Chapter 14 Chapter Six Ethereal Famous Mountains on the Sea

As early as before the Qin Dynasty, it was said that there were Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou "Three God Mountains" in the Bohai Sea.Immortals live on the mountain, who have the medicine of immortality. "Historical Records Fengchan Book" said: "The three gods are said to be in the Bohai Sea, and they are not far away; all the immortals and the medicine of immortality are there." After Qin Shihuang heard about it, he ordered Xu Fu to bring 3000 boys and girls. Go out to sea to find the "Three God Mountains" and ask for the "Pharmaceutical of Immortality".The sea is vast, where is the holy mountain?Finally, drift to an island and settle down.It is said that this island is Japan.This story is widely circulated not only in China, but also in Japan.Japan has Xu Fu's tomb, research organizations on Xu Fu, and published many books describing Xu Fu.

The legend of the fairy mountain on the sea is illusory.One of the purposes of Qin Shihuang's several eastward tours was to seek the "medicine of immortality", but he died on the way back to Beijing.However, as a fairy tale, it gives people a beautiful imagination, so it has become the subject of many literati's creations.The ancients also used the three islands of Penglai as a beautiful landscape for gardening.In coastal areas, those strange islands and rocks are often compared to "Penglai Fairy Island" and "Sea Fairy Mountain".There are many legends about the Yellow Sea, Penglai, Changdao, Zhifu (fufu), Chengshantou, and Yuntai Mountain on the Bohai Sea.

Penglai Fairyland refers to Danya Mountain on the coast of Penglai, Miao Island on the Sea, Chang Island and other islands.Seen from land, Danya Mountain is just a hill that rises slowly towards the sea.However, when viewed from the sea, or from both sides, it is a steep mountain rising from the cliffs of Danya.On the sea surface of Penglai, in spring and autumn, when there is cold water flow on the sea surface, air layers of different densities are formed in the air.Under the condition of clear weather and calm wind, the city landscape in the distance, such as streets, buildings, roads, vehicles, mountains and forests, etc., through the refraction of light, an ethereal "mirage" spectacle appears above the sea of ​​Penglai.In the past ten years or so, there have been two "mirages" in Penglai.

"Haishi" has long been recorded in historical books. It is because of the wonders of "Haishi" that various legends and stories about "Sea Fairy Mountains" have been triggered, and Qin Shihuang was tempted to climb Penglai and Zhifu to seek the "medicine of immortality".Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty also came to look for immortals one after another, seeking "the art of longevity".Since the Tang and Song Dynasties, Penglai has also had the theory of the Eight Immortals crossing the sea. Then Penglai Pavilion, Luzu Hall, Sanqing Hall, Tianhou Palace, Dragon Palace and other well-arranged palace buildings were built on Danya Mountain, and it became the famous "Sea Fairy Mountain", "Penglai Wonderland".

Penglai not only has the beauty of mountains and seas, but also is a famous naval base in ancient my country because of its dangerous terrain.On the east side of Danya Mountain, the water city built around the port in the Ming Dynasty was used as a place to moor warships and practice water troops, and there are still many relics.Penglai is also the hometown and guarded place of Qi Jiguang, a famous national hero and anti-Japanese general.His illustrious military exploits can be found in the Qi Family Ancestral Hall in the south of the city. On the sea north of Penglai, the Miaodao Archipelago across the Bohai Strait is known as the key to the Bohai Sea and the gateway to Beijing and Tianjin.Each of the islands has its own style.Among them, the beauty of nature is the colorful stone beach of Crescent Bay on Long Island, and the ancient humanities are the stone tool culture of Pearl Gate and Daheishan.

Crescent Bay Beach is located at the northern end of Long Island and is named for its shape like a crescent moon.It leans against the green hills and embraces the blue sea. The long beach is made of colorful pebbles.They vary in size, the big ones are like fists, and the small ones are like beads. Most of them are made of white quartz, permeated with patterns of red, orange, yellow, ochre, and purple, like painted Vientiane, hard to recognize.Especially in the clear sea water, it is even more dazzling.The roundness of these colored stones is extremely high, and there are round colored stones such as oblate, oval, egg round, spherical, etc.The colored stones are like pearls and jades, shining uniquely in the thousands of miles of sea.

Although Long Island (including nearby islands) is small, it has ancient cultural origins with a history of thousands of years.There are Paleolithic remains of Pearl Gate and the ancient site of Beizhuang in Daheishan.This site is the only large village site excavated in the east coast of my country.It is equivalent to the site of Xi'an Banpo in the Neolithic Age, so it is called "East Banpo".Changdao also has bronze wares from Shang and Zhou Dynasties, lacquer wares from Han Dynasty, tri-colored wares from Tang Dynasty, porcelain from Song Dynasty and cultural relics from Ming and Qing Dynasties. Its precious cultural heritage spanning thousands of years can be said to be a rare cultural relic island in the country.

Chengshantou is also famous because Qin Shihuang visited it twice.It is located at the easternmost tip of the Shandong Peninsula, also known as Cheng Triangle.When Qin Shihuang came here, he thought it was the end of the sky, so he ordered Prime Minister Li Si to carve a stele of "the end of the sky", but now only the stele pedestal remains, which has become a mystery.In the sea to the south of Chengshantou, there is a group of steep and towering reefs. It is said that when Qin Shihuang was seeking immortality, he was not built because he offended the sea god.While watching the reef and sea waves, let people appreciate the absurdity of seeking immortality.

