Dalong Mountain

Dalong Mountain

During the May Day holiday, I invited three neighbor families to embark on a trip to Dalong Mountain in Jinzhu Township, Le’an County. Driving south from Le’an County town for an hour and a half, we passed Zhaoxie Town and arrived at Jinzhu She Ethnic Township. Another hour’s drive east from Pingxi Village finally brought us to the undulating, towering peaks of Dalong Mountain. A sweeping landscape painting crafted by nature unfolded vividly before us. Dalong Mountain lies at the junction of Le’an, Yihuang, and Ningdu (Ganzhou) counties, within the Wuyi Mountain range. It is said that there is a highly efficacious Tanglong Temple on the mountain.

Filled with excitement, we began hiking along a winding and steep mountain path. Within just ten minutes, everyone was sweating profusely and panting heavily. The azaleas, which usually wither after the Qingming Festival, were still brilliantly colorful and enchantingly vibrant on Dalong Mountain. Along the way, clusters of purple wildflowers occasionally dotted the bushes, creating a striking contrast with the masses of azaleas, making the scenery even more resplendent. The bright red wild strawberries, though small, were pleasantly sweet and tangy. The tender green bayberries, however, only teased us with their sight, leaving us to quench our thirst by looking.

Half an hour later, we reached a resting pavilion. The pavilion appeared to have been built hundreds of years ago with stone blocks by ancient people. Atop the pavilion, a slab of stone was carved with the words “Wangfo Pavilion” (Buddha-Gazing Pavilion). Thinking we were close to Tanglong Temple, we happened to encounter a village woman carrying a bamboo basket who also arrived at the pavilion. Upon asking, we grew disheartened — Wangfo Pavilion was still at least two-thirds of the way from the temple on the mountain. It seemed the pavilion should be renamed “Panfo Pavilion” (Buddha-Waiting Pavilion). The woman claimed to be over sixty years old, but she looked fit and appeared more than a decade younger than her actual age. She said that as long as the weather was good, she hiked up the mountain almost daily — digging for bamboo shoots some days, picking tea leaves others, and coming to harvest bamboo leaves for zongzi as the Dragon Boat Festival approached. She could earn over a thousand yuan each year this way. She often spotted massive wild oxen, snakes as thick as bowls, and troops of monkeys while wandering alone in the mountains. It was clear that Dalong Mountain is a paradise for wildlife.

As we stepped on stone steps, leaped across clear springs, climbed one hillside after another, and pushed through dense forests, Tanglong Temple finally came into view. A gentle breeze dried our sweat, and the clear blue sky opened our horizons. The majestic feeling of “reaching the summit and looking down upon all the other mountains” instantly lifted our spirits and made us forget our fatigue.

It is said that Tanglong Temple got its name during the late Southern Tang Dynasty when an emperor surnamed Li was being chased by rebel soldiers and was saved by the divine ginkgo tree in front of the temple, hence the name “Tanglong” (Tang Dragon) Temple. As a result, during the Song Dynasty, the temple enjoyed its peak in incense offerings. Though the thousand-year-old legend is unverifiable, the ginkgo tree in front of the temple today remains lush and full of vitality. A massive yew tree behind the temple is also believed to be over a thousand years old. At an altitude of over 1,200 meters, Tanglong Temple is guarded by two ancient sacred trees — one in front and one behind — no wonder people say the fortunes told here are especially accurate. Behind the temple lies a verdant bamboo forest, from which a clear spring flows, meandering through a stream and into a pond near the ginkgo tree. They say “clear water breeds no fish,” yet this very spring nurtures dozens of carp and grass carp. The fish can be clearly seen swimming and playing, exuding a lively charm.