Penglai Brush Blooms Like a Flower

　　Introduction       Known as “Penglai Brush Blooms Like a Flower,” also called Brush Peak, this scenic spot is located in the eastern-northern part of Huangshan Mountain, within the Sanhua Valley on the right side of Beihai Hotel, near Brush Rack Peak, and is one of the famous views of Huangshan. In the midst of a sea of pine trees, a stone juts out, standing upright against the sky, round at the base and pointed at the top, resembling a calligrapher’s brush. At the tip of the peak, growing in a crevice of the rock, is an ancient pine tree with a peculiar and twisted form, its green canopy forming a dense mass that looks like a blooming flower. Beneath the peak lies a uniquely shaped rock that resembles a person lying asleep, which led visitors to name this sight “Penglai Brush Blooms Like a Flower.” It is one of the iconic views of Huangshan. The Qing dynasty poet Xiang Fu once praised it in a poem: “The rugged stone has a truly unique presence; the coiling pines weave a verdant brocade across the clouds. Nature’s own flowering brush has painted every wondrous peak into the landscape.”

　　The legend of “Penglai Brush Blooms Like a Flower” is, in all versions, connected to Li Bai. According to *Tales from the Kaiyuan and Tianbao Eras*, Li Bai once dreamed of a giant brush standing upright amid a deep mountain forest of pines, piercing the clouds, with a flower blossoming at its tip. Later, when Li Bai traveled through famous mountains and arrived here, he was struck by the sight of Brush Peak and exclaimed in amazement, “So the magical brush and flower from my dream are really here!” Another version tells that during the day, Li Bai visited Beihai and met with the elder monk of the Lion Grove Monastery. The two conversed freely and joyfully. After drinking wine, Li Bai, to express his gratitude, left behind a piece of calligraphy. Once finished, he tossed the brush aside and departed in a carefree manner. The brush then transformed on the spot into a wondrous peak, with the brush tip turning into a tree, thus creating the view known as “Penglai Brush Blooms Like a Flower.”

　　 Huangshan City, Anhui Province