Lingjiu Mountain: Majestic and secluded Jiaochi Peak

To borrow the language of Buddha, Lingjiu Mountain is like nine blooming lotus flowers drifting from the East China Sea, and Jiaochi Peak (836 meters above sea level) is one of them.

In the past, in addition to the empty gate of the south front gate, the main gate of Lingjiu Mountain also had the Xinxin Zen Gate of the east gate, the Jile Mountain Gate of the west gate, and the unique Buddhist gate of the north back gate. They were all necessary for the thousand-year-old pilgrimage to the mountain. road. The North Road from Lingjiu Mountain to Xiangshan passes through present-day Taizhen and Shuangqiao Townships. The main attractions in this area include Taizhen Cave, which is known as the best cave in the world, Sisters Falls, Zhiling Stone Forest, Millennium Ginkgo, Hermit Valley, Taizhen Stone Pillar, Qu Suishou Central County Committee First District Committee Monument and other historical sites and attractions Each has its own characteristics, is beautiful and breathtaking. According to the old place name, the route is as follows: from Waishanyuan, through Zhutouling, to Xiacaoqiao Shexi and Wukou. There are many cliffs and mountains all the way, which is very laborious. Then go south to Shangling, Banwu, and reach Jiaochiwu. This section of the road is narrow and steep. After reaching Huangdi, walk three miles to Dakeng. At that time, the bamboo forest in Dakeng was the most prosperous in Lingjiu Mountain, and there were also Shangxia Longtan Waterfalls with flying springs and mist. Most of the pilgrims who come to Xiangbei Road from Lingjiu Mountain to Mount Lingjiu come from the north of Shouchang, the east of Sui'an (Chun'an), the local Xiandong, Taizhen and other places.

In the old days, Gaotian (Gaojuwu, Tianpeng, etc., 90 households, 278 people, and 4 natural villages) in Shuangqiao Township, Qujiang District, and Menggaoliao, Jiuhua Township, Kecheng District (There are three natural villages, Menggaoliao, Dakeng, and Shimumu, with 42 households, a population of 101, and 2 villager groups.) People in the city call it Jiaochiwu.

The Jiaochi Peak in the old records is called "Jiaochiwu". "Jiaqing Xi'an County Chronicle" of the Qing Dynasty records: Jiaochiwu is sixty miles north of the county and about ten miles from Jiuhua, but it is actually only fifty miles away. Dangerous peaks and cliffs, dense and dense pines. There is a waterfall pouring from above, and the spray is like the Milky Way coming up from the sky. There is Chen Yikui's "Jiaochiwu Waterfall Poetry" in "Qu County Chronicles" of the Republic of China.

Chen Yikui, courtesy name Shanghou and nicknamed Ershi. A native of Xi'an, Quzhou. Zheng Xun, a native of Yi, said that he "was a weak man who wandered around the countryside and ate gluttonous food. He had a heroic appearance and read as much as he could in ancient times. He was good at riding and shooting, and was good at fencing. He said that he was as green as a purple ear when picking up mustard ears. He was often trapped in the house, so he wandered around. The mountains and rivers are entrusted to Qin Zun, and they are composed of poems with their upright and restrained spirit and majestic talents. Author of "Er Shi Shi Manuscript". The full text of Chen Yikui's "Jiaochiwu Waterfall" is as follows:

The green-robed god galloped down the green Cong, and the elixirs flew down from the Crystal Palace; he turned around for seven hundred miles in a night, holding a whip and a group of dragons; in a moment, he went down to the lower world. It has rained a lot, and the roosters are vibrating their feathers in the east; the breath of their cocks sweeps across the sky, and the dragons and their manes are pointing towards the sky; the peaks are dangerous and dense, and the trees are tired, and a pine tree hangs on the cliff; the ferocious and angry can't fly away, so it takes the cloud spray The trumpet is long and the wind is blowing; Axiang is trying the thunder drum for the first time, the Emperor of Qin hangs a new stone bell; the rocks are about to crack in the mountains, and the pits and valleys are full of calmness; eliminated or worried about the collapse of the earth's axis, the pouring seems to be connected with the Milky Way; a thousand-year-old charm holds the ear Scurrying, the tiger crouched in the depths; sometimes there was a frightening spray, and the water splashed through the exquisite jade; it was like seeing a crown and bun through the curtain, and the cold light blinded the eyes; wheezing, there were countless mountain spirits, and the vast world's eyes were like dust; Chaofa is my generation, and the old dragon is truly a genius; he knows how to use his staff to reach the top, and his feet can break through thousands of hibiscus.

