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maoshan taoist priests are almost known to everyone in china. however, few people know that the birthplace of the famous maoshan sect (shangqing sect) among maoshan taoist priests is hidden in jiangsu province, which is an hour and a half high-speed rail ride away from shanghai.

in addition to the maoshan taoists, maoshan, as a native taoist in china, is also the place where ge hong and tao hongjing, the originators of the "health preservation" popular among young people today, practiced. the taoists' seemingly idle and inactive lifestyle is also one of the life attitudes that young people today particularly admire.

01

the eighth cave

the first blessed land

maoshan is a "small hill" with a peak of less than 400 meters, but it ranks among the 36 caves and 72 blessed places in taoism, which shows its "spiritual" aura. going to maoshan, you will be blessed. the word "fu" can be seen everywhere on the mountain, which is probably one of the most important features of this mountain.

the history of this mountain can be traced back to the yellow emperor era. "the residence of immortals in the qin and han dynasties, and the home of prime ministers in the liang and tang dynasties" is used to describe maoshan. legend has it that the first emperor buried a pair of jade disks in maoshan. from the western han dynasty to the wei, jin, southern and northern dynasties, many taoist masters promoted the maoshan sect (shangqing sect) and played a vital role in the development of taoism. although maoshan is not high, it has a unique shape, resembling a lying blue dragon. maoshan has beautiful scenery, with nine peaks, nineteen springs, twenty-six caves, and twenty-eight pools.

the mountains are stacked one upon another, surrounded by clouds and mist, and the green dragon stretches from jintan, jiangsu to jurong, jiangsu. the main mountain range of maoshan is located in jintan, jiangsu, but the main peak, damao peak, is located in jurong, jiangsu. therefore, maoshan has a unique phenomenon rarely seen in other scenic spots - one scenery, under the jurisdiction of two cities. jurong maoshan and jintan maoshan are managed and sold tickets separately, which can be regarded as another kind of "bulk jiangsu". however, it is precisely because of the different management and development methods of the two places that maoshan also rarely covers the dual characteristics of traditional religious mountains and modern leisure tourism.

02

traditional taoist tourism

——maoshan, jurong

the maoshan mountain that the locals often refer to is generally jurong maoshan mountain. tickets to jurong maoshan mountain can be selected with or without transportation to the scenic area. maoshan taoist temple, built on the mountain, has gone through catastrophes and wars, from the original 257 sites to the three remaining palaces today - jiuxiao wanfu palace, yuanfu wanning palace and chongxi wanshou palace.

jiuxiao wanfu palace is located at the top of damao peak in the scenic area. it was first built in the yuan dynasty and was named "jiuxiao wanfu" by the emperor during the wanli period of the ming dynasty. starting from the jurong maoshan visitor center, the first stop of the scenic bus is dinggong (jiuxiao wanfu palace). climbing from the mountain gate of jiuxiao wanfu palace, incense is everywhere. the buildings in the palace are slightly different from general traditional religious buildings. most of the buildings are built with traditional jiangnan blue-gray bricks. layer by layer, there are also "white crane hall", "flower hall", "yangzhen xian hall" and other taoist buildings. there is a platform behind the main hall taiyuan baodian, which is not only a check-in destination, but also makes the building feel like it is reaching the clouds. looking down from the dinggong, the view is wide, and with the fresh air on the mountain, you will feel refreshed and refreshed when you breathe in and out. leaning against the arch to check in, you will become an "immortal" in seconds. this is also an excellent place to overlook and take pictures of the full picture of the statue of laozi in yin palace. jiuxiao wanfu palace also houses the four treasures bestowed by emperor zhezong of song dynasty - the jade seal, jade sceptre, jade talisman and inkstone, as well as other taoist sacred objects. this is also where most locals go to eat vegetarian food and ask for talismans, and there is also a one-on-one customized talisman service provided by taoist priests.

