Golden Turtle Bamboo Path

Golden Turtle Bamboo Path

At Golden Turtle Bamboo Path, not only can you experience the elegant scenery of “myriad green bamboo shoots towering to the sky,” but you can also explore the historic Peach Blossom Spring Cave.

Legend has it that this is an exceptionally auspicious feng shui site. Countless lush green bamboos sway, and when the sun rises, golden rays pierce through the vast bamboo forest — a breathtakingly beautiful sight that is truly enchanting. Bamboos belong to the Poaceae family, subfamily Bambusoideae. They have a unique form — neither herb nor tree — with segmented and hollow stems, neither too soft nor too rigid, symbolizing modesty and upward growth.

Turtle Mountain is nestled within the bamboo grove. The bamboo here is called moso bamboo, also known as Mendorong bamboo.

Legend has it that in ancient times, in a certain place, there was a filial son named Meng Zong. His mother fell seriously ill and longed to eat bamboo shoots. It was the middle of winter, yet Meng Zong went to the moso bamboo forest to look for them. Finding none, he wept by the bamboo, which moved the mountain spirit. The spirit pointed at the root of the bamboo, and instantly the ground split open three inches, revealing a fresh, yellow bamboo shoot. This is the origin of the name “Mendorong bamboo,” still used in Japan today.

The bamboo in the story of “Meng Zong Weeping by the Bamboo” is actually moso bamboo, which is abundant in southern China. Bamboo thrives in tropical, subtropical, and temperate zones, but is rare in frigid regions, with the monsoon areas of Asia being its main distribution center. There are 60 genera and over 600 species of bamboo worldwide. South China is a major bamboo-producing region in China, home to 16 genera and over 100 species.

In China, bamboo is mainly divided into two categories: one grows in low-altitude or southern regions, prefers hot and humid climates, and features clumping growth with sympodial underground rhizomes — commonly known as “clumping bamboo.” The other grows in higher-altitude or more northern areas, tolerates cooler temperatures, and prefers moist environments, with scattered growth and monopodial underground rhizomes — commonly known as “running bamboo.” Moso bamboo belongs to the “running bamboo” category. The top bud of the moso bamboo’s underground stem, if not dug out from the soil, is called a winter shoot; once it emerges from the soil, it is known as a spring shoot or moso shoot. Within about 70 days, the shoot can develop into a full bamboo.

China’s use of bamboo can be traced back to prehistoric artifacts. In ancient times, before paper was invented, writing was done on bamboo strips bound into scrolls. As for building houses with moso bamboo, that practice dates back over a thousand years. In modern technology, moso bamboo is an excellent raw material for the paper industry — 300 tons of bamboo can produce one ton of pulp. Bamboo shoots are not only commonly eaten, but can also be made into various dried bamboo shoots and canned products.

There is also a folk proverb: “Mountain bamboo shoots — sharp-tipped, thick-skinned, and hollow inside.” This describes people who are ignorant, unlearned, and shameless, based on the characteristics of bamboo shoots.

Bamboo has an elegant and graceful charm, making it a treasured element in gardens since ancient times. The ancients referred to plum blossoms, orchids, chrysanthemums, and bamboo together as the “Four Gentlemen,” and grouped “pine, bamboo, and plum” as the “Three Friends of Winter.”

Su Dongpo praised bamboo in his poem “Ode to Bamboo”: “I would rather eat without meat than live without bamboo. Without meat, one becomes thin; without bamboo, one becomes vulgar.” China is truly a great nation of bamboo culture.