Buddha's Traces & Immortal's Footprints Mangyu Canyon Scenic Area

　　The forests on both sides are dotted with various flowers, plants, and huge rocks resembling turtle shells, while the riverbed is covered with countless "stone jars" as well as waterfalls and platforms of varying sizes...

　　Hidden in the Clouds

　　Mangyu Canyon is part of the Wuliang Mountain range and features typical Danxia landform, sharing the same geological structure as the Himalayan fault zone. It is located in Lianhe Village, Zhongshan Township, about 18 kilometers north of Jinggu County Town, a drive of just over 30 minutes. This area was once a key route for horse caravans on the Ancient Tea Horse Road. Above Mangyu Canyon lies an old stone bridge from the late Qing Dynasty—the Mangyu Ancient Tea Horse Bridge—and the surrounding area also has many ancient tea trees.

　　In winter, the surroundings of Mangyu Canyon remain lush and green. At noon, standing on the main peak of Mangyu Dajianshan at an altitude of 1,492 meters on the eastern side of the canyon, you can see clouds flowing beneath your feet, the sound of water echoing from below the clouds, and the canyon embraced tightly by thick fog. The main river of the canyon is the Jinggu River, with the Haizi River tributary flowing into the valley, spanning a total length of 7 kilometers. Due to the abundant groundwater, it seeps out to the surface, forming surface runoff that never dries up throughout the year. There are more than ten waterfalls of varying heights in the valley, with two massive cascades on the western bank plunging down from a height of about 100 meters.

　　One Mountain, Four Seasons

　　The downhill trail is about 1 meter wide, paved with stones, and equipped with guardrails in steep sections. Around an altitude of 1,200 meters, the most common trees are Masson pines. As the altitude descends, they give way to narrow-leaved fig trees, pineapple trees, and numerous shrubs, camellias, azaleas, and orchids...

　　The path is mostly downhill, with the vegetation constantly changing, giving the sensation of "one mountain, four seasons; ten miles, different skies." Many oddly shaped rocks catch our attention—some have surfaces like turtle shells; some appear split in half with just enough space for a person to pass through; others are entwined with wild vines, and tree-covered rocks or rock-covered trees are everywhere.

　　Halfway up the mountain, many olive trees come into view, with clusters of olives hanging from the branches. Picking one and taking a bite feels refreshing. It is understood that from the mountaintop to the valley floor, there are wild fruits such as wild grapes, olives, spiny fruits, and yellow husk fruits. Additionally, animals like rock goats, muntjacs, snakes, pheasants, sunbirds, and hill mynas can be found.

　　Buddha's Traces

　　When news media reported on Jinggu’s "Bada," they referred to it as the "Traces of Immortals." However, after on-site investigation of "Bada" and research into related legends, it is more accurate to say that the Dai language term "Bada" should be translated as "Buddha’s Traces," not "Traces of Immortals." The term "immortal" refers to celestial beings, which within the realm of organized religion specifically denote the immortal, long-lived figures imagined by ancient Taoists and alchemists. Since Jinggu has a population of over 150,000 Han Chinese, their belief in Taoism has inevitably influenced the surrounding Dai people. But the full meaning of the Dai term "Bada" is the traces or imprints left by Sakyamuni during his preaching or travels, as perceived by Dai Buddhist devotees (the Dai people universally follow Theravāda Buddhism). The Dai people revere these imprints as a form of worship toward the Buddha, which is unrelated to Taoist idol worship or other deities.

　　In Jinggu County alone, there are 26 "Buddha’s Traces," a phenomenon rarely seen nationwide. The "Jinggu County Annals" state that around the basins within Jinggu County, in caves in the valleys or on large rocks in the mountains, there are hand and foot imprints. These imprints were believed by the ancestral Dai people to be caves where the Buddha stayed or traces he left during his travels across the regions. These imprints are distributed in places such as Diaojiao Slope, Manghong, Mangxu, Tongchang, Xungang, Xiangyan in Zhongshan Township; Dazhai in Weiyuan Town; Daxianrenjiao and Xiaoxianrenjiao, Qiangang, Qiannuo in Yongping Town; Baita, Fumeng, Mengliang, Yonghai, Mangnai in Mengban Township; Mangluo Immortal Cave in Banpo Township; and Mengnai Immortal Cave in Zhengxing Township.