from jiuxiao wanfu palace, you can walk down or take the scenic area transportation. arrive at yuanfu wanning palace (ying palace), which is known as the "blessed land in the blessed land". the "fu" character on the screen wall at the entrance of the mountain gate comes from the inscription during the yongzheng period, and has been "polished" by visiting tourists. it covers a larger area and includes buildings such as duxingmen square, lingguan hall, wanshoutai, santianmen square, mianzhai daoguan, taiji square, and twenty-four filial piety pictures. the palaces are lined up with flying eaves, surrounding the world's largest statue of laozi (99 feet) on both sides. laozi holds a fan in his right hand and strokes his beard with his left hand, looking free and leisurely. when the statue was first built, a wasp nested on the middle finger of his left hand, forming a peculiar scene of "laojun wearing a ring", which is still one of the wonders of maoshan. the statue square is very large, and you can often encounter various cultural performances with local characteristics.

the area near yin palace is very suitable for hiking, with rich vegetation, deep trees and rugged rocks. xianren cave and huayang cave, two well-known karst caves, are located nearby and waiting for you to explore. under the sound of cool water drops, you can feel what it means to be "made by heaven and earth, with supernatural craftsmanship, and flowing light and color..." the creation of nature is so magical. no wonder su dongpo left his calligraphy here. on the cliff next to huayang cave, the three characters "huayang cave" in regular script are written by su dongpo himself. in addition to su dongpo, there are also inscriptions of celebrities and scholars from various generations on the nearby cliffs. "gradually approaching huayangkou, the path leads to the green and red, the seven stars hang in the cave palace, and the five clouds embrace the deep palace." this is what liu changqing, a poet of the tang dynasty, wrote when he visited maoshan.

going further down, you can come across another wonder of maoshan - xike spring. the spring water here is crystal clear, and what's even more magical is that the calm spring water will emit gurgling bubbles according to the sound of applause. there are rich vegetation near xike spring, various herbs can be seen everywhere, and the trees are deep, like a secret place.

going down the mountain road covered with wild raspberries and motherwort, you will reach chongxi wanshou palace. wanshou palace is now where taoist priests practice and live. if ordinary people want to experience taoist life, they can apply to participate in the public welfare classes regularly held by maoshan taoist temple, live here, and experience a different taoist mountain life.

the locals have the custom of collectively "going to maoshan" after the beginning of spring. therefore, there will be regular temple fairs in maoshan after the spring festival every year. there are three treasures in the maoshan temple fair - maoshan jiaojiao, maoshan ring and vanilla.

these toys all originated in the 1970s and 1980s. the locals called them maoshan jiaojiao, which are traditional folk wooden handmade trumpets. they are painted in bright red and green, gaudy but festive. the mouth of the trumpet is made of bamboo whistle, which makes a special sound to ensure peace and good luck. "maoshan jiaojiao, good luck to you" is the best blessing for the elders when they buy maoshan jiaojiao for the children.

maoshan rings are completely different. it is said that maoshan rings can drive away evil spirits and bring good fortune. the earliest maoshan rings were large, shining golden square rings, which were very rich. when i was a child, the most common phrase mentioned by my elders when i went to maoshan was "stealing rings."

"stealing" is despised by the villagers, but i don't know why it has become such a recognized custom.

it is said that "stealing" a maoshan ring to wear can bring good luck for the whole year. in fact, it is not really "stealing". generally, you buy something from the stall owner and take a ring. the stall owners also assume that the person who buys something will take a ring. so even in the maoshan market today, many stall owners will put maoshan rings on the table for people to take. i asked all the elders, but i don't know where this custom of "stealing rings on maoshan" comes from, but it is very interesting.

"maoshan vanilla" is a unique wild grass that grows in maoshan, and only the wild grass grown in the soil and water of maoshan can emit fragrance. it is said that boiling it in soup can relieve depression and ward off evil spirits, and it can prevent mold and moth at home, filling the house with fragrance, and it can also be made into sachets to wear. however, no one grows this kind of vanilla specifically now. i miss the smell of going to maoshan on qingming festival when i was a child, and taking a handful of vanilla home to hang it.

