Travelogue Essays of China: Guangdong Volume, Hainan Volume

Author: / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-08-01
Features: A Journey to Luofu by Chen Li in the 1st Interlunar Month of the Gengshen Year①, the 8th Day, Chen Youshan, Ye Jingxuan, and Li Suizhi went on a tour of Luofu. Boarding a boat at Shilong, the water was shallow and the boat large, making the journey slow. From morning to noon, they traveled twenty miles to Jiuzit. Calling for a sedan chair took a long time, but eventually they found one. The three friends walked while allowing me to ride. After traveling twenty miles, they rested twice at roadside teahouses and arrived at Meihua Yuan by evening. After dinner, they walked for another two or three miles, passing Yansxiang Temple, where the monks Xuanfang, Shengwen, Huiquan, and Zequan invited them to stay in the monk's quarters. On the 9th day, early in the morning, they walked to Baojisi Temple, drank from Zuo Xi, sat in Weiquan Pavilion, and admired an ancient stone carving of Buddha and Bodhisattvas, which was very rustic. They then returned to Yansxiang Temple for breakfast and went to Huanglong Dong. Unable to walk, I called for another sedan chair, and the three friends walked again, allowing me to ride. From Yansxiang, they traveled four or five miles to Huanglong Dong, climbing the mountain to a small rest at the Half-Mountain Pavilion. Continuing to climb, they reached the Fishing Platform to view the water, then went to Longzhu, drank wine, and sat under tall pines. They then entered the cave entrance, crossed a stone bridge, and went into Huanglong Dong. Inside the cave was a Taoist temple, where the Taoists appeared poor. Next to the temple was the Four Virtuous Men Shrine, dedicated to Zhou Lianxi, [Name Missing], [Name Missing], and Chen Baisha③. There was also Pang Gong's Study, dedicated to Pang Bi④. Exiting the cave, they sat by the bridge listening to the stream, returning to Meihua Yuan by dusk. After dinner, they took a sedan chair to Yansxiang for the night. On the 10th day, early in the morning, they took a sedan chair for about three miles to Wulong. The spring flowed through the rocks in the ravine, twisting and turning as it descended. There was a stone shaped like a mortar, said to be where Ge Zijuan ground medicine. Sitting there for a long time, they returned to Yansxiang Temple, where the monks hosted a banquet for them. After dinner, they took a sedan chair to Meihua Yuan. Walking slowly for six or seven miles, they reached Huashoutai. Two or three miles before reaching it, there was a solitary pine in a valley. The sedan chair driver said, "In the past, all the way from here to Huashoutai were ancient pines, but they have all been cut down now." I chatted with Baochi for a while, and the three friends and monk Shengwen arrived. They then went behind the temple and saw three or four ancient pines. Passing Hezhang Rock, they sat on Xinnu , watching the waterfall, then turned left to the Bat Cave Pavilion for a short rest. This cave had no bats but many small yellow butterflies. The three friends drank, while I had one cup, then walked alone back to Xinnu to watch the waterfall. The others wanted to leave but couldn’t find me. My servant said, "You must be watching the waterfall." They then found me and returned to Meihua Yuan. Liu Kunshan, a scholar from Changgang Village, hosted a banquet for them. After dinner, they went to the gate of Yansxiang Temple to watch the moon and didn’t sleep until midnight. On the 11th day, they left the mountain, boarding a boat at Jiuzit. The water was even shallower, and they saw a waterspout from the boat. By evening, they arrived at Longxi⑥.
