Travel Notes on the First Ancestor Mountain
(Part 1)
? One day in November last year, it was nearly noon and the weather was sunny. Ding ding, a phone call. This is a call from one of my students. "Teacher Zhao, are you busy? Let's go for a walk outdoors and visit the Ancestor Mountain." I said, "It's almost noon." He said, "It's okay, we often go in the afternoon. We will take a rest after dinner and set off at one o'clock." This is Xiao Zhang, a student I taught, who is now the boss of a private machinery factory. He and several classmates visited me before the Mid-Autumn Festival. I'm very grateful. These students treat their teachers so well.
? At around 13 o'clock, he drove his wife and me and my wife, got on the Zhengyao Expressway from Changgexi Station, got off at Xinzhengxi Station, and went straight to the First Ancestor Mountain.
? After parking the car, walk towards the tourist area.
On the tall archway, there is written "Yellow Emperor Cultural Tourist Area". Entering the viewing area, we walked along the wide concrete avenue and circled up the stream, looking around at the dark green mountains surrounding us. While walking and watching, Xiao Zhang said, "Nowadays, many people are looking for their roots and ancestors, and taking filial piety as the first priority." I said, "Yes, Xinzheng, which is just across the way, pays homage to the ancestors. Every year, thousands of people come to pay homage to their ancestors on March 3rd of the lunar calendar." The two emperors of Yan and Huang, and overseas Chinese flocked to visit Pangu Mountain in Biyang every March 3rd. Hundreds of thousands of people visited Xingshan, the hometown of singing and dancing a few miles east and the hometown of Ge Tian, one of the ancestors of weaving. The incense continues all year round. This shows that the Chinese people's fine virtues of seeking their roots, not forgetting their roots, and returning to their original nature are being carried forward and passed down." This side of the highway is Xuanyuan Qiu, Shizu Mountain. This place can be developed on a large scale. "At this time, we saw rows of houses in the scenic area management office, and the pond on one side was under construction. The machines were also rumbling.
? Walking forward, we saw the former site of the Anti-Japanese Democratic Government. There are also glorious historical records here.
Suddenly, an eye-catching sign pointed to the "Huangdi Tunbing Cave". Xiao Zhang explained, "It is too round to go forward, and you can drive up to the top of the mountain. The road up from here has many steep steps. "I said, just take a shortcut...".
? Looking up, ah!! The winding and spiraling steps are simply a "ladder to heaven", and there are many pedestrians coming and going. This ladder is made of cement. Even the handrails on both sides are made of cement to imitate wood. If you don't look closely, you will think that it is a real wooden railing. After a while, we are out of breath. Walking and stopping, I walked through two pavilions and saw a flat area. There were about 100 or 200 steep bluestone steps in front of me. Many people were exhausted after finally climbing to the top. There happened to be a small stall selling drinks and flowers in women’s hair. We just sat on the small stools provided by the vendors. I asked the stall owner how far it was from the top of the mountain, and he said, “It’s far, you’ve walked less than a third of the way. "Ah! Only then did I realize how difficult it is to climb a mountain. "Life is like this. I know that traveling is very difficult but I still want to go. I felt tired while walking. When you complete the trip, what you will feel when you look back is a special kind of happiness. "This is the feeling of traveling in life. At this time, we saw a building in front of us. It was very majestic. We asked the stall owner and he said that he was going to build a "Mahatma Hall". We stopped because we had no money. We took a closer look and saw that the pillars and skeletons were all in place. It’s up. The roof is also up, but it’s just a piece of brick. It’s a pity that it’s all made of bluestone. It's good, but too monotonous. "When I saw that the stones were all hewn and forged, they were also ground. How were they transported from the outside? Lifted up? I couldn't help but admire the workers who put in their hard work and sweat for the scenic spot. They are unknown. We don't even know their names. .
