Pearl Spring Gushing Moonlight

Pearl Spring Gushing Moonlight

Beside the stone path in the northern suburbs of Jiahe County lies a famous spring where water gushes up from the bottom in strings of pearls. The spring water is azure and crystal clear as a mirror, with fish and shrimp visible on the bottom. At night, the round moon in the sky reflects in the water, with large and small pearls all gathered in a jade plate—hence the name “Pearl Spring.” “Pearl Spring Gushing Moonlight” is one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Jiahe... The Republican-era *Jiahe County Annals* states: “A few hundred steps north of the city, only by the roadside fields, stands a pavilion surrounded by open space. The spring water is azure, with the main road winding along, the sunset mountain hues, and the quiet moonlit nights. Sit and listen to the bubbling of the spring, with droplets falling like jade, while all other sounds fall silent.” Beside the spring is an octagonal pavilion called the Pearl Spring Pavilion. Its pillars originally bore a couplet: “Whenever I meet someone, I speak of how fine this spring is; ashamed am I that my heart isn’t as clear as this water.” It is said to have been written by a county magistrate.

Located just outside the north gate of the county town, beside the pavilion is a spring named Pearl Spring, where water gushes up from the gravel at the bottom in strings of silver pearls. The spring water is crystal-clear and mirrors-like. The bright moon in the sky reflects in the water, rising as one golden orb shimmering with light. Ancient inscriptions titled it “Pearl Spring Gushing Moonlight,” listing it as one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Jiahe.

When the pavilion was first built, it had a structure of bluestone and fir wood, with four square pillars and a double-eaved roof. The stone pillars were inscribed with a couplet: “Whenever I meet someone, I speak of how fine this spring is; ashamed am I that my heart isn’t as clear as this water.” After several renovations, the stone pillars were replaced with reinforced concrete ones.

1986

In [year], the county allocated 45,000 yuan for renovation. The renovated Pearl Spring Pavilion has two stories, supported by 12 pillars, with a total height of

13.1

meters, and is 8 meters long and wide. The plaque above the gate reads “Pearl Spring Pavilion”

The three characters were inscribed by Xiao Ke. The new couplet on the round pillars reads: “The pavilion stands tall simply to draw closer to the sky; the spring is fine because it loves the deep earth.” A new stone stele has been erected beside the pavilion, measuring 1.2 meters in length, 0.8 meters in height, and 0.2 meters in thickness, with vertically inscribed text titled *Record of the Pearl Spring Pavilion*. The text reads:

The Pearl Spring Pavilion was first built in the 24th year of the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty (1844) and was renovated in the 9th year of the Republic of China (1920). After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, it was repaired again in 1958. As time passed, it became dilapidated, so workers were summoned to renovate it once more to fulfill public expectations. The pavilion is named after the pearl-like spring, and the spring is celebrated because of the pavilion. The water of Pearl Spring is pure in quality and sweet to the taste. As the water gushes out, it forms strings of pearls, resembling rice being sifted—hence it is commonly called the Rice-Sieve Well. On moonlit nights, the moon reflects upside down in the water, with illusions and shimmering light, truly making it seem as if the moon is gushing from the spring. In the deep silence of the night, the bubbling of the spring can be heard; listen intently, and it sounds like pearls and jade droplets. The pavilion stands above the spring, with upright pillars, red and yellow hues blending, and octagonal flying eaves. The pavilion and spring form a harmonious whole, like a jade plate holding a golden crown. Visitors come here to rest, to sit, to gaze, to sing, or to dance—each finding their own joy.

Across the vast land of China, with its beautiful mountains and rivers, the reconstruction of this pavilion is also enough to enhance the happiness of civilization and add to the beauty of the motherland’s landscapes.