Sacred Mountain and Love Mountain of the Naxi People: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

Author: Yang Fuchuan / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-07-01
Features: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is a sacred mountain of the Naxi people. According to legend, the Naxi people's national guardian deity "Sanduo" is the mountain god of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, and the mountain is his dwelling place and manifestation. In Naxi folklore, there is a story that goes like this: In ancient times, in a village at the foot of the snow-capped mountain, there lived a Naxi hunter named Abugading, who was immensely strong. One day, he took his dog to hunt on Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and suddenly spotted a white deer as radiant as snow. He quickly drew his bow and arrow to shoot it, but the deer vanished in an instant. Abugading rushed over to investigate and found a large, snow-white stone lying where the deer had appeared. He pushed it with his hand, and to his surprise, the stone moved. He realized it was a magical stone and decided to carry it back. At first, the stone felt as light as paper, but when he carried it halfway up the mountain, he paused to rest and tried to lift it again. However, the stone had become as heavy as a mountain. Abugading realized it was a sentient stone and took the food he had with him to offer before it, kneeling and saying, "Divine Stone, this is not your place. Please let me carry you further." The stone then became as light as feathers again. When Abugading carried it to the spot where the Sanduo Temple (Beiyue Temple) was later built, the stone once again became as heavy as a mountain and never lightened again. This incident amazed the Naxi people, and the Naxi king ordered the construction of a sacred hall to enshrine the stone inside. From then on, whenever the Naxi people fought against enemies, a warrior appeared—his face as white as snow, eyes like lightning, clad in white armor, riding a white horse, and wielding a white spear—to aid them in victory. After defeating the enemies, the warrior would vanish in an instant. This mysterious warrior once appeared in a dream to the Naxi king, revealing his name as Sanduo. Under the guidance of this deity, the kingdom ruled by Naxi Ding (the ancestors of the Mu family's seven jurisdictions during the Ming Dynasty) grew increasingly prosperous. Later, to commemorate Abugading, who had carried the stone, statues of him and his dog were also erected beside the statue of the divine Sanduo.
It is said that Sanduo came from the north. I once learned in Zhongdian (now known as Shangri-La County since 2002), a sacred site of the Naxi Dongba religion in the Sanba Township of Baidi Village, that local legends tell of Sanduo first arriving in Baidi from the north before later moving to Lijiang. This aligns closely with the historical migration route of the Naxi people. The Tibetans call Lijiang "Sandren" (sa-tham). In the famous Tibetan epic King Gesar, he is the king of the Jiang (hjang) kingdom, who fought against King Gesar of the Ling kingdom. From various folk legends, it is possible that Sanduo was a deity derived from an ancient Naxi tribal leader.
P12-15