of Fuyu, Emperor Zhuanxu and his nine concubines were buried."

"Hai Nei Bei Jing" says: "In the Wuyu Mountain, Emperor Zhuanxu was buried in Yang, and the nine concubines were buried in Yin."

"Hai Nei Dong Jing" also said: "The Mountain of Fish Carp" , Emperor Zhuanxu was buried in Yang, nine concubines were buried in Yin, and the four snakes guarded them."

Based on ancient phonetics, scholar Ai Yinfan believes that "Fuyu", "Wuyu" and "鱼" "Wulu" is the pronunciation of "Wulu". Wulu County in the Han Dynasty was near today's Beizhen, and Wulu Mountain is today's Yiwulu Mountain. Therefore, it is inferred that the place where Zhuanxu was buried is Yiwulu Mountain.

According to legend, during the Shun Dynasty, the country was divided into twelve states, and each state was granted a mountain as the town mountain of a state, which is the place for worshiping ancestors. Lushan Mountain was named the town mountain of Youzhou in the north. During the Zhou Dynasty, Lushan was named one of the Five Mountains and Five Towns. Note: "Zhou Li·Zhi Fang" said: "The northeast is called Youzhou, and its mountain town is called Yiwulu."

Yiwulu Mountain was named Zhenshan during the reign of Yao and Shun, and has a long humanistic history in western Liaoning. It is closely related to the special geographical environment. Most of the famous mountains are made of rocks. Yiwulu Mountain is as eye-catching as a coiled dragon among the lowland hills in western Liaoning. The white granite boulders of different shapes tower high above the green trees. When you look at them, you will feel the magic of nature and feel admiration in your heart. In this way, although Yiwulu Mountain is located in western Liaoning, it was still as famous as the Five Mountains in the Zhou Dynasty. In the Sui Dynasty, Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty built the Beizhen Temple at the foot of the mountain to worship the Yiwulu Mountain God. Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty also visited the Beizhen Temple three times to worship when he personally conquered Korea. Later, Li Yuan, Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, and Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, both went to Beizhen Temple to pay homage to Yiwu Lu Mountain.

After the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty, the Khitan people established the Liao Kingdom in the north to coexist with the Song Dynasty. Yiwulu Mountain was regarded by the Liao Dynasty as the place where dragons flourished, and Longgang Village under Wanghai Peak became the place where emperors of the Liao Dynasty settled after their deaths. There are still Daoyin Valley, Wanghai Temple and other ruins on the Yiwulu Mountain that testify to that past history.

Because I have been curious and admired about Yiwulu Mountain for many years, I recently embarked on a journey to trace the origin of the mountain while the crisp autumn air made it suitable for climbing high and looking far.

Since there is no train service in Beizhen, I can only take the Goubangzi road and then take a bus to Beizhen. I first knew Goubangzi because of its smoked chicken. Goubangzi smoked chicken was founded in the 15th year of Guangxu’s reign in the Qing Dynasty, and it has been over a hundred years. Nowadays, there are two most famous Goubangzi smoked chickens: one is Yinjia smoked chicken, and the other is Spruce smoked chicken. These two smoked chicken restaurants and billboards are all over Goubangzi.

Although Goubangzi is only a town under the jurisdiction of Beizhen, it is much more prosperous than ordinary towns because it is located at the choke point inside and outside the customs, has an important geographical location, and has a train station. The hotel I booked online was much better than I expected. Although the room rate is only over 100, it is better than hotels in big cities that cost 500 or 600.

There are many buses from Goubangzi to Beizhen. I met a bus on the roadside before I got to the bus station, and there were many seats. You can choose any one you want, so I decided to go to Beizhen for a long distance. It is more convenient to take the train and get off at Goubangzi.

There is a dedicated bus line that goes directly from Beizhen to Yiwulu Mountain. It takes about ten minutes and is very convenient. Because it was not a holiday, there were not many people on the bus, and I was the only one traveling there. Could it be that Medical Wulu Mountain is not as good as I imagined? I was suspicious that the train had left Beizhen.

From a distance, I saw some ridges with exposed gray-white rocks lined up in the wilderness, which was particularly eye-catching. This is Yiwu Lu Mountain! I started to get excited inside.

As soon as I was in the mountains and I was still not finished, the bus arrived at the station. After getting off the car, an imposing mountain gate appeared in front of me, but it was deserted and there were only a handful of tourists. This scene made me suspicious again. Just make peace with what you have come. I went to the ticket office to buy a ticket and entered the scenic spot through the ticket gate. I am used to seeing scenic spots with huge crowds of people, so I was a little uncomfortable looking for a quiet spot.