[Translation] On the 8th Day of the 1st Interlunar Month of the Gengshen Year①, in the 10th Year of the Xianfeng Reign, I went on a tour of Luofu Mountain with Chen Youshan, Ye Jingxuan, and Li Suizhi. Boarding a boat at Shilong, the water was shallow and the boat large, making the journey slow. From morning to noon, they traveled twenty miles to Jiuzit. Calling for a sedan chair took a long time, but eventually they found one. The three friends walked while allowing me to ride. After traveling twenty miles, they rested twice at roadside teahouses and arrived at Meihua Yuan by evening. After dinner, they walked for another two or three miles, passing Yansxiang Temple, where the monks Xuanfang, Shengwen, Huiquan, and Zequan invited them to stay in the monk's quarters. On the 9th day, early in the morning, they walked to Baojisi Temple, drank from Zuo Xi, sat in Weiquan Pavilion, and admired an ancient stone carving of Buddha and Bodhisattvas, which was very rustic. They then returned to Yansxiang Temple for breakfast and went to Huanglong Dong. Unable to walk, I called for another sedan chair, and the three friends walked again, allowing me to ride. From Yansxiang, they traveled four or five miles to Huanglong Dong, climbing the mountain to a small rest at the Half-Mountain Pavilion. Continuing to climb, they reached the Fishing Platform to view the water, then went to Longzhu, drank wine, and sat under tall pines. They then entered the cave entrance, crossed a stone bridge, and went into Huanglong Dong. Inside the cave was a Taoist temple, where the Taoists appeared poor. Next to the temple was the Four Virtuous Men Shrine, dedicated to Zhou Lianxi, [Name Missing], [Name Missing], and Chen Baisha③. There was also Pang Gong's Study, dedicated to Pang Bi④. Exiting the cave, they sat by the bridge listening to the stream, returning to Meihua Yuan by dusk. After dinner, they took a sedan chair to Yansxiang for the night. On the 10th day, early in the morning, they took a sedan chair for about three miles to Wulong. The spring flowed through the rocks in the ravine, twisting and turning as it descended. There was a stone shaped like a mortar, said to be where Ge Zijuan ground medicine. Sitting there for a long time, they returned to Yansxiang Temple, where the monks hosted a banquet for them. After dinner, they took a sedan chair to Meihua Yuan. Walking slowly for six or seven miles, they reached Huashoutai. Two or three miles before reaching it, there was a solitary pine in a valley. The sedan chair driver said, "In the past, all the way from here to Huashoutai were ancient pines, but they have all been cut down now." I chatted with Baochi for a while, and the three friends and monk Shengwen arrived. They then went behind the temple and saw three or four ancient pines. Passing Hezhang Rock, they sat on Xinnu , watching the waterfall, then turned left to the Bat Cave Pavilion for a short rest. This cave had no bats but many small yellow butterflies. The three friends drank, while I had one cup, then walked alone back to Xinnu to watch the waterfall. The others wanted to leave but couldn’t find me. My servant said, "You must be watching the waterfall." They then found me and returned to Meihua Yuan. Liu Kunshan, a scholar from Changgang Village, hosted a banquet for them. After dinner, they went to the gate of Yansxiang Temple to watch the moon and didn’t sleep until midnight. On the 11th day, they left the mountain, boarding a boat at Jiuzit. The water was even shallower, and they saw a waterspout from the boat. By evening, they arrived at Longxi⑥.
[Notes]
① Gengshen: The 10th Year of the Xianfeng Reign (1860).
② Chen: 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.; Wu: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
③ "Zhou Lianxi" line: Zhou Lianxi refers to Zhou Dunyi, a Song Dynasty Confucian scholar who lived near Lianxi and was known as the Lianxi Master. Chen Baisha was a famous scholar of the Ming Dynasty born in Baisha Village, Xinhui, Guangdong (now part of Jiangmen City). The other two names are unclear in the original text.
④ Pang Bi: A missing name, with unclear background information.
⑤ Longgu: Refers to a waterspout. Cumulonimbus clouds with a funnel-shaped extension hanging down were once believed to be dragons drawing water.
⑥ Longxi: A place name in Bo Luo County, Guangdong.
A Record of Zuo Xi by Su Shi of the Song Dynasty
Once, I traveled from Bianjing through Huai River to Huai'an, then along the Yangtze to Sichuan. Drinking the waters of the Yangtze and Huai rivers for a whole year, I found the well water bitter and brackish. It took over a hundred days for me to get used to it. Thus, I knew that the Yangtze water was sweeter than the well water, and I was quite certain of it. Now, having come to the Lingnan region, I began drinking the Yangtze water from Yangtze River Bridge and, by Nan’an in Jiangxi, the river became even clearer and faster, and the water even sweeter. I then knew that the southern Yangtze was better than the northern Yangtze. Recently, crossing the mountains and entering Qingyuan Gorge⑤, the water was like jade, and the taste even better. Now, touring Luofu, I drank from Zuo Xi by Grand Master Tai. The water of Qingyuan Gorge is even better than Zuo Xi. Only the people of Huizhou in the Lingnan region love to compete in tea drinking, so this Zuo Xi has not been in vain! Written on the 26th Day of the 9th Month of the Shaoxing Year.
[Notes]
① Zuo Xi: Located beneath the Luoyan Rock of Yinyu Peak in Luofu Mountain. Legend has it that Grand Master Jingtai of the Liang Dynasty, when first settling in Luofu, was challenged by his disciples for lacking water. Jingtai smiled and replied nothing. After his hut was built, he struck his on the ground, and a spring gushed up several feet.
② Su: To travel upstream against the current.
③ Nan’an: A river name in Xingzi County, Jiangxi, originating from Guibi and Hongming Mountains and flowing into Poyang Lake.
④ Qingxi: Refers to the clarity and speed of the water.
⑤ Qingyuan Gorge: Located in Qingyuan City, Guangdong.