Huayang Mountain Peach Blossom Festival: Stunning and Breathtaking!
Shanquan is spring-nourished and draped in emerald silk. It’s only twenty kilometers from the town of Shuyang County in Shanxi Province to the north along Provincial Highway 216, with spacious and straight roads, abundant flower clusters and willows lining the way, full of the vibrant atmosphere of spring. Stepping into Fangshan, you climb step by step. The trees on both sides are tall and graceful, with tender leaves sprouting on their delicate branches; birds chirp and call between the branches, as if telling the joy of spring’s arrival, a lively scene!
We set off with great enthusiasm, and ahead we saw a temple with the words ‘Fangshan Temple’ prominently written on the entrance. Outside the temple is a spring named ‘Huayang Spring’, indicating the temple’s very long history. The temple’s abbot told us that the main peak of Fangshan resembles a ‘bat’ spreading its wings, known as ‘Shenfu’ (Divine Bat), at an altitude of 1532 meters. The peak is flat and square, a rare sight in the northern mountains, hence the name ‘Shenfu Fangshan’ (Divine Bat Fangshan). There are over a hundred scenic spots here, with the ‘Fangshan Ten Scenery’ being the most famous, including Shenfu Archway, Stone Bridge Greeting Immortal, Lower Temple Sunset, Cloud Cave Rising Smoke, Ling Gui Stone Artistry, Five Dragon Holy Spring, Golden Top Rising Sun, Phantom Pagoda, Not-Phoenix Pine Wind, and Tong Xuan Ancient Tomb. It was here that the Zhao Clan orphans, a family of the Zhao Dynasty, took refuge, and the Hanshi Zecisi Hall is famous for its sincere dedication. During the Tang Dynasty, Li Tong Xuan came to Fangshan to seek immortality and practice Taoism, a legendary story. The Hall was built during the Song Dynasty, and has been continuously maintained by devotees who burned incense and prayed, generation after generation.
Following the winding mountain road, the landscape on Fangshan Mountain is now completely different. It's as if the song ‘Where the Peonies Bloom’ is a true reflection of today’s Fangshan. We see a world of peach trees, a peach tree sea! Up and down the mountainside, valleys and streams crisscross, yards and houses, everywhere are blooming peach trees, red, pink, and white, truly a sea of flowers! In the distance, the trees stand close together, swaying in the spring breeze, each with its own unique style; looking from afar, they seem like clouds and silk, like the rosy cheeks of a young girl; peach blossoms, one by one, are close together, competing to show off their beauty, welcoming visitors with a smile!
Millions of trees stand side by side, swaying in the spring breeze, blooming in vibrant shades of purple and red, each with its own unique charm. In the distance, they appear like clouds and mist, like a young girl’s rosy cheeks; peach blossoms cluster together, vying for attention, greeting visitors with a smile. Butterflies flutter among the flowers, birds sing in the forest, bees buzz diligently, ‘buzzing’ as they work, and a gentle breeze carries with it a refreshing fragrance, enchanting visitors! Each peach tree is like a rolling sea of red clouds, like flowing crimson. The fragrance of peach blossoms spreads throughout the area, so refreshing, entering your nostrils and filling your heart, making you want to take a big breath; you are truly experiencing a peach paradise – like being in a peach blossom fairyland!
‘Small Full Grain’ and ‘Now the northern lands are sown with barley, and it is the first to sprout,’ and ‘In the Qing Dynasty, Scholar-Official Qi Ju’s ‘Ma Shou Nong Yan’ (Horse’s Farm Observations) describes the springtime return to farming in northern China. Willow trees are green and flourishing, with grass and flowers sprouting, and the flowers of Fangshan are fragrant, with oxen grazing everywhere, showcasing the typical characteristics of the northern climate and the flourishing ancient agricultural civilization of Fangshan, where spring brings a surge of energy from the longitudinal 216 Provincial Highway, merging with the transverse 307 National Highway. Along the way, the peach trees of Fangshan are in full bloom, the Dong Zhuang Village willow baskets are rustic and antique, Qi’s hometown is full of literary fragrance, and the foot of Han Mountain is where young boys play spring games. Following thousands of years of agricultural culture, full of interesting customs and stories, it adds vitality to rural construction and attracts people; it’s truly a beautiful sight!’
