Wangtian Guan

　　Wangtian Guan is situated in the northern part of Cangxi, featuring towering, uniquely rugged, and picturesque mountains. Viewed from afar, it looks like a speeding train engine. The area is often cloaked in clouds and mist year-round, with the summer heat instantly cooling after a rainfall. The lowest elevation is 400 meters, while the highest peak reaches 1,200 meters. It is often said that "one mountain has four seasons, and ten miles feature different weathers." The front, left, and right sides of Wangtian Guan are formed by sheer cliffs that are nearly unclimbable even for monkeys, while the back is backed by the undulating peaks of Wangding. These peaks rise abruptly, standing tall and precipitous, creating a magnificent landscape. Throughout history, literati and scholars have praised these views, making the site widely renowned. Among the mountains grow thousand-year-old ginkgo trees with trunks eight people can encircle—known as living fossils—as well as well-preserved, lifelike historical relics such as Tang Dynasty cliff carvings of a Thousand Buddhas.

　　So where does the name “Wangtian Guan” come from? According to *The Imperial Mausoleums of China Through the Dynasties*, the 15th emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Changluo (Emperor Guangzong), ascended the throne and was presented with four beauties by his concubine Zheng. The emperor indulged in pleasure and neglected state affairs, soon falling ill. Court physician Cui Wenshen administered laxatives that worsened the emperor’s condition, followed by two red pills given by the Ministry of Rites official Li Kezhuo, leading to the emperor’s death the next day. This short-lived emperor was only 36 years old. Court officials suspected that the concubine Zheng had instructed Cui and Li to act, so the two were taken elsewhere and prepared for execution. This bizarre case is historically known as the “Red Pill Case.” According to *The Inner Chronicles of the Ming Court*, during Emperor Guangzong’s reign, the Director of Heaven Officials, Wang Ci, was on very good terms with Cui and Li. Wang Ci’s hometown was in Beixigou, Cangxi, Bashu Commandery (now the second group of Baixi Village, Tianguan Township, Langzhong)—an area of steep mountains and peculiar peaks, where one could seemingly touch the sky with outstretched hands. Thus, later generations renamed the place “Wangtian Guan” based on the homophonic pun with “Wang Tian Guan” (Heaven Official Wang). The “Tian Guan Tomb,” where Wang Ci is buried, remains well-preserved to this day. After Cui and Li were secretly protected and sent back to their hometowns by Wang Ci to live in seclusion, the two built a temple on the mountaintop to forever commemorate “Heaven Official Wang.” According to inscriptions on the monument, to symbolize the eternal continuation of the Wang family’s “Heaven Official” legacy, the place was also named “Wan Tian Guan” (Ten Thousand Heaven Officials). Later, Cui and Li changed their surnames—one to Yang and the other to Yue—leading to the naming of Yangyue Mountain (today’s Yangyue Village, Tianguan Township).

　　Wangtian Guan boasts numerous scenic spots, such as the famous Shen Shen Cliff and Immortal’s Footprint, both filled with mystical allure.

　　Legend has it that during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, a pair of young men and women who were classmates and shared the same ideals studied together for ten years. Their parents also intended for them to be married. But it was a time of war and chaos. One day, the young man went to visit the army stationed at nearby Xuantan Temple and never returned. The woman resolved never to marry and became a nun. She went to the Shen Shen Temple at Wangtian Guan to practice Taoism for several years, maintaining her chastity. When the Jade Emperor heard of this, he didn’t believe that such a devoted woman existed in the mortal world, so he sent an immortal to descend to earth disguised as a handsome man to test her. To prove her loyalty, the nun, unaffected by any temptation, leapt off the cliff to protect her chastity, choosing death over dishonor. Touched by her devotion, the Jade Emperor granted her immortality and she ascended to heaven. To this day, footprints of the nun ascending to heaven can still be seen on Shen Shen Cliff, especially the imprints of the hemp rope holes on the soles of her shoes, which remain clearly visible.

　　In the past, the nun’s temple was very famous and believed to be highly efficacious, attracting a continuous stream of worshippers and flourishing incense offerings. The temple had three large courtyards and was grand in scale. In the 1930s, bandits often hid within the temple. To eliminate the bandits, the nun’s temple was destroyed in the ensuing battle.

　　There is also a large footprint on a rock face, said to have been left by Han Xiangzi.

　　Long ago, Chenmu Niangniang practiced Taoism at Wangtian Guan. In a year of severe drought and famine, she steamed buns for the people. With no water to mix the flour, she asked several stonemasons to dig a well in the rock. The stone was too hard to break, and after many attempts, they only managed to dig a small pit. Seeing the people starving, Chenmu Niangniang grew extremely anxious and wept by the rock, her tears filling the pit. Strangely, the tears never dried up—no matter how much was scooped out, the pit would refill. Using the water, she mixed flour and steamed buns every day, saving all the starving people.

　　One morning at dawn, Chenmu Niangniang went to fetch water again when Han Xiangzi happened to pass by. He playfully harassed her, enraging her so much that her vision blurred with anger and she smashed the water jug. Grabbing a rolling pin, she chased after him. Han Xiangzi turned and ran but slipped by the edge of the water pit and tumbled down the cliff. Realizing she had driven someone to their death, Chenmu Niangniang thought, “What’s the point of continuing my cultivation?” With resolve, she also jumped off the cliff. In truth, Han Xiangzi did not die—he landed with one foot on Wangtian Guan and the other on Xuantan Temple before running away. As a result, footprints were left on both cliffs, now called “Immortal’s Foot,” which can still be clearly seen today.

　　The Guanyin Divine Water located halfway up the mountain at Wangtian Guan is also widely famous. Amazingly, regardless of heavy rain or dry riverbeds, the water in a stone hollow remains crystal clear, full yet never overflowing. Legend says this water, known as “Guanyin Water,” can cure many difficult and complex ailments such as back pain, headaches, and infertility. Drinking just half a bowl can relieve the pain and even lead to pregnancy.

　　The mountaintop of Wangtian Guan is covered with ancient, dense woods. There are more than ten ancient pines with diameters of one meter and heights of 20 meters. Most astonishingly, these ancient pines have smooth trunks without scars, resembling fish-scale golden armor—an absolutely stunning sight.

　　In May each year, the mountains are covered in azaleas as red as the sea. At a glance, a red cloud is nestled among the emerald green bushes. Being there feels like wandering through a fairyland, refreshing the spirit and lifting the heart. Even more widespread are night-blooming cereus flowers covering the hillsides, blooming in August and filling the mountain air with fragrance at night, making those present feel spiritually uplifted and as if floating on air. There are also attractions like the Water Curtain Cave and the Pig God Temple... Wangtian Guan is full of beauty, myths, and poetic charm everywhere you look.

　　Standing at the mountaintop and looking southeast, one can see a mountain that strikingly resembles the head of a giant Buddha, with vividly lifelike facial features and an incredibly realistic appearance. Slightly raised, it seems to gaze kindly toward Wangtian Guan. Looking to the left, below Wangding, there is a hill known as the “Loess Plateau,” spanning about 500 acres with barren land and crisscrossing ravines, truly resembling the Loess Plateau of Northwest China. These peaks and Wangtian Guan complement each other from afar, forming a picturesque and poetic part of our country’s beautiful landscapes.