Discovering the Beauty of Jizhou - Impressions of Panshan, Part Two
The previous article described the process of walking up the mountain from the main entrance of the Panshan scenic area to Tiancheng Temple. This time, it continues from Tiancheng Temple to the mid-mountain Wansong Temple, which is also the endpoint of this Panshan climbing journey. Because during the off-season (December 1st to May 31st of the following year), only the lower and part of the middle sections of Panshan are open, which means that the rest of the middle section and the entire upper section are closed due to the off-season and their scenery cannot be appreciated (such as the South Heaven Gate, Yunzhao Temple, and Wufeng Bashi on the upper section). I have some reservations about this, as many mountain-themed scenic spots in the country do not operate this way. For example, Huangshan only rotates a main peak like Lotus Peak or Tiandu Peak for rest each year due to environmental protection factors; if it is said that it is somewhat far-fetched to close due to icy roads and safety reasons in winter, because the water in the pools along the way from the entrance to the mid-mountain has already frozen, but there has been no recent snowfall and there is no snow on the road, so there are no unsafe factors; I think it is more for economic reasons: there are fewer people entering the mountain in winter, and the cable car, especially the Yun Song cable car, does not cover the operating costs with ticket revenue. The Panshan cable car is divided into the Ruyin cable car from the bottom of the mountain to the mid-mountain (60 yuan), and the Yun Song cable car from the mid-mountain to the Guayue Peak (60 yuan). Both cable car stations are near Wansong Temple, where you can choose to return or continue upwards after visiting Wansong Temple and the nearby scenery.
There is a path to Wansong Temple from the east side of the San Sheng Hall of Tiancheng Temple, which is all stairway, winding and twisting but not very difficult to climb. There are platforms or flat paths for rest after a short section of stairs, unlike Huangshan, Taishan, Songshan, etc., where sometimes there are four or five hundred steps without any place to rest, making it difficult to advance or retreat, which is truly desperate. The weather today is very clear and there is no wind, it is not cold on the mountain at all, and the peaks, valleys, and vegetation of the surrounding mountains are very clear. The sun is warm on the body, and the Arhat Garden is completely different from what I imagined. It is not a separate garden, but the entire mountain path from Tiancheng Temple to Wansong Temple. Along the way, every so often, there is a group of Arhat figures, either statues or carvings, of various sizes and numbers, but all lifelike and vivid. Passing through the Divine Cow Blessed Land rest area, 'East Wutai Mountain', 'Stone Egg Mountain', 'Immortal Arch', and arriving at the Wansong Sacred Realm and the ancient and modern stone arches of Fengyue, there is a pagoda area with stone pagodas that all seem to be newly built in recent years. It is said to consist of ninety-nine tombs of high monks from past generations, until I saw a pagoda of Taiping Zen Master from the Ming Dynasty, which was clearly different in color and shape from the other stone pagodas, with a brick base, hexagonal and five stories, exquisite and solemn, and soon arrived in front of Wansong Temple.
Wansong Temple, formerly known as Li Jing Hermitage and Wei Gong Hermitage, was built during the Tang Dynasty. The famous Tang general Li Jing once lived here. Wansong Temple was named by Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty when he visited here in the 44th year of Kangxi and saw that the temple was surrounded by pine trees. Wansong Temple is the largest temple in Panshan. The temple complex faces south from the north, entering from the red wall and red tile Shanmen Hall, with Maitreya Buddha facing the entrance, Wei Tuo behind, and the Four Heavenly Kings on both sides. Entering the first courtyard, to the north is the Mahavira Hall on the stairs, with two-story bell and drum towers on the east and west sides, and a towering iron incense burner below the stairs. Climbing the stairs to the front of the Mahavira Hall, the vertical plaque 'Wansong Temple' hangs under the upper eaves, and the outside of the hall has the inscription 'A piece of stone and a lone cloud peering at the color, a clear pool and bright eyes reflecting the Zen heart'. Inside the hall, the three Buddhas, Shakyamuni, Amitabha, and the Medicine Buddha, are enshrined, with white marble Buddhist story murals on both sides of the walls. Passing through the Mahavira Hall to the north is the second courtyard, with directional signs, to the east is the Ruyin cable car station for descending the mountain, and to the north is the Yun Song cable car station for ascending the mountain. Further north up the stairs is the two-story Jade Buddha Hall, with a well platform on the east side and a very small Dragon King Temple on the north side, and the well platform to the east leads to the Bucun Pavilion in front of the Yun Song cable car. North of the Jade Buddha Hall is the Thousand Buddha Hall, with a bronze statue of Shakyamuni inside, and the mud sculptures of the Eighteen Arhats on the northeast and west sides of the hall, starting with the odd-numbered Arhats on the east side and the even-numbered Arhats on the west side, with a reclining Guanyin behind, and a Thousand-Handed Guanyin inside. Exiting Wansong Temple to the west of the mountain gate, I saw the 'First Mountain in East Beijing' carved on five square stones on the shadow wall, with a camel-shaped stone on the side in front of the shadow wall that looks very similar, with 'Famous Mountain Ancient Temple' carved on the south side of the stone and eight poems written by Qianlong about Panshan on the north side. Outside the gate of Wansong Temple on the east side, I saw the Taiping Zen Master Pagoda that I had seen on the way to Wansong Temple, and nearby there was the 'Carefree Travel' carved on the stone face, and the Sword Dance Platform where Li Jing practiced swordsmanship while accompanying Emperor Taizong Li Shimin on his eastern campaign and staying here, which I regret not being able to see due to the closed roads in the off-season.
From the courtyard of the Mahavira Hall of Wansong Temple to the east, there is a small path leading to the Ruyin cable car station for descending the mountain. Just out of the east gate of the temple, I saw the wind-bent pine growing out of the cliff outside the stone railing, and halfway to the cable car station, I saw a large stone with the inscription 'Luoyue Songfeng', with the name of the pine tree 'Longteng Song' on it, which comes from the phrase 'to and fro Luoyue Songfeng' in the Song Dynasty Wang Xin's lyrics 'Shao Pian'. Soon I arrived at the cable car station, and it only took eight minutes to descend the mountain by the Ruyin cable car, while it took nearly two hours to walk up the mountain.
Overall, Panshan is quite good in the mountains of the north, but it seems to lack water, and therefore a bit of spirituality. Although Qianlong once said 'If I had known about Panshan, why would I need to go to the south of the Yangtze River', a phrase used by the scenic area for promotion, he would definitely still go to the south of the Yangtze River. Some details of the scenic area need to be improved: 1. There is no brochure for the scenic area. 2. The staff use electric tools to blow leaves, causing noise. 3. Try to open more middle and upper sections of the scenic spots under suitable weather conditions in winter.