Golden Turtle Bamboo Path

　　Legend has it that this is an exceptionally auspicious feng shui site. Myriad green bamboo shoots thrive lushly here. When the sun rises, golden rays pierce through the vast bamboo forest, creating a breathtaking and magnificent view that is truly enchanting. Bamboo belongs to the Poaceae family, subfamily Bambusoideae, in the monocotyledonous plants. It has a unique form—not quite grass, not quite tree—its stem is jointed and hollow, neither too soft nor too hard, symbolizing modesty and upward growth.

　　Tortoise Mountain is nestled within the bamboo forest. The bamboo here is called moso bamboo, also known as Maoshan bamboo or Mengzong bamboo.

　　Legend has it that in ancient times, in a certain place, there was a filial son named Meng Zong. His mother fell seriously ill and longed to eat bamboo shoots. It was the middle of winter, yet Meng Zong went to the moso bamboo forest to look for them but found none. He embraced a bamboo stalk and wept, which moved the mountain god. The god pointed at the root of the bamboo, and instantly, the ground split three inches, and a fresh, yellow bamboo shoot emerged. This is the origin of the name “Mengzong bamboo,” which is still used in Japan today.

　　The bamboo in the story of “Meng Zong Weeping for Bamboo” is actually moso bamboo, which is abundantly grown in southern China. Bamboo thrives in tropical, subtropical, and temperate zones, but is less common in frigid regions, with the monsoon areas of Asia being the main distribution center. There are 60 genera and over 600 species of bamboo worldwide. Southern China is a major bamboo-producing region, with 16 genera and over 100 species.

　　In China, bamboo is mainly divided into two categories: one grows at low altitudes or in southern regions, thriving in hot and humid climates. These bamboos grow in clumps with sympodial underground stems, commonly referred to as “clumping bamboo.” The other grows at higher altitudes or in slightly northern areas, more tolerant of cold and favoring moist environments. These bamboos grow singly with monopodial underground stems, commonly known as “single-axis bamboo” or “scattered bamboo.” Moso bamboo belongs to the “scattered bamboo” category. The top bud of the moso bamboo’s underground stem, if not dug out from the soil, is called a winter bamboo shoot. Once it emerges from the soil, it is called a spring bamboo shoot, also known as a moso shoot. After about 70 days, the bamboo shoot can essentially become a full bamboo.

　　The use of bamboo in China can be traced back to prehistoric artifacts. In ancient times, when paper did not exist, characters were written on bamboo strips and then bound into scrolls. As for building houses with moso bamboo, that practice also has a history of over a thousand years. In modern technology, moso bamboo is an excellent raw material for the paper industry—300 tons of bamboo can produce one ton of pulp. Besides being commonly eaten, bamboo shoots can also be made into various dried bamboo shoots and canned products.

　　There is also a saying among the people: “Mountain bamboo shoots—sharp-tipped, thick-skinned, and hollow inside.” This phrase uses the characteristics of bamboo shoots to describe those who are ignorant, unlearned, and shameless.

　　Bamboo possesses an elegant charm and refined beauty, and has been regarded as a treasured plant in gardens since ancient times. The ancients referred to plum blossoms, orchids, chrysanthemums, and bamboo together as the “Four Gentlemen,” and also called “pine, bamboo, and plum” the “Three Friends of Winter.”

　　Su Dongpo praised bamboo in his poem “Ode to Bamboo”: “I would rather eat without meat than live without bamboo. Without meat, one becomes thin; without bamboo, one becomes vulgar.” China is truly a great nation of bamboo culture.