During the first visit to Chengde, I wanted to pay a visit to a former comrade who lived there, and he lived in a residential complex called 'Water Spring Valley' in the city—as the street names in cities like 'Water Spring Valley' suggest, it must have a very hilly terrain. Compared to the city of Baoding, where you generally don't need to use the handbrake when stopping at red lights, it's absolutely forbidden to do so in Chengde… In my impression, Chengde is a northern city of mountains. The Qinhuai Peak National Forest Park is a must-visit place after coming to Chengde, with a total area of about 160,000 acres. The park is divided into four scenic areas: Qinhuai Peak, Mengguan Peak, Jiguan Mountain, and Jiaqi Valley.

Origin of the name of Bumble Hill

There is a strange phenomenon: in Chengde City, no matter from which angle we look, we can see the landmark landscape of Bumble Hill. It's not surprising, Bumble Hill itself is located on a mountain with an altitude of more than 550 meters, with a diameter of 10.7 meters at the bottom and 15.04 meters at the top, plus the protruding base beneath Bumble Hill, its height reaches 60 meters!

A 'Bumble Hill' is a wooden laundry tool, usually about two feet long, with a slightly thicker end for beating clothes, and a thinner end for gripping by hand. This hill, shaped like a 'Bumble Hill', is also called Stone Spear. Although later the Prince bestowed the name 'Qinhuai Peak', it doesn't feel genuine, so the name 'Bumble Hill' has been passed down through generations.

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Origin of the name of Bumble Stone

Not far from Bumble Hill is a large stone that locals call 'Frog Stone'. In my opinion, it's more like a laundry tool used to beat clothes – together with Bumble Hill, it looks like a pair of laundry tools. Billions of years ago, when this area was a seabed, it might be the laundry tool and stone used by a fairy to wash clothes.

Origin of the name of Frog Stone

There are legends about Bumble Hill and Frog Stone in the local area. It is said that during the Great's flood control, there was a mischievous frog here. During the day, Great and his people painstakingly drained the water, and at night, the frog spirit would suck back the water drained away. This went on and on. One night, when the frog spirit was making mischief, Great grabbed a laundry tool and beat it vigorously until the frog spirit lay on the ground and turned into a stone.

To eliminate the aftermath, Great then used a laundry tool to hit the frog spirit—as long as the frog spirit moved, he would immediately give it a whack. This way, the frog spirit could no longer make mischief, and it remained there until today! If Bumble Hill falls, the frog spirit will run… I really admire the person who told this story!

The longevity of the 'Bumble Hill' tree

Bumble Hill itself is a miracle, and the miracle is that there is a mulberry tree halfway up the hill! It is recorded that this mulberry tree, named Mengguan, is about 3 meters high and 0.3 meters in diameter, and its age is about 300 years. It still produces white mulberries every year. Stone Peak and Mengguan Tree grow side by side, and the tree grows in the cracks of the stone, but it's lush and green… Witnessing this scene, the lyrics of 'You are the wind, I am the sand, we will be together forever' couldn't help but come to mind.

Bumble Hill symbolizes

Bumble Hill stands alone on the mountains, like supporting the sky, with a majestic and upright natural shape, and the mulberry tree, which is known for its ability to invigorate yang and promote longevity, are all conducive to people's imagination… It is said that Qing Dynasty emperors would often visit Summer Resort, and it was to change the atmosphere according to the seasons, and to temporarily escape the sultry heat and invigorate their yang energy in the Purple Forbidden City, and then to enjoy the cool weather.

Furthermore, many unmarried women would also come to the mountain to touch the Bumble Hill, hoping to absorb its yang energy… Of course, the truth of these folk legends and customs cannot be verified, but they can be used to perceive the sacred status of Qinhuai Peak in people's minds.