The Elegant Silent World -- The Welcoming Pine of Mount Huangshan

Getting off the cable car, the view suddenly opened up before us. From the foot of the mountain we had seen lush green jungle scenery, but here, only halfway up, we were already greeted by fantastic rocks vying for beauty, extraordinary pines standing in abundance, facing emptiness on three sides with thousand-zhang cliffs. Couldn't help but feel full of anticipation for the upcoming two-day journey.

Thus we walked and looked, and before we knew it, we arrived at the Welcoming Pine, the iconic landmark of Mount Huangshan! The Welcoming Pine grew out of a crack in the rock, with one side's branches stretching out. It is said to be like a person extending an arm to welcome guests from afar—no exaggeration at all. Moreover, its posture was so dignified and graceful. But the Welcoming Pine is best viewed from a distance; by no means should you approach it for a close look.

Not to mention the so-called best photo spot, where the noise was deafening, people packed shoulder to shoulder, elbow to elbow—comparable to Wangfujing in Beijing or Huaihai Road in Shanghai. Not to mention the crowds from all directions who would queue for ten minutes just to capture a beautiful photo, pushing and shoving, making a great commotion. Just seeing the many so-called celebrity inscriptions on the cliff—phrases like "The land is so rich in beauty" and "Wonderland"—was enough to ruin my appetite. I couldn't tell if the calligraphy was as free and elegant as the Welcoming Pine; I only knew that being a celebrity is good—you can casually scribble in full view and have countless people applauding.

So I avoided the crowd and walked straight to the cliff edge. It was originally not allowed to climb, but in order to avoid the dense sea of heads and to see a different view, I had to do what others wouldn't. The rocks had been washed very clean by day after day of rain; the rough surface made climbing easy. Eagles perched on the cliff above. Before me was Tiandu Peak, appearing and disappearing in the clouds and mist. Below my feet, tour group after tour group kept passing by.

Still it was bustling and noisy. It seemed that in such an iconic scenic spot, there could never be a moment of peace! Just as I was sighing, suddenly everything around quieted down. Had the tourists disappeared? How could that be? Surprised, I looked down and saw that there were still many people crowded in the small space, but this was a very special tour group—a silent tour group.

These deaf-mute friends—probably students from some school—their eyes wide open, expressions both surprised and delighted. They kept gesturing to tell their friends about their emotions and joy. Because they couldn't express with sound, their expressions were even richer—all their feelings and sensations written on their faces. Although I didn't know what they were saying, their expressions told me they were happy. They signed skillfully and fluently, constantly using thumbs-up or lightly tapping their foreheads to express inner excitement. Some even made prayer gestures with sign language; their devout movements and expressions made people feel their gratitude and contentment for what was before them. They took turns having their photos taken in front of Tiandu Peak, forever preserving their smiling faces in this happy moment.

The surroundings quieted down because of them. It turned out that peace is everywhere; the key is one's heart. At that moment, looking again at Tiandu Peak shrouded in clouds and mist, the feeling was completely different. When the mist came, wind stirred up waves; when the mist left, it drifted ethereally. When the mist was thick, it covered myriad beauties like a curtain; when it was thin, it draped a flowing garment over the mountains and rivers like a veil. It was like a Chinese ink wash painting—a splash-ink painting—free of the ostentatiousness of ordinary landscape paintings, rendered only in diluted ink, subtle and rich in flavor, with a clear, desolate, and elegant artistic conception. No matter how I looked at it, there was miraculous change within it! No matter how I looked at it, there was change within the miraculous!!

All sounds faded away. Compared with what was before me, all worldly clamor was so insignificant.