To the Forest - Spiritual Writings by Renowned Artists

Author: Hong Hai / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: Before visiting Huangshan, I often heard people say that the pine trees on Huangshan had unique characteristics. What were these characteristics? Listening to others' descriptions, I never quite grasped the essence. The term "Huangshan pine" had always left a vague impression in my mind. This time, I personally went to Huangshan and saw the pine trees with my own eyes, and only then did this concept become clear. According to my observations, Huangshan pines have three distinctive features:
First, most Huangshan pines grow on rocks. Although some also grow on relatively flat ground, the majority are found on rocky mountains. In one of my poems about Huangshan, I wrote: "Green pines grow on rocks." In prose, it would be more accurate to say they grow in rock crevices or fissures. If the rock is solid, no pines can grow on it; there must be a crack for the roots to take hold. Are there nutrients in the crevices? I find it quite strange. Biologists must have a scientific explanation, but I can only speculate: In Bencao Gangmu, there is a medicine called "stone marrow." Li Shizhen said, "The Record of Immortal Transitions mentions that Qiong Shu boiled stone marrow." This shows that rocks also contain nutrients. Perhaps Huangshan pines grow by consuming stone marrow? They grow so lush, so sturdy, and so graceful—it’s truly incredible!
Even more incredible is this: In front of the Wenshu Temple, there is a pine tree whose roots grew mostly in the air due to rock collapse. They sway like vines, yet the tree remains vibrant and elegant. This suggests that Huangshan pines don’t necessarily rely on stone marrow to grow. They seem to thrive by breathing air, rain, and sunlight. What a resilient life form!
Second, the branches of Huangshan pines mostly stretch horizontally to the left or right, or grow downward, rarely upward. Most branches of ordinary trees grow upward, except for willow branches that hang down. However, willow branches are weak, and gravity forces them to droop—not because they choose to do so. Huangshan pines, though slender and sturdy, mostly grow horizontally like crossbeams on electric poles or downward like human arms.
Huangshan pines also have a unique posture: if a tree grows near a cliff, with one side close to the rock and the other facing the sky, all its branches grow upward, leaving none on the rock-facing side. This posture is quite peculiar, resembling a wide-toothed comb or the Chinese character "xí" (). Clearly, it avoids facing the wall or being confined to the valleys, preferring instead to lean toward the sunlight.
Third, the branches of Huangshan pines possess an extraordinary ability to unite. Near Shizilin, there is a pine tree called the "United Pine." Five or six branches grow closely together near the base and rise upward, only spreading out and growing needles at the top. As a result, this cluster of branches becomes a trunk, resembling a column from a Greek temple. I examined this trunk and imagined its initial state: How could five or six branches unite? Perhaps they knew that unity is strength, enabling them to resist the wind, rain, and snow on the high mountains. That’s why they grew this way. Now, this United Pine has grown very thick and tall. When I reached out to touch its trunk, it felt like cast iron. Even a Category 12 typhoon or heavy snow couldn’t move it.
There are even pines with an unbelievable level of unity: On the path from Wenshu Temple to Guangming Peak, there is a pine tree called the "Cushion Pine." It grows on a small flat area in the mountains, with a stone wall built in the sandy soil in front, showing that this tree has always been valued. Its trunk isn’t very tall, only a few zhang (about 3-6 meters), and its girth is just wide enough to embrace. The upper branches radiate horizontally in all directions, each stretching extremely long—about twice the height of the trunk. This means the entire tree resembles the Chinese character "" (dīng), but the upper horizontal stroke is about four times the length of the vertical stroke. The upper stroke is covered with dense pine needles, soft and fluffy like a large cushion, where four or five people can sit. The branches on the mountain-facing side droop slightly downward. Below, there is a small mound, only about one to two feet away from the tips of the branches. To sit on this cushion, one can walk to the mound, climb the branches, and slowly ascend. My guide told me, "You can even sleep up there—it’s like a sofa bed." Since I refused to take a sedan chair, I hired a guide and a servant to accompany me on foot. Climbing the mountain was quite tiring, and I longed to sit on this cushion for a nap. However, we had a long journey ahead—ascending to Guangming Peak and visiting Shizilin. We couldn’t afford to delay, so we had to imagine sitting and lying on the cushion before gathering our strength to move forward toward Guangming Peak.
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