The sign shows: Huangdi Tunbing Cave. Looking closer, there is a small courtyard with three walls and a mountain. There is a statue of a soldier on the small circle door in the courtyard. There is a cave door covered by a big tree, and the branches are covered with red cloth strips. There are five seal characters carved on the door. There is a stone carving on the wall to the right of the door: The Yellow Emperor's Tunbing Cave is a place where soldiers train animals. It is more than 10 meters deep. There are lions, tigers and bears on both sides of the cave. There is a statue of Huangdi Fenghou Dahong in the depths.
We turned around and stood on the cliff. At our feet are villas, hills, paths, and farmland. We took pictures of this fairy scene.
As we were heading there, we saw a stone monument. This was the deputy county official of Xinzheng County in November 1990. Inscribed by Chang Huo Xiuzhen, the introduction of Leizu Niangniang Cave: It is located on the cliff at the east foot of Fenghou Ding, the main peak of Cishan Mountain. There is an iron ladder of more than ten meters outside the cave to climb. According to historical records, Huangdi lived in Xuanyuan Qiu and married the daughter of Xiling. Concubine Yuan, she taught the people how to breed silkworms, make silk, and weave silk fabrics to make clothes. From then on, people all over the world called her the first silkworm. According to ancient legends, Luo Zu Niangniang Cave was the place where silkworms were weaved. The one above is the statue of Luo Zu, the concubine of the Yellow Emperor. Because she taught the people how to cultivate mulberry trees, raise silkworms, and weave silk, they were not afraid of freezing.
The first line is: "Li Mu Peak". The small courtyard wall has undulating water patterns. The words "Li Mu Peak" are carved on the wall, and it says in Chinese and English: "The Yellow Emperor commended the general Li Mu for his meritorious service. Mu, named its peak 'Li Mu Peak'. This is also his fiefdom. "
? It was easy to climb to a gentle area again. I asked the vendor and he said it was only 700 steps. There were more than 2,000 steps up to the top.
ah! What to do? Tired enough. You can’t retreat, and you’ll be even more tired if you advance? Zhiwei asked, "Teacher, what should we do?" My wife looked down and stood up. Say "Go up, you can still look at the steps without getting dizzy". Hong said, "Wei: You go down and drive to the top of the mountain to pick us up. Don't let the teacher and wife get tired." After hearing Hong's words, I was very grateful. Wei went to drive. Let's continue. Walk and stop, rest before walking again. When there is no way out, people no longer hesitate. I saw one scene after another. There are stalls selling things one after another. The pavilion in front has been seen. Right at the top of the mountain. Turn around and look southeast, it's sparkling. Hong said, "That's the dragon head."
(Part 2)
When we got to the top of the mountain, Xiao Zhang called and said, "They caught us." The top of the mountain is so wide. A large parking lot. There is an archway. On the left is "Xuanyuan Temple", which was named a "National Key Civilized Protection Unit" by the State Council on May 25, 2006. On the right is the sign "Mountain of the Forefather of Chinese Civilization". Looking ahead is the "Zhongtian Gate".
? On the left side of "Zhongtian Gate" stands a "monument to worship ancestors". On the front is the "Zhongtian Gate". To go up, in the middle is a white marble carved dragon pattern. On both sides are steps for hiking. We walked up the steps from the right. Entering the courtyard, you will see a large round pool with a small round stone pillar in the center that reads "Heaven's Heart". Surrounding the "Heaven's Heart", long strips of soapstone are arranged into radiating light pillars, which really look like thousands of rays of rays of light. "Heaven's Heart" means the center of the sky, in the Central Plains, in the Central Province, in the Five Elements, returning to the clan on four sides, and coming to worship from eight sides. Walking past the "Tianxin" pool is Xuanyuan Hu, with a stone plaque erected inside, "Towering Mount Juci, with eight thousand years of civilization." In the northeast corner is a tall pavilion. There is a small corner door called "Chaoyang Gate" that you can go up to. We walked around Chaoyang Gate. See "Yellow Emperor Yingri Peak". There is a stone azimuth meter on one side and an iron railing for support. We took a photo here. Look east to see the sunrise early. Turning to the west is "Xuanyuan Temple".
