Wudang Mountain: Taoist Sacred Site, Martial Arts World

Author: Xu Jiaguo
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Wudang Mountain is one of China's four famous Taoist mountains, and it is therefore home to many wonderful and moving legends. It is said that the Zhenwu Dadi (Divine Martial Emperor) practiced and achieved enlightenment here, leading to the saying, "Only the true Zhenwu is worthy of this place," from which the name "Wudang" originated. If you are interested, you can continue to share with me the excitement of visiting Wudang Mountain. To visit Wudang Mountain, you must first arrive in Jun County. In "Jun County," you can see "Wudang" Mountain from a glance. Every five miles, there is a temple, stretching from the foot of the mountain to the "Golden Summit" over eighty miles away. It is said that the palaces and temples here were built using the resources of the Jiangnan region for seven years, as part of Emperor Yongle's dream to visit himself once. To this day, many legends are still told by the elderly.
Continuing upward, there is a "Needle-Milling Well" (now actually called Fuzhen Guan). Legend has it that the "Wudang True Person" went here to study Taoism but failed, facing great hardships and suffering. His heart grew cold. There, he encountered an old woman grinding a large iron pestle on a stone. He curiously asked, "Grandma, what are you doing?" "I'm grinding a needle," she replied. As he pondered this, the old woman vanished in an instant. The Wudang True Person finally succeeded, leaving behind a well and an iron pestle to inspire people to this day.
On the ancient Wudang pilgrimage path to the Golden Summit, there is a cave in the cliffs of Zigai Peak. The air inside is dry yet not arid, moist yet not humid, always cool and refreshing throughout the four seasons. Locals say this is a place long desired by practitioners of Taoism. The Huanglong Cave is actually a natural rock house, which has been expanded and renovated by generations of practitioners. Here, structures such as the Huanglong Hall, Zhenwu Pavilion, Yao Wang Hall, and Shenquan Pavilion have been added, giving it a more mysterious and profound atmosphere.
There is a spring in Huanglong Cave that never runs dry. Legend has it that a yellow dragon achieved enlightenment and ascended to heaven here. To show gratitude for its upbringing, the dragon left behind a divine pill. This pill made the water in the cave clear, sweet, and healing for all illnesses. While legends are just that, the historical fact is that the great Ming Dynasty physician Li Shizhen came to Wudang to gather herbs and lived here. Records show that Li Shizhen revised his monumental work, Bencao Gangmu, in Huanglong Cave and included descriptions of over 800 valuable medicinal herbs from Wudang Mountain.
Huanglong Cave is closely tied to Wudang medicine. Wudang Mountain is known for the saying, "Of ten Taoists, nine are skilled in healing." This is partly because they have long sought immortality through cultivation, but objectively, it has contributed to the study and application of Wudang medicine.
On the Golden Summit stands a golden house (which is actually a golden hall). The walls appear golden (though they are made of copper), and it can only be opened with gold. The "attendants" carry keys in one hand and collection books in the other. At the top of the mountain, there is a temple with a teahouse. If you buy some tea here to give as a gift, it is quite delicious—it is grown right on "Wudang" Mountain!
The golden hall stands atop the peak, exuding an imposing "reigning over the world" aura, embodying the spirit of "all mountains bow to me alone." Along the path to the Golden Summit is the largest and best-preserved of the mountain's sixteen shrines. It is also time to mention the burning of "Dragon Heads."
Behind a large temple lies a dizzying, bottomless abyss. A stone dragon, as thick as a barrel, extends over ten feet from its body. The dragon's body is carved with flowers at every step, and its head holds a large incense burner. During religious festivals, thousands of devout followers come from far and wide, carrying flags, drums, and incense paper. They come to light an incense stick before the "Ancestor's" face and bow in reverence. Some, for the sake of their parents or themselves, make grand vows and climb the dragon's body, stepping on the carved flowers to reach the head, where they light an incense stick before turning back. Many sons and followers risk falling into the dizzying abyss, only to be swept away by the June rains tens of miles away. The result? A "lack of sincerity." Of course, this is all in the distant past—burning dragon heads is now strictly prohibited.
Among the thirty-six cliffs of Wudang, the most beautiful is Nan Rock Palace (this is what others told me, haha, and honestly, I think it's quite nice too). Nan Rock Palace, also known as Duyang Rock or Zixiao Rock, is considered a sacred realm by Taoists where the Divine Martial Emperor achieved enlightenment and ascended. The Nan Rock peak is steep and rugged, with lush green trees stretching up to the heavens and dropping down to the edge of a cliff. Legend has it that one of the Eight Immortals, Lü Dongbin, practiced here during the Tang Dynasty, and his poem remains to this day. Historical texts praise Nan Rock as "separated by pavilions and courtyards, morning bells and evening lights, with the mountain roaring and valleys trembling." Here, "morning bells and evening lights" refers to the layout of the buildings at night, which became a unique sight.
Lingxu Cliff is located at the foot of Taoyuan Peak, southwest of Wulong Palace, about five miles from it. From the ridge of Wulong Palace, one can see a vast green forest with no trace of Taoist temple buildings, reminding one of the famous saying, "Deep mountains hide ancient temples." The cliffs are covered in masses of yellow flowers when snow covers Wudang Mountain, making Lingxu Cliff sparkle like scattered gold and fill the air with fragrance.
Lingxu Cliff is not large, housing a Yuan Dynasty brick hall where statues of Chen Tuan and Lü Dongbin once stood. The path to the cliff cave is lined with stone steps, railings, and gates. Now, lush green bamboos cover everything, as if whispering to visitors, "This is a place long forgotten by travelers."