Laoshan Mountain, located in the east of Qingdao, is 1133 meters above sea level and is the highest peak in the Shandong Peninsula.Laoshan is a granite mountain with very rich shapes. It is a "fairy mountain" known for its beauty of mountains, seas, forests and springs, and it is also a famous Taoist mountain.Taoist temples spread all over the mountain, among which the Taiping Palace, Taiqing Palace and Shangqing Palace are relatively large.The Taiqing Palace is close to the top of Laoshan Mountain in the north and facing the sea in the south. It is surrounded by seven peaks and sanitation. It has a beautiful environment and a superior microclimate.Therefore, the earliest development here.There are now 140 palaces and temples built in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.The historical witness of the Taiqing Palace is still those living cultural relics - ancient and famous trees.In front of the Sanguan Hall, there are two Naidong (camellias), one red and one white, which are more than 700 years old.According to legend, Pu Songling's "Xiangyu" is based on this flower.

The Taiping Palace, with mountains on the west and the sea on the east, has a strange environment.The palace is hidden deep in the strange peaks, boulders and lush pine and bamboo forests.Huge granite blocks with different shapes are the biggest feature of the landscape in this area.The pine and stone road in front of the palace is surrounded by huge stones that are larger than the houses. The cliff carvings that are "suspected to be illusions" are just the hint of this situation. Beijiushui is a natural landscape scenic spot with many wonders in Laoshan.It is named after the nine twists and turns of the stream, and it is divided into two branches: inner and outer nine.Nine waters, waters and waters have scenery, among which Yulin Gorge and Chaoyin Waterfall are the best.

For those who are looking for natural beauty, Laoding and Laoshantou are very attractive.The precarious peak of Laoding towers high and towers above the sky, and is very majestic. When you climb to the top, you can have a panoramic view of the wonders of mountains and seas.The extension branch of Laoshan Mountain is ups and downs, going straight to the sea, and there is a steep peak at the place where it enters the sea. It is said that the Eight Immortals crossed the sea from this point. Yuntai Mountain is located in the outskirts of Lianyungang City. The main peak, Yunv Peak, is 625 meters above sea level, which is the highest peak in Jiangsu.Yuntai Mountain is on the Huaihai Great Plain, stretching for more than 40 kilometers. The mountains are broken and connected, one after another, like a dragon like a dragon, rushing towards the sea, with a magnificent momentum. Yuntai Mountain was called Yushan Mountain and Cangwu Mountain in ancient times. It is an island on the sea and is known as the "Sea Fairy Mountain".Su Dongpo has a poem praising: "The mountains on the sea are so gloomy, and the abbot of Penglai is inseparable." According to historical records, during the 40th to 50th years of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, "the sea rose and the sand was silted" so that Yuntai Mountain was connected to the land.The vicissitudes of the sea and the transformation of Yuntai Mountain from an island to land are due to the large amount of sediment brought by the Yellow River's breach to take the Huaihe River into the sea. Yuntai Mountain is located in the transition zone from the warm temperate zone to the subtropical zone. The flora and fauna are transitional and diverse. The vegetation is good and lush, which makes Yuntai Mountain full of vitality and aura. Yuntai Mountain is a famous spiritual mountain in my country. Since the Sui and Tang Dynasties, temples and palaces have been built on the mountain, and incense is flourishing.The literati and inkmen crossed the sea and climbed the mountains, leaving behind very rich cultural relics.The rebuilt temples include Sanyuan Palace, Lingguan Hall, Yuhuang Pavilion, Ashoka Pagoda, Laojun Hall, etc.The thousand-year-old ginkgo in the temple, the 800-year-old magnolia king and other ancient and famous trees are living cultural relics that trace the history of the temple.Among the many cliff inscriptions in Tang, Song, Ming and Qing Dynasties, the most precious ones are Tang Li and Song Zhuan on Yulinguan Lion Cliff, which are treasures in the history of Chinese calligraphy art. It is worth pointing out that Wu Cheng'en, a Ming writer, has climbed Yuntai Mountain many times.The beautiful scenery of Yuntai Mountain and the wonders of mountains and seas triggered his inspiration. Using the scenery to conceive, he provided many magical scenes for his creation and the birth of Sun Monkey.Since its inception, Huaguo Mountain (namely Nanyuntai Mountain) has become more famous than Yuntai Mountain.The characters and scenes in Huaguo Mountain are born due to the scenery, such as "Shuilian Cave", "Monkey Gate", "Tang Monk Cliff", "Sand Monk Stone" and 72 caves, large and small, have become scenic spots for traveling to the West.This is called originating from nature and returning to nature, thus endowing the natural landscape with magical cultural connotations. Kongwang Mountain and Jinping Mountain are different from Yuntai Mountain. They are originally land-based mountains, but they have accumulated a very rich history and culture. In 1980, the 1800-year-old statues on the cliff of Kongwang Mountain were discovered. Because of the situation of the mountain, more than 100 statues of different sizes were carved. Experts call it "the first cave in Kyushu". The primitive social rock paintings on Jiangjunya Cliff in Jinping Mountain, south of Kongwang Mountain, are engraved with human faces, crops, animal faces and various symbols.The stone carving lines are chiseled and ground with stone tools.This major discovery is the earliest petroglyph in the age of discovery in my country so far, and is known as the "Oriental Book of Heaven".