Jiaochi Peak is located in the mountains at the junction of Jiuhua and Shuangqiao Townships. The mountains branch off from the "Yanghua Peak" hills to the northeast, with an altitude of 836 meters. It belongs to the northeastern outer ring mountain range of Lingjiu Mountain in the Qianligang Mountains. . The water from its northeastern foothills flows into the source of Tongshan. There are branches such as Xichunwu (Shiqing) Stream and Shimennei Stream. The water from the southwest foothills flows into the temple source of Jiuhua River and has branches such as Dahou Stream.

The most famous natural landscapes in the area are the Jiaochiwu Waterfall located in Xichun (Shiqing) Wu and the Yulinglong Bare Rock Flowing Spring located in 50 acres. Among them, Chen Yikui's "Jiaochiwu Waterfall Poem" is the most vivid one describing Quzhou Waterfall.

Nowadays, it is easy for people to find the old traces of Chen Yikui's "Jiaochiwu Waterfall Poetry". Get off at the Xichun (Shiqing) Wukou of the Tatai Line connecting the G60N Hangzhou-Xinjing Expressway and walk along the mountain stream for about an hour. If it is the rainy season, you can hear the roar of Jiaochi Waterfall. The first Jiaochi Waterfall in the mountain is about fifty meters high. It is located on the cliff of Jiaochiwu between two peaks. The sound of the silver waterfall falling like snow is just like the majestic appearance of the nine heavens under the Milky Way.

Follow the stream path on the left to the top of Jiaochi Waterfall. Going up for about half an hour, you will reach the second waterfall, the "Menlian Waterfall". The Menlian Waterfall is located in the rock flow upstream of the Jiaochi Waterfall. You have to go upstream along the stream to see its majestic appearance. Menlian Waterfall is like a white cloth door curtain, about eight meters high. The flat curtain is in the middle of the stream. It is lifelike and can be said to be a masterpiece of nature. Further up is the "Longtan Waterfall", which is about 500 meters above Menlian Waterfall and about 20 meters high. It is named after the Longtan Waterfall under the waterfall.

After passing Longtan Waterfall and walking up the stream for about three to four hundred meters, you will find the "Linglong Jade" landscape described in the poem. The water of Shiqingjian flows down the golden exposed rocks, just like the delicate tumbling of jade belt strings, forming a scene of its own. The ancients most appropriately compared it to "Linglong Jade". Further up Jade Linglong is Lingjiu Temple.

Get off at the Xichun (Shiqing) dock of the Tatai Line connecting the G60N Hangzhou-Xinjing Expressway and walk along the mountain stream to look for the old traces of Chen Yikui's "Jiaochiwu Waterfall Poetry", both in the past and now , there is no mountain road to climb Jiaochi Peak, and you cannot climb Jiaochi Peak. Twenty years ago, a small hydropower station was built at the dock entrance of Xichun (Shiqing). After passing the power station, follow the water diversion steps of the power station to the water diversion port of the power station. After that, you will go up the mountain stream and can only enter Lingjiu Temple. Because of the steep mountain roads, except for hunters, mountain people rarely go there.

In 2002, I was staying at Lingjiu Temple. That year, a huge flash flood occurred in the Lingjiu Mountain Area that was rare in a century. Then I asked the director of Jiuhua Zen Temple if there were any places on the mountains around the temple that no one dared to climb! ? The host informed that Jiang Shiye (more than 70 years old at the time) of Menggaoliao Village in the mountains, when his father and uncle were young men, climbed to the Eagle Cave at Jiaochi Peak to catch eaglets. When they returned home, they were beaten severely by their grandfather. Since then, they have been beaten for at least eight years. I haven’t heard of anyone going up there in ten years. This cave is relatively hidden. It is on a cliff and cannot be seen from the bottom of the mountain. Only when the eagle returns to the cave can its exact location be known.

There are many types of eagles, some are called eagles and some are called vultures. Anyway, they are all big birds that eat small animals. It is located at the top of Jiaochi Peak opposite Jiuhua Lingjiu Temple. Legend has it that a dragon once appeared on the top of the mountain. Meng Gao's name is Meng Jiao. Historically, there were many vultures in the Gryllion Mountains, circling and flying around the Gongjiu Mountains all day long.

There is a legend that Monk Huili, the vulture of Lingjiu Mountain, brought it from Lingjiu Mountain in India.

During the Xianhe period of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (326~334), according to the Southern Song Dynasty's "Chunyou Lin'an Chronicle": "The Indian eminent monk Huili came to Xixialing, Hangzhou to participate in the groundbreaking ceremony of Lingyin Temple." When Huili came, he brought two vultures from the Vulture Mountain in India. According to folklore, Huili drove two spiritual vultures from the Central Plains to Zhejiang.

In a few days these two griffon birds disappeared. Huili was worried about this and was extremely anxious.