? "Xuanyuan Temple", the couplet on both sides is "the ancestor mountain swallowed clouds and smoke to create the eastern earth, Ji Xiuhe contained yin and absorbed yang to give birth to the descendants of Yan and Huang". The Zhongtian Pavilion in this temple records the merits of the Yellow Emperor. It is 299 meters high, with four floors from the west, five floors from the east, and six floors from the south. It's caused by different bases. It is the largest building on the main peak of a famous mountain in my country. Entering the temple, to the west is the "Humanities Ancestral Temple", with a couplet: "The Qiankun Mountain has great merit, the sun, the moon and the earth have great virtue". The courtyard has a central pillar "Fenghouding, the main peak of Juci Mountain".
"Xuanyuan Temple" is one of the oldest stone temples in China. It was founded in the Spring and Autumn Period. It has thousands of years of history. It was restored during the Han and Qing Dynasties. The temple enshrines a seated statue of the Yellow Emperor in his old age. It is a key cultural relic protection unit at the national and provincial levels. The couplet of "Leizu Palace" is "Thousands of years of merit have passed, and the virtues of the fourth floor are spring". There is a small corner gate leading to the Forest of Steles. The forest of steles here commemorates the officials who have contributed to the construction of Shizu Mountain in the past dynasties.
After looking around the temple, walk down the steps to the south. When I saw the Tianzhong Stone, I realized that it was also a door leading to the temple.
After leaving the entrance of "Zhongtian Gate", I took a closer look at the many snacks and goods on both sides. There are tents and houses on both sides. We walked into the parking lot. The parking lot at the top of the mountain is huge. There will be hundreds of cars parked. Looking back at the top of the mountain, the tall telecommunications signal tower, the majestic Zhongtian Temple, and the dark green trees make the Ancestral Mountain look majestic, solemn, mysterious, colorful, and fascinating. When I turned around and saw the sunset, a full sun was setting in the west. I stood next to the "Audi" and click, click, Wei took a photo for me. Left an eternal and unforgettable memory. Wei said, "Teacher, you must taste the mountain flavor when you enter the mountain. Let's go to Bailongtan Restaurant."?
We drove down the mountain. Along the way, there were many restaurants on both sides. Detour halfway up the mountain and enter the mountain stream, which is opposite the dragon head.
? This hotel is a simple building with brick walls and asbestos tiles. The dining area is a steel mesh shed with more than a dozen tables. There were people eating at five or six tables. There are no walls. There are chickens nesting on the big branches in the west, squeaking and squawking. Wei reported the meal. Scrambled eggs, stewed chicken, stir-fried shredded pork, stir-fried stew, stir-fried chili. …baked buns and handmade noodles. The stewed chicken is freshly killed and stewed. It takes forty minutes. After a while, the side dishes came. The fried eggs are delicious. It smells really good. After dinner, I asked the boss’s parents, how many chickens should they raise? His mother said she would raise three to four thousand at a time, three seasons a year. ah! Quite a few! How to raise it? She said that there was a person raising the chickens professionally in the ditch. When the bell was rung while feeding, the chickens would fly over. After eating, they dispersed and flew around the ravines. The same goes for raising pigs. There are pigs scattered in two ravines. It’s hard to say how many. One person is dedicated to raising it. Sometimes the pigs run away and some kind-hearted people send them back. One sow has given birth to more than 200 pigs. "No wonder the pork is so fragrant." After a while, the stewed chicken was served. Fragrant and fragrant. It's only a little over two kilograms, so it's a bit expensive. It smells so good. Authentic. Only those can eat it.
? In the night, we finished savoring the game and drove down the Ancestor Mountain with the headlights on.
Today I gained a lot: "The strong friendship between teachers and students, the thoughts of tracing ancestors, the appreciation of the hardships of mountain climbing, the respectful feelings of respecting ancestors, and the appreciation of fairyland-like scenery. , the delicious meal of returning to nature, this is the true cry of the ancestors traveling in the mountains.
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Zhao Zhimin
:2018, 02
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