03

more suitable for chinese babies' leisure and entertainment vacation

——jintan maoshan

although it is not located at the main peak of maoshan, qianyuan temple in jintan maoshan is also a well-known taoist temple in maoshan, with a history of more than 2,000 years. there is still a stele inscribed in the wanli period in the temple. qianyuan temple is a rare taoist temple with kun dao, and it is also the first of the five temples in maoshan. it faces the water and is close to the mountain, with excellent feng shui. there is almost no commercial atmosphere here.

luotian dajiao, a grand taoist event, is held at qianyuan temple to pray for the people and the country. every time this event comes, qianyuan temple becomes the most lively taoist temple in maoshan. the grand event and the solemn ceremony are amazing. many times after luotian dajiao, colorful clouds will appear in the sky, indicating good luck for the mountains and rivers. qianyuan temple is also one of the few taoist temples with "taoist doctors". if you go at the right time, you can encounter free consultations by taoist doctors. here, you can feel that traditional taoism has added a layer of meaning of family, country and the world.

since most of the maoshan mountains are located in jintan, jiangsu, jintan maoshan has extremely rich forest resources. maoshan forest park is a huge urban oxygen bar. modern development has provided almost all the entertainment projects suitable for urban people to relax.

you can choose to rent a "big yellow duck" at swan lake and float freely in the cool lake accompanied by groups of black swans. you can go to the magic black forest to check in various magical "magic devices" like the wizard of oz. the light background of the forest is very photogenic. you can also be a child and watch the real fairy tale performance in the forest. there is a grassland covering an area of ​​60,000 square meters, which can provide grass skiing, picnic camping, deer feeding and other activities. spring, summer, autumn and winter, the vegetation changes throughout the year, the color is different, and each has its own surprises.

the jungle is winding, the water is gurgling, the grass is green, the birds are chirping, and you can slowly lie on the inflatable raft and drift leisurely with the water. this is what everyone calls the "loser version of rafting", but it is also a leisurely rafting.

coming out of the forest and heading to the foot of the mountain, there is another place you can travel through: maoshan oriental salt lake city - daotianxia. this is the hidden treasure fairy paradise of jiangsu, zhejiang and shanghai, also known as the "fairy disney". the super large ancient town is a perfect match for taoism in the wei and jin styles. lanting market, yuedan review, xianyouji, guofeng grand ceremony... the attractions and performances here are closely centered on "xianfeng daogu". npcs can be seen everywhere and can trigger various hidden gameplays and improvisational projects from time to time. ancient style girls can stay in there for a whole day just to take pictures and check in, and travel to the most favorite costume idol drama in a second.

at night, the lights came on, and the large-scale real-life landscape show "xiaoyaoyou" was staged. the grand fireworks bloomed in the sky, and in a second i traveled through "journey to the east", and suddenly i felt "free and unrestrained with the world". during the chinese new year, i spent two perfect days here with my friends. when the fireworks exploded above our heads and the mechanical phoenix danced under the fireworks, we all sighed: the fireworks show here is much grander than disney, and it's worth the ticket price!

if you like natural scenery, the xinfu reservoir near salt lake city is another quiet place hidden by locals. it has beautiful lakes and mountains, white sand beaches and long lakeshores. the style of the photos is very similar to that of erhai lake, and it is also known as the "little erhai lake" under maoshan mountain.

04

a perfect day

there are many well-known ancient villages at the foot of maoshan, such as xiangu village, stone mill tofu village, etc. it usually takes about a quarter of an hour to drive there. the special xiangu meal in xiangu village and the tofu feast in tofu village are both worth checking in for foodies. of course, there are two things that must be checked in when you arrive at maoshan - maoshan old goose and kudzu root powder. almost every farmhouse here can eat them, which can be regarded as mountain food with a local flavor.

another specialty of maoshan is the natural hot springs, which are taken from underground water more than 1,500 meters deep. the weakly alkaline water is rich in a variety of minerals that are beneficial to the human body. whether it is jurong maoshan or jintan maoshan, there are hot spring resorts everywhere at the foot of the mountain. when you feel tired after visiting the scenic spots, you can pick one and take a bath. it can also be regarded as washing away the "worldly taste" and feeling the "perfect" end of a taoist day.