This year's spring seems to be a little later than in previous years, and in April, which should have been a peach and plum competition for spring and willows, it was warm and cold. Fortunately, the day of the outing was sunny, and although Maoshan appeared cloudy because of the rain the day before, it also had a few more "fairy qi".
Speaking of Maoshan reminds me of Taoist monks, not old Daoists with white hair and cultivating qualities, but Taoist leaders who punish evil and promote good in Hong Kong films. After using a rather characteristic farmhouse dish at Bishuiyuan Farm, we came to Maoshan, one of the origins of Taoism, with all kinds of curiosity and expectation about Maoshan.
Our first stop after boarding the scenic bus is the Jiuxiao Wanfu Palace on the top of the mountain, also known as the Top Palace. Perhaps it is the steep mountain road, or in order to let the tourists on the mountain feel the hardship of seeking the road, the mountain road up the mountain is quite rugged, and the Maoshan Mountain, which is only 300 meters above sea level, is actually driven out of the nine-curve and eighteen-bend feeling by the driver, which is very thrilling.
There is a ropeway at the top of the mountain, which seems to be nothing special, and if you look closely, you will find that the ropeway mouth draws a boundary, dividing maoshan into two places. The other end of the ropeway crosses the valley and leads to the Changzhou Golden Temple, which is a high-flying mode of transportation, and if there is not enough time, we would rather like to feel it.
The top palace enshrines various Taoist gods and immortals, but perhaps because it is not as systematic as Buddhism, coupled with the lack of such a famous work as "Journey to the West", many immortals are not well known. However, Maoshan is after all a famous Taoist heritage place, and the Temple of Wealth and the Hall of Tai Nian are all perennial incense.
On the top of the mountain, there is often an old Daoist who paints symbols called Yuanfu Daoists, and the painted symbols can be said to have everything, both the peace blessing painted with Jiang Ziya and the academic blessing with Wenqu Xing. I don't know how effective it is, but it looks quite interesting. Each spell costs 99 yuan, and the pilgrim needs to pay 100 yuan and then retrieve 1 yuan, implying the Taoist principle of nine-nine-to-one, which at first glance sounds quite interesting. Many of my colleagues who have become mothers in the company have donated money to seek peace of mind, and those like me who cannot yet experience the deep affection of the calves have to wander around the door of the temple. Suddenly seeing that the side of the steps was engraved with "Filial piety to parents at home, why burn incense far away" was also quite enlightened.
Leaving the Top Palace, we took a bus to the Yuanfu Wanning Palace, which has the world's largest outdoor bronze statue of Lao Tzu. At the door of the Wanning Palace, there is a wall with eight big characters written "First Blessed Land, Eighth Cave Heaven", not only the word "Fu" in the middle is painted red, but the surrounding walls are also touched brightly. It is said that if you stand in the doorway and turn around three times and then touch it, you can feel the word "Fu", which means that you are related to this place. After everyone tried, they all returned home, after all, it was difficult to go straight after closing their eyes and turning three times!
The statue of Lao Tzu at the top of the Wanning Palace is very majestic, with its large rounded earlobes that make people recognize his identity at a glance. There is a nearly one-meter-long honeycomb in the palm of the hand, and it is not easy for the wasps to build a nest on the smooth brass surface, and it is even more difficult to withstand the high temperature of brass in the hot summer, which has to make people feel magical.
Wanning Palace is composed of many different halls, whether you are seeking wealth and happiness or marriage, there are "professional counterparts" gods to choose from. The single little girl in the company was encouraged by everyone to enter the Old Moon Temple, hoping that she would meet a good marriage this year!
There are Taoist monks in every hall of Maoshan Mountain, but what impressed me most was not the "professional" Taoist monk of Maoshan Mountain, but a middle-aged monk who meditated under the statue of Lao Tzu, saying that he was practicing here, using the sky as a cover for the earth. I don't know if this master will have the opportunity to seek the dao, or will he be fortunate enough to learn to draw symbols in the future?
Although the Maoshan Mountains in April have not yet faded the blue color of early spring, they carry a thousand years of modesty. Although there are no famous mountains and rivers, but quietly cultivate people's temperament, it is no wonder that the "Buried Room Inscription" says that "the mountain is not high, there are immortals and spirits." Such a beautiful place is really a good place to go in the spring!