Some may claim that although Yudu County in Ganzhou, Jiangxi has a history of over 2200 years, there are not many historical sites to see. However, this is because they do not truly understand Yudu. There are indeed historical sites to be found, such as the Luo Tianyan Scenic Area. It takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes to drive from the county town to the Luo Tianyan Forest Park. Upon arrival, do not rush to climb the mountain; the main attractions of Luo Tianyan include: the Yue Fei stone statue, Hu Zong Pavilion, Luo Tianyan Ancient Temple, and the ‘Emperor’s Ten Thousand Years’ stone carving. Start at the Yue Fei stone statue, next to which is the Hu Zong Pavilion. It was somewhat puzzling at the time, as I knew that the main attraction of Luo Tianyan was the ancient temple, so how did Yue Fei come into the picture? Only upon arrival did I understand. Around 1133, Yue Fei came to Yudu to suppress bandits and during his stay, he visited Luo Tianyan. After his visit, he was inspired to write a poem: ‘Holding a bamboo staff, I visit the Yellow Dragon; the old lair only leaves traces of the tiger’s offspring. Deeply locked in white clouds with nowhere to seek, the pines and bamboos on the hillside shake in the west wind.’ The Hu Zong Pavilion next to the statue is named after the ‘traces of the tiger’s offspring’ from the poem. The Luo Tianyan Forest Park is one of the favorite leisure and tourist spots for the people of Yudu, with many visiting on holidays to climb the mountain and sweat it out. Therefore, it takes at least half a day to tour the entire forest park. If you want a short and essence tour, you can return to the Luo Tianyan Ancient Temple at this point. Luo Tianyan, also known as Shanshan, was developed during the Northern and Southern Dynasties (558-566 AD), and the ‘Huayan Zen Temple’ was established during the Song Dynasty, where the eminent monk Huanglong Zen Master once resided. On the southern half of the cliff, the temple is built into the cave, with the temple pavilion set against the rock wall, exquisite and unique, forming its own charm. In the middle is the Guanyin Pavilion, which houses the Guanyin Hall, and the four characters ‘Unexpectedly a Fairyland’ on the dome’s main wall are said to be written by Zhu Xi. To the right of the hall, there is a spring that slowly drips from the cliff wall, spraying droplets and floating in the air, trickling continuously, known as the ‘Flying Spring’. Although the Luo Tianyan Temple is not large, it is small and exquisite, with a few monks, but it has always been a place of thriving incense. It is a good place for the people of Yudu to pray and enjoy the view. On the left side of the ancient temple is a steep cliff, on which there have been hundreds of poems and travel notes since the Tang and Song dynasties. On the cliff, which covers an area of 2.5 square kilometers, there are more than 70 inscriptions by celebrities of various dynasties, leading all the counties in southern Jiangxi. We have learned the prose ‘On the Love of the Lotus’ by Zhou Dunyi in our language textbooks, which was first published in the form of a stone carving at Luo Tianyan in May 1063. There is also the ‘Emperor’s Ten Thousand Years’ inscription by Yue Fei on the eastern cliff wall… The entire cliff wall is filled with notes left by ancient celebrities. It bears witness to the ‘ancient’ history of Yudu. Zhou Dunyi, who wrote ‘On the Love of the Lotus’, also lectured at Luo Tianyan. In memory of him, people built a Lianxi Temple at Luo Tianyan, which has now been renamed as Lianxi Academy.
In front of the academy lies a pond of lotus flowers, which adds to the ambiance reminiscent of Mr. Zhou’s ‘On the Love of the Lotus’ when in bloom. Since the establishment of Lianxi Academy, philanthropists from society have donated generously, and at its peak, the academy admitted over 40 students in a single batch, with boarding students receiving three pecks of rice each. The most exquisite scenery in the Luotiyan Forest Park is these historical sites. However, for leisure tourism, there are also attractions such as the Luotiyan Reservoir and other scenic spots of varying sizes to visit. A day at Luotiyan can give you a glimpse into the thousand-year history of Yudu. Travel tips: Address of Luotiyan Forest Park: Next to the 323 National Highway, Chaolin Village, South Bank of the Gongjiang River, Yudu County, Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province. Transportation: Suitable for self-driving. Admission: Free.
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