In search of these two vultures, Huili went up the Qiantang River and came to Xin'an County in Quzhou. Suddenly, two spiritual vultures were seen flying in the sky and circling, then landed on Huili's shoulders. At this time, Huili was extremely surprised and said in his mouth, "Boss, Lao Er! Where have you lived since we parted?" After hearing this, the two spiritual vultures flapped their wings again and flew slowly towards the northwest.

Huili followed the search and came to Dahou Ridge in Xin'an County, Quzhou. He saw the two griffon birds perched on an ancient camphor tree. A nest had been built on the fork of the tree. They were giving birth here, and five little vultures with tender goose-yellow feathers poked out from the vulture's nest. They kept flapping their little wings and chirping, as if to welcome Huili's arrival.

Huili understands. I also browsed the scenery of the mountains and rivers on the Big Monkey Ridge in Xin'an County, Quzhou: I saw the smoke and clouds on the mountain, standing tall and majestic, swallowing the mountains and rivers, it can be regarded as one of the most majestic mountains in the world; and there is the towering Big Monkey Peak, which is as high as the sky, entering this mountain. I just feel that this mountain is extremely secluded and beautiful. It has a unique shape and various shapes, and the valleys are extremely deep. The ancient trees in the mountains are in the sky, the pines are roaring, and the springs are tinkling. It has some scenery of Lingjiu Mountain in my hometown of Tianzhu. Huili then said to the two vultures: "The old monk raised money to build a nunnery for you, and named it Lingjiu Nunnery. It will be the sister temple of Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou. Let this mountain be called Lingjiu Mountain."

< p> During the three years that Huili was in Lingjiu Mountain, he traveled all over the mountains and rivers of Xin'an, Quzhou. I found the people here to be very warm and hospitable. However, in the early morning of the tenth year of summer and autumn in Tianfan, the mountains and ridges were prone to floods caused by Meng Jiao during the rainy season, so they decided to pray for the people. Before returning to his hometown, Huili said to the two spirit eagles: "Boss, go to the mountain closest to Xin'an Lake, where you can hibernate and live in seclusion to guard the Baili Pingchuan in the southeast; the Lingjiu Temple is not far from the entrance. There is a hidden cave on the cliff at Jiaochi Peak that no one knows about. Go there and conquer Meng Jiao. Lingjiu Mountain and the land of Xin'an will be prosperous one day. Just wait here."

These two spiritual vultures flying from the west are very spiritual. As time goes by, the old one turns into Qingdong Peak, which looks like the back of a chair when viewed up close, and looks like a flying vulture when viewed from a distance. The second one is on Meng Gaojiaochi Peak. Meng Jiao has been subdued for thousands of years.

In 2002, a huge flash flood occurred in the Lingjiu Mountain Area that was rare in a century. However, all the mountainous areas with temples and nunneries, including ruins, were intact! The folk are also full of various legends about Buddha blessing the mountain people. Emotionally and rationally, they all tend to believe that the spiritual eagle bird has been in Meng Gaoliang and subdued Meng Jiao for thousands of years. So I had the urge to go to Menggao Jiaochi Peak to look for the spiritual vulture.

I clearly remember that the time of climbing was October 12, 2002, the seventh day of the ninth lunar month. The yin and yang Bagua calendar says "the day is unlucky and major events are unfavorable". But I firmly believe that the Buddha will bless me with peace, and my sincerity will lead to spiritual success! I chose this day to go hiking to look for griffons.

On this day, my only friend was Luo Binghua, the village director of Menggaoliao. The only tool was a hatchet. After the huge flash flood in the Lingjiu Mountain area on August 15, 2002, what we were most worried about was that the Upper and Lower Longtan Waterfalls in Menggaocon Dakeng would be destroyed by the accumulation of boulders. Therefore, before our trip, we decided to see the waterfalls first and then climb the mountain.

When I set foot on the road to Shanglongtan Waterfall and Xialongtan Waterfall, I no longer felt anything in my heart, because I witnessed the huge flash flood in Lingjiu Mountain District on August 15, 2002. The cruel hand of nature had already been strong. The earth shook my soul. The mud flow and boulders in front of me were nothing! Thank God, the Upper and Lower Longtan Waterfalls were not destroyed! When I climbed along the cliff to the bottom of Shanglongtan, my first feeling was the same as before: the water was pouring down like the Milky Way coming from the sky! The upper and lower Longtan Waterfalls are about half a mile apart. On the way to Xialongtan Waterfall, when I looked up at the peak of Jiaochi Peak and Lingjiu Cave, my eyes suddenly jumped: Why haven’t I noticed such a wonder before? The combination of the peak of Lingjiu Cave and the slightly lower peaks on the left and right sides looks like a male vulture spreading its wings and flying in the sky, perfectly matching the waterfall from the Milky Way sky!

