Héyuán

Héyuán

Walking in the direction of Héyuán, you’ll find nunneries and ancient temples one after another—exquisite and delicate, some classic and elegant, others majestically grand. These include Shèngbìn Jīngshè, Liánhuā Ān, Dàcí Ān, Guāngmíng Máopéng, Zhǐyuán Jīngshè, Dàyuàn Máopéng, Jìngxiū Máopéng, Címóu Ān, Huìjū Sì Xiàyuàn, Jiǔhuá Liánshè, and more.

Legend has it that on an ancient plain long ago, there lived a family with one elderly person, nine sons, and eighty-nine grandchildren. One day, a witch and a sea demon king waged war against the nine brothers, attempting to engulf the plain. The Big Dipper, glimpsing the battle through a gap in the clouds, took up a staff of starlight and came to their aid. In an instant, thunder roared and lightning flashed—the two monsters were shattered into pieces, and ninety-nine peaks rose into the clouds, forming what is now known as Jiǔzǐ Mountain (Nine Sons Mountain), a treasured peak.

Jiǔzǐ Mountain was covered with money trees. During the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty, when the monk Jin Qiaojue practiced asceticism on the mountain, he often picked clusters of “money” from the money trees to build temples. After the temples were completed, incense offerings flourished like none other under heaven.

In a year of severe drought when even the mythical aoyu fish opened its mouth wide, a golden phoenix flew over from Penglai Island. Every day, it watered the money trees and served tea to the pilgrims who climbed the mountain. One early morning, just as the golden phoenix took off to fetch water, it happened upon the Buddha laying down sutras on his dharma altar. Bathed in the Buddha’s radiance, the phoenix was forever immortalized in its soaring, wing-spread form.

On Jiuhua Mountain, the higher the mountain, the higher the water. It is said that this water is the immortal spring the golden phoenix carried from Penglai Island to water the money trees.

The “Phoenix Ancient Pine” has a slightly flattened trunk. At three meters high, its branches split into three: the middle branch curves upward like a phoenix raising its head; one branch gently curves downward, resembling a phoenix’s tail; and another slants out and slightly upward, dividing into two wings like a colorful phoenix spreading its wings. Standing 7.68 meters tall with a diameter of one meter at breast height, its uniquely shaped form strikingly resembles a phoenix in flight—thus its name. The flattened, head-lifting trunk resembles a phoenix crown, while its two branches—one high, one low—look like a phoenix tail. Lush green grass surrounds its base, and beneath its tail lies a large round rock known as the “Phoenix Egg.” This ancient Phoenix Pine has been recorded since the Northern and Southern Dynasties, boasting a history of 1,400 years. Today, it remains upright, leafy, and vibrant. With its majestic posture and legendary tale, the Phoenix Pine has become the muse of poets, painters, and photographers throughout history, hailed as the “Number One Pine Under Heaven.”

Legend says this pine tree has witnessed over 1,400 years of history and was planted during the Northern and Southern Dynasties by the divine monk Bēidù.

The Dragon Pool below Héyuán and Nántái Ān at Little Tiāntái are crafted with meticulous care—diverse in shape on the outside, and uniquely refined in essence—regarded as treasures of the Buddhist world. According to Li Qifei’s 1933 work Qingyang Fēngshí Lù (Record of Qingyang Scenery): “Tea thrives especially well in sandy soil and a moist climate, and is thus ideally suited to the regions of Jiuhua, Huangshixī, Shíbǎo Shān, Wúzhū Shān, and Sòngchōng. Varieties include Dragon Eye Tea, Cloud-Fog Tea, Sparrow Tongue Tea, Maojian Tea, and Qiqiāng Tea. The leaves are handpicked, then dried in pans over fire. From the producing areas, they are packed in bamboo baskets or cloth bags, transported by boat to the county town, and then shipped to Datong, Nanjing, and other places for sale. Among Jiuhua’s green teas, Dragon Eye is the finest—vibrantly green in color with a rich fragrance. Huangshixī Cloud-Fog Tea is light yellow and fragrant. Shíbǎo Shān and Sòngchōng’s Maojian and Qiqiāng are emerald green with a subtle aroma. Wúzhū Shān’s Sparrow Tongue is greenish and aromatic. All are processed by drying over fire and hand-rolling.” This illustrates the flourishing state of Jiuhua tea, nurtured jointly by monks and local villagers.