Located within the
Five Springs
Mountain at the foot of Gaolan Mountain ,
the Five Springs
Mountain (Wuquan Mountain )
Park is well-known for its tranquil and beautiful scenery with lush forests, gurgling
springs and ancient temples. The park is the largest in Lanzhou ,
occupies 266,400 square meters (2,867,599.56 square feet) on Five Springs
Mountain .
There are always
legends and stories behind beautiful scenic spots in China . Five Springs Park
is no exception. In the Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C.- 24 A .D.), a famous general, Huo Qubing, was dispatched
by the Emperor to go on a punitive expedition to the Hun people, a minority
group who lived in the northwestern part of China at that time. Since the
troops had traveled from Chang'an (now Xian ), General Huo and his soldiers
were exhausted when they arrived at the foot of Gaolan Mountain .
They couldn't find any water nearby, so General Huo forcefully jabbed his
horsewhip five times into the ground. Abruptly five springs spurted water into
the air. Thereafter the locals called the mountain the Five Springs
Mountain . While this
story sounds surreal, the quality and the quantity of the five springs are
true. They have flowed and served the locals for several thousand years. In
1955, it was officially opened as a park. Local authorities added a zoo, an
amusement park for adults and another for children.
The Five Springs
Mountain has been a
famous scenic area since 2,000 years ago, at the top of which a temple was
built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), with a waterfall falling from the west and
east sides of the mountain respectively. The west waterfall and the east
waterfall are commonly called the West Dragon Mouth and the East Dragon Mouth
by the locals.
The Middle Peak
of the Five Springs Mountain ,
the highest point in the park, reaches 1,600 meters (5,294 feet). It serves as
the park axis. Ganlu Spring, Juyue Spring, and Mozi Spring are distributed over
the Middle Peak area. Meng Spring and Hui Spring
are located on either side of Middle
Peak .
When you pass the
Tibetan Buddhism Mani Temple, you will see the first spring, Ganlu Spring, on
the top of the mountain. Ganlu means sweet dew or timely rain in English.
Ancient Chinese emperors and officials often asked the god in charge of
agriculture in heaven to bring rain to assure a harvest in the coming year.
They prayed and offered sacrifices at an altar on the mountaintop. Thus when it
rained, people considered it timely rain or sweet dew.
Juyue Spring is the
most magical one among the five springs because of its unique location. This
spring is in the shape of a well. Ju means to hold something in two hands,
while Yue means the moon. When combined, these two characters mean this spring
could hold the moon in her hands. What a beautiful picture! Especially around
the time of Middle Autumn Day, you can very clearly see the shadow of the moon
reflecting in the spring.
Mozi Spring means
to touch or feel the stone to learn the gender of a fetus. Because a Buddha in
charge of birth is worshiped in the Dizang
Temple near the Mozi
Spring, people believe the Mozi Spring can tell whether it will be a boy or a
girl. The last two springs are located on the two sides of Middle Peak .
The spring on the east side is Meng Spring. It is said that if people use the
water from this spring to make Meng Tea, which is produced on Mt. Meng , Sichuan
Province, the flavor will be extraordinary. The other spring was named Hui
Spring. Hui means benefiting someone. The quantity of Hui Spring was so great
that it even met local water supply needs. Today the flow is less.
The five springs
are not the only tourist magnet. This park is also a famous scenic religious
spot. The natural beauty of the five springs is enhanced by verdant groves while
the temples make it a famous religious destination. The temple fair is held on
the Five Springs Mountain
on April 8th each year, during which the ceremony of washing figures of Buddha,
flower exhibitions and various kinds of cultural activities are available,
attracting thousands of Buddhist devotees each time. Five Springs Park not only
offers visitors a place to relax, but also provides a place to learn about
Buddhism.
For more
information, please visit www.top-chinatour.com
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