Purple Misty Haze

　　   Ziluo Mountain is located about 50 kilometers east of the county town and serves as the boundary mountain between Jiang and Tai cities. The mountain stands 793 meters high and stretches for dozens of miles. It is covered with vines, and when exposed to sunlight, it emits a purple mist, hence it is also called Smoke-Vine Mountain.

　　   Legend has it that during the Tang Dynasty, a divine light shone into the sky from the mountain. The governor of Enzhou reported it to the imperial court and was ordered to open up the mountain for excavation. Among the clustered rocks, a stone niche was discovered, containing a case of Buddhist scriptures. It was then understood that the divine light originated from the scriptures. There was once a stele recording this event. By the Qing Dynasty, the stele had already disappeared. Beside the stele was Xiangshui Pool, where the sound of the water was deep and powerful, like drums or thunder. Local people passed down tales of dragons appearing there. This is undoubtedly a myth, but because of this, the mountain was also once called Rui Ling Mountain. Zhuang Dayou, the county magistrate of Qing County, wrote a poem: “In the deepest part of the smoke-vine thicket, lights and strange phenomena arise among the forested cliffs. The sacred scriptures hold the true teachings in secret; after a thousand years, the jade case was opened. Even now, on the paths where woodcutters tread, clouds float atop the mountaintop.” The mountain is lush with trees and shrouded in misty haze, offering quite a scenic view, thus earning the name “Purple Misty Haze.” It was once one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Yangjiang in the Qing Dynasty.