Huishan Mountain

Huishan Mountain

“Home is here, love is here, I always turn back to look at you. The aroma of Lei tea wafts through the air, fruits and melons abound everywhere… Turning back to gaze at Huishan Mountain in my hometown, where the hearts of those far from home yearn with tender affection…” For the Hakka people of Jiangle, especially those who have wandered far from their hometown, this song “Huishan Mountain in My Hometown,” composed by the renowned lyricist Si Shunyi and composer Zhang Zhuoya, is truly one that never grows old. Each time they hum it, they are lost in its charm; every time they sing it, it feels warm and endearing.

Huishan Mountain is located in Dengfang, about 10 kilometers east of Jiangle County. It is surrounded by water on three sides. Traveling along Provincial Highway Cenwen, near the suspension bridge of the Dengfang Caoyu Farm, one can gaze at the river from afar and see Huishan Mountain nestled by the water against the mountain, resembling “a green snail in a silver plate”—small, elegant, and lush with greenery.

Huishan Mountain is also known as “Candle Mountain.” There is a legend about the origin of the name “Candle Mountain”: In ancient times, there was a famously filial son in Gaotang Village named Candle. He came from a poor family and lived with his 80-year-old white-haired mother. One day, Candle went to the market to sell firewood and earned 15 coins. He planned to buy a pair of shoes and a wooden comb for his mother, but more importantly, he wanted to buy some rice to take home because the family had not had rice for several days. Unfortunately, when he reached the rice market and reached into his pocket, he realized the money was gone. Left with no choice, Candle borrowed money from Wang Erlima to buy rice. In order to repay the usurious loan as soon as possible, after settling his mother, Candle made up a story about going to visit a distant friend. At dawn the next day, he set out. Candle found it hard to leave his elderly mother, and the moment he stepped out the door, tears streamed from his eyes. He walked aimlessly, and suddenly, he saw an old man in tattered clothes stumbling toward the Jinxi River not far away. “Oh no, the old man might be in danger!” Though not a good swimmer, Candle waded straight into the river and, with all his might, managed to pull the old man to the other side. The old man took out silver to thank him, but Candle refused. “Candle, take this silver and go back to take good care of your mother!” the old man insisted, thrusting a bag of silver into Candle’s hands before striding forward. Suddenly, the old man turned back, looked up to the sky and laughed, then vanished. Candle was dazed for a while, and upon looking again, he noticed that where the immortal had turned back, a mountain had emerged. This mountain altered the straight course of the Jinxi River, causing the stream to curve around it. Thus, some call the mountain Huishan (Turning Back Mountain), while others call it Candle Mountain.

Walking across the suspension bridge that arches like a drawn bow on the way to Huishan Mountain, a gentle breeze blows, cool and refreshing, invigorating the spirit. The suspension sways slightly, thrilling yet safe. Below lies the calm, clear waters of the Jinxi River; above, the steep cliffs of Huishan Mountain rise sharply. Among the sheer cliffs and precipices emerge ancient pines, tough evergreen oaks, and various unnamed trees, standing tall and unmoving against wind and sun, rooted halfway up the mountainside by the river. On the mountaintop, pavilions, temples, and towers built along the slopes appear and disappear amid the greenery, blending reds and greens in harmonious beauty.

Though not high, Huishan Mountain stands only 250 meters above sea level, the stone steps to the summit are steep, akin to climbing to the Heavenly Capital Peak of Mount Tai. The winding stone path is as sheer as a ladder to the heavens, requiring careful, solid steps. Along the perilous cliffside climb, birds chirp and flowers bloom, with one side lined by dark green, sheer cliffs and the other by exquisitely embroidered, misty mountain hues. Along the way, there are two small pavilions for rest. One pavilion has a couplet: “High pavilion bathed in bright moonlight, ancient temple fragrant in the evening”; another has a poem: “Coming empty-handed and leaving empty-handed, you go west and I go east, hearing the third watch drum at night’s end, turning over unaware it’s the fifth watch bell.” The poem and couplet are thought-provoking.

“Clouds crown her hair with a uniquely flowing grace, as if bathing in the evening waves before the wind.” The clifftop is steep and the peaks are rugged. The Lüshan Ancestral Master Temple, built along the mountain’s contours, resonates all day with the sound of wooden fish mingling with birdsong and cicadas, conveying the serene sentiments of the ancient temple in the gentle mountain breeze. The Mahavira Hall, Kṣitigarbha Hall, Jade Emperor Hall, and Fengjing Temple rise along the perilous peaks, hall after hall interconnected. Climbing suspended ladders, walking along corridors, stepping over stone ledges, and crossing flying walkways, one moves through these sacred spaces, cleansing worldly dust in a devout state of mind.

Exiting Fengjing Temple, there is an exposed rocky outcrop without guardrails. Guided by the 58-year-old abbot, we look down toward the mountain foot, where the Jinxi River shimmers, with glints of silver and gold dancing on the surface.

Exploring Huishan Mountain, the scenery here is truly unique. According to our companions, with the power generation and water storage of the Gaotang Hydropower Station in 2006, the area from Huishan Mountain to Jiangle County will form a ten-li-long (approximately five-kilometer) flat lake. By then, Huishan Mountain will surely present another kind of view and another kind of charm.