Since I have never been very interested in the gates and square buildings of scenic spots, I only took a quick look at them, then crossed the square and went directly up the mountain.

At the end of the square and at the beginning of the mountain road, there is a very conspicuous stone tablet with the four characters "Yi Wulu Mountain" written on it. When you get closer, you can see that it is written by Emperor Qianlong. There are many stone carvings of famous people in famous mountains, and I continued to walk up the prayer road hung with prayer plaques.

The lush stone path finally has the charm that a famous mountain should have. The uneven bluestones have been stepped on by countless pairs of feet and are as smooth as polished. The moss testifies to their history, and the weeds accompany them through the years of grinding.

After crossing the Shengshui Bridge, across the road from Guanyi Pavilion is the Five-Road God of Wealth Temple. The five gods of wealth are Bigan, the god of wealth on the east road, Wang Ye, the god of wealth on the south road, Guan Gong, the god of wealth on the west road, Zhao Gongming, the god of wealth on the north road, and Wang Hai, the god of wealth on the middle road. After reading the inscription on the Yiwulu Mountain God of Wealth Temple, I learned that it is the only Five-Way God of Wealth Temple in the Northeast. I have never had any desire for wealth, so I was just a spectator. However, the ancient trees and old monuments in front of the Temple of Wealth attracted my attention.

Continuing along the winding mountain road, a Buddha statue caught my eye. The Buddha statue is carved into a huge stone. It is not big and does not sit upright like other Buddhas. He sits cross-legged and sideways in the niche very comfortably. His clothes are all exotic. He should have spread Buddhism here from the hometown of Buddha in the Western Regions, right? After guessing, I developed a close feeling towards Buddha. It turns out that this is an ancient Buddhist niche.

Continuing to move forward, on the high platform, a huge stone emerges from the sky. On the stone, clear springs are flowing, and under the stone, the Buddha lives in the temple and the immortal cave is hidden. Pilgrims go to the temple first and then to the immortal hall. This may be a harmony that can only be seen in Yiwu Lu Mountain. The Northeast has respected fox fairies since ancient times. Mr. Hu Santai and Mrs. Hu Santai are the ancestors of the family, and their status is of course as important as the Buddha from outside. This is the Big Stone Shed, one of the famous scenic spots in Yiwulu Mountain.

The strange thing about the big stone shed is the stone, and the wonderful thing is the water. The water in the big stone shed is like a curtain, but it does not fall vertically, but flows along the inward inclined stone wall into the lotus basin inside the cave. Accompanied by ancient trees, the water in the treasure basin splashes like dripping green, and it is a fairyland. Therefore, this place is also called Daoyin Valley. It is the place where King Yelvbei of Dongdan studied, and King Yelulong of Ping was also buried here.

After passing the big stone shed, continue forward to Guanyin Pavilion. Guanyin Pavilion was built in the Liao Dynasty. To the southeast of Wanghai Peak, there are front hall, main hall and east and west side halls. The pavilion preserves two stone carvings with the words "Holy Water Basin" inscribed by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty and two stone carvings inscribed by him on the Guan Pavilion.

I have no research on the inscriptions. I only pay attention to the two ancient pines planted by Yelvxian of Liao Jingzong and Empress Dowager Xiao. After thousands of years of wind and rain, they still stand tall and look at each other. This is the integrity of the pines!

From Guanyin Pavilion, you can look up to Lugongyan and Wanghai Temple. Because there are tourists staying on Lugongyan, I chose to go up the mountain along the simple path carved between the stones. I didn’t want to go through all the effort to get there. , but was told by several traveling friends in their 50s and 60s that they could not go up to Lugongyan. Looking at the rock, I sighed, so I had to take pictures of the Qingwang stone carvings, the blue sky, white clouds and pine shadows and return the same way.

Go back to the big stone shed through Guanyin Pavilion, go up the stone steps on the west side, and see the stone carvings of Youmu Tianbiao. After a while, you can continue moving forward. Occasionally, I saw an ancient tomb looming among the trees and grass on the south side of the mountain road, and I went there out of curiosity. The tombstones are mottled, the stone pagodas are covered in dust, and the eminent monks guard the fairy mountains. They are lonely and pure. What do you want?

After making a silent sacrifice in your heart, move on. The face of a prodigy in the mountains can change at a moment’s notice. The sky that was still blue and white in the morning was suddenly filled with dark clouds, and raindrops fell. I took a few steps in a hurry and saw a stall at the crossroads in front of me to take shelter from the rain, so I decided to head there.

