Xuedou Mountain Scenic Area |
Travel in Zhejiang | |||
Xuedou Mountain scenic area, composed of Xikou Town (xī kǒu zhèn 溪口镇), Xuedou Mountain, and Tingxia Lake (tíng xià hú 亭下湖), is known for its serenity, seclusion, magnificence, and wonderfulness. The major scenic spots include Qianzhang Crag (qiān zhàng yán 千丈岩) with waterfall dascading downhill, Miaogao Terrace (miào gāo tái 妙高台) with tall peaks, Sanyin Pool (sān yǐn tán 三隐潭), Feixue Pavilion (fēi xuě tíng 飞雪亭) and the Xuedou Temple (xuě dòu sì 雪窦寺). Xuedou Temple is located in the center of the Xuedou Mountain. It was constructed during the Tang Dynasty (táng cháo 唐朝). In the early years of Jin Dynasty (jìn cháo 晋朝), the temple was called Waterfall Temple, and in the Song Dynasty (sòng cháo 宋朝), its name was changed to Xuedou Temple. On the gate of the temple there is the stele written by Chiang Kai Shek (jiǎng jiè shí 蒋介石), which read “四明第一山"(sì míng dì yī shān). Entering the gate, there are two ginkgo trees, which were planted during Han Dynasty. The two trees are with different gender. The one on the left is female, while the one on the right is male. It is said that the Maitreya always gave sermon to the Buddhist in the temple. Thus the Xuedou Mountain is regarded as the sites of Maitreya worship. Between the Hall of Heavenly King (tiān wáng diàn 天王殿) and the Great Buddha’s Hall (dà xióng bǎo diàn 大雄宝殿), there is a Maitreya Hall (mí lè bǎo diàn 弥勒宝殿). In front of the Xuedou Temple, there is a waterfall, which is called Xuedou Waterfall (xuě dòu pù bù 雪窦瀑布), or Qianzhang Crag Waterfall (qiān zhàng yán bào bù 千丈岩瀑布). The water of the Milky Spring flows through the Jinjing Pool (jǐn jìng chí 锦镜池) and the Guanshan Bridge (guān shān qiáo 关山桥), pour down at the Qianzhang Crag. From the top of the crag to the pool, the waterfall is 186 meters high. The waterfall was famous as early as in the Song Dynasty. Some poets even wrote poems to praise the Xuedou Waterfall. The Feixue Pavilion opposite to the waterfall is the best location to appreciate the magnificent scene of the Xuedou Waterfall. Climb up the hills northwest of the Feixue Pavilion, you can see the Miaogao Terrace, which is on the verge of the deep valley, and there are lots of ancient pines on the terrace. On the hills north to the terrace, there is the Sanyin Pool, which can be divided into the upper, middle and the lower one. The Tingxia Lake highlights the beauty of the water and mountain oriented landscapes. In 1940s, Chiang Kai-shek brought forward an idea of building a man-made lake around the river wall, but it fizzled on account of the wars. After the founding of new China, the Water Conservancy Bureau selected the location of White Dragon pond as the site for the lake, which is today’s Below Pavilion Lake. The tranquil environment, the natural sights of wooded mountain and the crystal-clear water give you a lot of enjoyment. Xuedou Mountain Scenic Area
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