The top opening of Halongtan Waterfall is connected to a deep ditch that is only two meters wide and thirty meters long. This is the narrowest section of Dakeng Ridge in Menggaoliao, like a giant whip. When climbing down the cliff to the bottom of Ha Long Tan Waterfall, the first feeling is still the same as before: "holding a whip of dragons." Then consciously walk forward for half a mile, and then go back to the peak of Lingjiu Cave and Ha Long Tan Waterfall. , also found the male eagle spreading its wings and flying in the sky, perfectly matching the waterfall from the Milky Way sky!

The peak of Lingjiu Cave is less than 800 meters above sea level, but the front mountain is steep and can only be climbed from the back mountain. Behind the peak of Lingjiu Cave is Jiaochi Peak. The two of us almost used a hatchet to clear the way up to Jiaochi Peak. Descending from Jiaochi Peak and approaching the summit of Lingjiu Cave, I encountered a large snake. From Jiaochi Peak to the Peak of Lingjiu Cave, there seems to be only a narrow bridge five meters wide and about a hundred paces long. The strange thing is that when you stand in the middle and look at the upper and lower Longtan Waterfalls in Menggaocong Dakeng, you can see the bottom, but when you look towards Shiqingwu, you can see a giant "sky frame" that cannot be seen to the bottom. After crossing this long and narrow road, you will reach the top of Lingjiu Cave in less than a hundred steps. What’s even more amazing is that the peak of Lingjiu Cave is less than 100 square meters, but there are three huge stones standing there. One of them is 2 meters long and shaped like a vulture’s beak. The cross-section of the small head is 0.1 square meters, and the cross-section of the big head is 0.5 square meters. There are 1.6 meters hanging upwards, and only 0.4 meters combined with the other two stones. Standing at the bottom of the mountain, you can only see a small pointed dot. When you reach the top of the mountain, you find the head of a griffon made of three stones!

It turns out that the second child that Huili brought from India's Lingjiu Mountain turned into three huge rocks at the top of Lingjiu Cave on Jiaochi Peak and combined with the top of Lingjiu Cave became a giant vulture. Look up at the sky to prevent Meng Jiao from causing trouble! At this time, I - "I am in the village, I am in the mountains and I am so happy that I forget about the opportunity"! The summit of Lingjiu Cave suddenly made me feel excited! Menggaoliao village director Luo Binghua and I knelt down to worship the condor almost at the same time! Immediately, condors flew out of the cave to welcome us.

The two spiritual vulture birds brought by the Indian eminent monk Huili from India's Vulture Mountain are still in the Vulture Mountain! Still waiting there for a thousand years!

Jiaochi Peak is bathed in misty clouds all year round, and the foothills have the characteristics of "green, quiet, beautiful and strange". "Jiaochi Peak" is surrounded by cliffs and towering rocks like cut dangerous peaks. It is still difficult to climb. The land at the top of Lingjiu Cave belongs to Menggaoliao Village. It can be climbed by cutting a trail from the back of the village through the bamboo forest of Jiaochi Peak, which belongs to Huangmeng.

The Lingjiu Mountain people say: "Nine lotuses floated from the East China Sea, and two eagles flew from the west.

"Nine lotuses floated from the East China Sea" means: where the Lingjiu Mountains are located, there was a vast ocean in ancient times. The Buddha said that the birth and death of the universe comes from karma, and the changes in the entire universe are nothing more than the emptiness of its own nature and the existence of dependent origins; Buddhism The reason for talking about impermanence is that we understand that all things in the universe and even sentient beings are constantly going through the four kalpas of formation, existence, destruction and emptiness. They are always changing and the cycle of birth and death is endless. Therefore, to borrow the language of the Buddha, Lingjiu Mountain is the nine blooming flowers drifting from the East China Sea. "Two vultures flying from the west" means: The two vultures brought by Monk Huili from the Vulture Mountain in India are very spiritual. As time goes by, the old poop turns into Qingdong Peak, which looks like the back of a chair when viewed from a distance. It looks like a flying vulture, dormant there and guarding the Baili Pingchuan in the southeast; the second child turned into three huge rocks at the top of the Lingjiu Cave at Jiaochi Peak, and combined with the top of the Lingjiu Cave, it looks like a giant stone. Vultures, look up to the sky to prevent Meng Jiao from making trouble!

Today, there are three natural villages of Menggaoliao, Dakeng and Shimumu, with 42 households and a population of 101. Two villager groups have moved to Jiuhua as a whole! New Village. In the national resort planning, this area has been named Lingjiuliao. It can be expected that in the future, Lingjiuliao will be both a sacred place for Lingjiu and a place for meditation and health!?

< p> Qu Lujun

December 25, 2020