Climbing up the stairs, within three or two minutes the rain had turned to raindrops. When we arrived at the stall, we saw that tourists taking a rest were already standing under parasols, so we had to go to the thatched pavilion at the intersection to take shelter from the rain. Sitting on the stone pier under the thatched pavilion, the rain outside poured down in flakes. Soon the ground was soaked and there was water on the steps. The thatched pavilion I lived in was less than one meter wide. Because there was no wind, the rain only I fell vertically along the eaves of the thatched pavilion without getting my clothes wet.

There is no need to worship Buddha if you have one in your heart. I secretly thought about the wonder of Buddha’s relationship in my heart. If I had not stopped at the place where the eminent monk passed away, I would not have been able to escape the sudden rain. The same is true for many things in the world: it seems useless but it is useful. Don't be eager for success or quick benefits. It's easier said than done.

Sitting quietly in the rain is just the right way to replenish your energy. While watching the tourists playing and taking pleasure in the rain, while waiting quietly for the rain to pass and the sky to clear up, the leisurely time is fleeting. In less than half an hour, the shower gradually stopped, and the rain moistened things but did not wet clothes. It was just suitable for hiking. Get up and walk along the mountain road. After passing the Nantianmen, you will suddenly see a piece of plain land hidden in the mountains, which is like a paradise.

Thousand-year-old pines stand straight into the clouds, but there is no wind in the wind well. Since he had no intention of seeking wealth, he decided to abandon the Laoye Pavilion and went straight to the Yelu Chucai Reading Hall on the high platform.

The reading hall is really small, but the stele corridor is quite impressive. After walking around and watching the scenery, we walked out from the side door after seeing the stele gallery and headed to Wanghaifeng along the rugged mountain road. Halfway there, we were told by a pair of middle-aged people that the mountain was under maintenance and that the power lines were dominating the road, making it very unsafe. But for the sake of my hard-earned life, I could only choose to return the way I came.

I thought that Wanghai Temple, which you can admire from Guanyin Pavilion, would be as inaccessible as Lugongyan and Wanghai Peak. Fortunately, I asked the staff and learned that I could go there. I was secretly happy and hurriedly looked for it.

Wanghai Temple was named after the Qianlong Emperor. It was originally a "watchtower" built by Prince Yelubei of the Liao Dynasty when he lived in seclusion in Lushan. In the Ming Dynasty, due to the heavy responsibility of guarding Liaodong, it was opened up as a pass of the Ming Great Wall, known as "Baiyunguan". Today, Baiyunguan City Gate is still standing, but only a stone carving and a niche of Buddha remain in Wanghai Temple.

Climbing Wanghai Temple is more like turning a tower. The same scenery is different due to different sight lines. After understanding it, you can see the Zen meaning: looking at the mountain is not a mountain, looking at the water is not water; looking at the mountain is still a mountain, looking at Water is still water.

Standing at the highest point of Wanghai Temple, looking down at the Guanyin Pavilion filled with incense, I wonder why there are so few pilgrims and few tourists in Wulu Mountain. Although they are both ancient temples in Beizhen, Qingyan Temple has a prosperous incense and a large number of believers. Famous towns inside and outside the pass. I went to Beizhen to see the mountains and healed Wulu Mountain, and went to Qingyan Temple to worship Buddha. It seemed that there were far more people worshiping Buddha than looking at the mountains. I have never been to Qingyan Temple, but I have heard people say that you have to climb many, many steps to worship the Buddha. It seems that if you want to achieve your wish, you must first temper yourself before you can show your sincerity. Although Yiwulu Mountain is beautiful, it is not dangerous or tiring. On the way, I heard a tourist say that this is the easiest mountain he has ever climbed. It’s not enough to climb, that’s how I feel too. If you are not satisfied, you will not feel the pride after reaching the top. This should be one of the reasons why Lushan has few tourists.

In addition, there are ancient temples in famous mountains, and there are eminent monks in ancient temples, but there are no monks in the temples in Lushan, and no Buddhist message has been heard. So how can there be believers?

Standing at Wanghai Temple, looking at Wanghai Peak in the distance, the modern buildings on the peak are abruptly erected, which destroys the feng shui pattern of the mountain, is an eyesore, makes the mountain lose its spirituality, and makes my photos have flaws. . These superfluous mistakes and too many artificial additions have caused Yiwulu Mountain to lose its majesty as a mountain and become worldly and impetuous.

Looking back at Lugongyan from Wanghai Temple, it is like an eagle standing on the mountainside, unchangingly guarding Yiwulu Mountain and this magical land in western Liaoning.