Yan'an Travel Notes Series (1) - Yan'an Pagoda Hill
Yan'an Pagoda Hill is the symbol of the revolutionary sacred place Yan'an. As soon as you see the pagoda, you think of Yan'an, the Yan River, and Chairman Mao leading the Chinese people in revolution. The famous poet He Jingzhi's well-known verse 'In my dreams I return to Yan'an time and again, holding the Pagoda Hill with both arms' enthusiastically extols the sacred status of Pagoda Hill in the hearts of the Chinese people. On Pagoda Hill, historical relics and modern revolutionary relics are scattered everywhere, complementing each other; the whole mountain is shaded by green trees, with flowers and grass vying for beauty.
The original name of Pagoda Hill is Jialing Mountain. During the reign of Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty, Fan Zhongyan came to Yan'an to be in charge of logistics, finance, and defense. Fan Zhongyan reformed the troop organization and management methods, greatly enhancing combat effectiveness. The Western Xia people said of Fan Zhongyan, 'This fellow has tens of thousands of troops in his belly; he is too tough to deal with.' Later, Mr. Fan left stone inscriptions on Jialing Mountain bearing the words 'Jialing Mountain' and 'Tens of Thousands of Troops in His Belly'.
On the mountain stands a pagoda called Lingshan Temple Pagoda, which is the present nine-story pagoda standing forty-four meters high. This pagoda was built during the Dali era of the Tang Dynasty and was later renovated during the Song and Ming dynasties. It is said that Yan'an city was once very prosperous, but two evil dragons came to cause trouble and harm the people. The Jade Emperor decreed that a nine-story pagoda be built on the mountain to suppress these monsters. Thus came the pagoda and the peace of Yan'an. The plaque on the south side of the pagoda reads 'Towering Above the Azure Sky,' and the one on the north side reads 'Overlooking the Mundane World.' In the past, one could climb the stairs to the top of the pagoda, but now it is no longer allowed; visitors can only tour around the base of the pagoda.
From the visitor center at the foot of the mountain, you can walk up the mountain, sightseeing along the way, and reach the pagoda in over thirty minutes. There is also a sightseeing vehicle that can take you up. Nearby is the newly built Star-Picking Tower, which visitors can also visit.
An important historical site on the mountain is the former site of the 'Yan'an Japanese Workers and Peasants School.' This school was used to reform Japanese prisoners of war, and its principal was Sanzo Nosaka, a Japanese Communist Party member. His former residence can be found at the Zaoyuan Revolutionary Site. The school had a total of 16 cave dwellings and one bungalow. From May 1941, it successively reformed over 900 trainees. At that time, Yan'an's material life was relatively difficult, but judging from the menus, the treatment of these trainees was relatively good. In 1945, Sanzo Nosaka led over 200 trainees back to Japan, thus completing the school's mission.
From Pagoda Hill, you can overlook the entire old Yan'an city, which has three horizontal streets and one vertical street. At the foot of the mountain is the Yan River, over which stands the Yan River Bridge built by the state in the 1970s. It was arranged by Premier Zhou Enlai and is also a landmark of Yan'an.
To further highlight the image of the pagoda, a large-scale light show 'Ode to Yan'an' is played every evening between 8 pm and 9:30 pm, approximately three times, each time lasting fifteen minutes. Under the colorful lights, the pagoda shines brilliantly, becoming a bright pearl of Yan'an city.
Author: Dasong Wanjun, written on September 15, 2020
