Longfeng Mountain in Wudu

　　Wudu can truly be described as a place where famous mountains abound and ancient temples are found everywhere. Among the locally renowned peaks is Longfeng Mountain, said to be one of Wudu’s four great mountains, situated 30 kilometers east of Wudu city. Legend has it that long ago, a dragon and a phoenix once appeared here—the phoenix flying in from the east, followed by the dragon. They played together, dancing in the sky until they descended to the earth and formed this mountain. The echoing sounds of the mountain and valley moved all who witnessed it, a wondrous and auspicious scene, hence the name “Longfeng” (Dragon and Phoenix). Later, a Buddhist temple was built on the Dragon Mountain and a Taoist temple on the Phoenix Mountain. Longfeng Mountain thus became a scenic area where human culture blends harmoniously with natural beauty, as well as a natural summer retreat in northeastern Wudu. According to unearthed relics from the reconstruction of the Zhenwu Hall on Phoenix Mountain, both the Taoist shrine and the Buddhist temple on Longfeng Mountain were built during the Eastern Han Dynasty, the same period as the Hanwang Temple on its branch range, Huaguo Mountain. A mountain needs no great height to gain fame if immortals reside there. Since the Han and Tang dynasties, it has been widely known and thus became a celebrated local mountain.

　　Legend says the phoenix originated deep in the Qinling Mountains, where the climate is mild and the scenery beautiful—an ideal habitat for the phoenix to live and breed. Long ago, one phoenix flew out of the mountains but fell to the land of Qin, unable to take off again. Just then, the King of Qin happened to be out on a tour and spotted the phoenix lying on the ground. He personally stroked it and then helped it up. He asked, “Fairy Phoenix, why have you fallen here? Now it’s all right—you can fly back to the blue sky.” The phoenix thanked the King of Qin for saving it, then slowly rose into the sky and flew away. The place where the king helped the phoenix up was later named Fufeng (“Help Phoenix”), and the place from which the phoenix soared high was called Fengxiang (“Phoenix Soaring”).

　　As the phoenix flew along its path, it left behind many traces. It is said that the place names related to the phoenix along this route are all connected to this celestial fairy.

　　As the fairy phoenix flew over the Qinling Mountains, it was spotted by the Azure Dragon there, which then leapt up and chased after it. When the phoenix reached the source of the Ganshui River in this region, it noticed many unique rocks and beautiful scenery below—like stone lotuses and stone boats. It thought to itself, this might be the sacred and serene place where Guanyin Bodhisattva once cultivated. So it slowly descended to land. The Azure Dragon, arriving on the scene in pursuit, saw that the phoenix had landed to rest, so it too came down and perched opposite the phoenix.

　　After the Azure Dragon and the phoenix met, the dragon was suddenly enchanted by the illusory images created by the phoenix and fell into a trance. By the time it regained its senses, the Heavenly Lord Laozi had already noticed what had happened. With a swipe of his divine blade, he wounded the dragon. Just as the phoenix was about to speak, the Heavenly Lord drew his finger across the sky, and instantly both the dragon and the phoenix were transformed into mountains. Their heads were placed to the east and west, forming two mountaintops—one in the west as the dragon’s head, and one in the east as the phoenix’s head. Hence the name Longfeng Mountain (Dragon and Phoenix Mountain).

　　From then on, whenever clouds and mist enveloped the mountains, figures of dragons and phoenixes could be seen dancing within them. The dragon and the phoenix indeed often brought rain for the people, drove away evil, and protected the region, keeping peace and harmony.

　　To show gratitude for the protection of the dragon and the phoenix, local monks, Taoists, and residents built a temple on the dragon’s head and a Taoist shrine on the phoenix’s head. Ever since the temple and shrine were erected, the region enjoyed favorable weather and peace among its people. On the annual temple fair days—the third day of the third lunar month at the Taoist shrine and the eighth day of the fourth lunar month at the Buddhist temple—devotees from surrounding villages would come in their finest clothes, bringing the elderly and children along to worship on the mountain.