Third Visit to Xi'an: Making Up for Missed Opportunities

Another chance encounter led to my third journey to Xi'an. On my first two visits, I explored many places, including the Shaanxi History Museum, the Forest of Stone Steles, Huaqing Pool, the Terracotta Warriors, the West Market, the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, and the Ancient City Wall. Further afield, I visited Famen Temple, Taibai Mountain, Jintai Temple, Yuanjia Village, Qianling Mausoleum, the Bronze Museum, Yan'an, the Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum, Red Stone Gorge in Yulin, Zhenbei Tower, Li Zicheng's Palace, and Wanfo Temple. So this time, my main focus was on climbing Mount Hua, seeing the Grand Tang Dynasty Ever-Bright City, paying homage to Xiangji Temple—the ancestral seat of Pure Land Buddhism—and strolling through the Daming Palace ruins.

My first stop was Mount Hua, the Western Sacred Mountain.

Mount Hua, anciently called 'West Mountain' and elegantly known as 'Taihua Mountain,' is one of the Five Great Mountains. Facing the Qinling range to the south and overlooking the Yellow and Wei rivers to the north, it has been praised since ancient times as 'the most precipitous mountain under heaven.' The character '华' in the name 'Zhonghua' (China) derives from Mount Hua, giving it the title 'Root of the Chinese Nation.' Mount Hua is a sacred site of the Quanzhen School, the mainstream Daoist tradition, known as the 'Fourth Grotto-Heaven,' and is also home to the widely worshipped deity Lord Huashan of the West. The mountain boasts 72 half-suspended caves and over 20 Daoist temples, among which Yuquan Temple, Dulong Temple, Dongdao Temple, and Zhenyue Palace are listed as key national Daoist temples. Famous Daoist masters such as Chen Tuan, Hao Datong, and He Yuanxi once lived here.

Due to heavy snow, the north cable car was closed, so I entered via the west route.

I passed through the 'Taihua Scenic Spot' memorial archway. With five bays, six pillars, and five tiers, it stood tall, solemn, and magnificent. On the central pillars was a couplet: 'Scale the heavenly moat, rise smoothly to the clouds, emerge from the void, and leisurely admire the lotus in the Jade Well; / Traverse the open path, lift your head to the red sun, reach the pinnacle, and grandly behold the splendor of Taihua.' The back bore the inscription 'Magnificent Breeze of Mount Hua' in the center, with the same couplet on the side pillars.

A royally commissioned archway bore the inscriptions 'Exalted, Steep, and Supreme' and 'Awe-Inspiring Celestial Might Close at Hand.'

The 'Swordsmanship Contest on Mount Hua' hails from Jin Yong's novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes, telling of how five great martial masters—Huang Yaoshi, Duan Zhixing, Ouyang Feng, Hong Qigong, and Wang Chongyang—fought for the Nine Yin Manual atop Mount Hua for seven days and nights until Wang Chongyang defeated the other four.

Embracing the morning sun, I faced the sunrise;/ With robes billowing, this peak is mine.

Chaoyang Terrace is an excellent spot for watching the sunrise, with the 'Sparrow Hawk Flip' cliffside path nearby. Unfortunately, it was closed due to snow.

The price was reasonable, but payment required cash and a companion. I took up the challenge and found the peril as safe as level ground.

Jintian Palace, on the summit of South Peak, is the most magnificent structure on Mount Hua.

I summited South Peak, the highest point on Mount Hua.

Passing the alchemy furnace, I trudged over to West Peak.

Below Lotus Cave, there is a rock carving reading 'Commanding the Pass and Long Regions.'

Shoushen Cliff was originally called Sheshen Cliff (Cliff of Sacrifice).

The story of Chenxiang splitting the mountain to rescue his mother, from The Lotus Lantern, is set on Mount Hua.

West Peak is covered with numerous rock carvings. Its main peak, Lotus Peak, stands 2,086.6 meters above sea level.

Walking further, I saw a cone-shaped stele with words praising Mount Hua's beauty. Beside it, a sign identified it as Yang Gong Pagoda.

The entrance to the west cable car's upper station lies inside a cave.

From there I went up, passing Middle Peak, East Peak, South Peak, and then West Peak, returning by cable car.

Mount Hua is also where the Yellow Emperor is said to have convened immortals, and it was visited by Emperor Yao four times and Emperor Shun three times. Because of its steepness, most emperors, including Qin Shi Huang and Han Wudi, mainly worshipped it from afar. When Li Bai reached the summit, he exclaimed: 'This mountain is the highest; one's breath seems to connect with the imperial throne. How I regret not bringing Xie Tiao's startling lines to scratch my head and question the blue heavens!' The Song dynasty chancellor Kou Zhun wrote the much-quoted lines: 'Only the sky above, no other mountain equal. / Raise your head, the red sun is near; / Bow your head, white clouds lie low.' I first learned the name Mount Hua and its ruggedness from the film Taking Mount Hua by Strategy, in which our troops broke the myth that 'since ancient times there is but one path up Mount Hua,' launching a surprise attack on the remnant bandits and performing the miracle of divine soldiers leaping across the natural moat and heroes taking Mount Hua by wit.

The weather forecast had predicted overcast skies, yet the day turned out sunny, calm, and windless—I was overjoyed! I regretted that North Peak was closed for maintenance. So I took the west cable car up, an 18-minute ride crossing two mountains to Middle Peak, then went to East Peak, South Peak summit, and finally up West Peak. Middle Peak had nothing particularly special, but I climbed over railings and walked on snow to reach the top of East Peak. What pleased me most was walking the famous Plank Road in the Sky on South Peak. West Peak, with its sheer cliffs, is where the legend of Chenxiang splitting the mountain to save his mother circulates.

My second stop was the Grand Tang Dynasty Ever-Bright City.

The Grand Tang Dynasty Ever-Bright City takes flourishing Tang culture as its background and Tang-style elements as its main theme. It features four major squares—North Giant Wild Goose Pagoda Square, Xuanzang Square, Zhenguan Square, and New Era Creation Square—and four major cultural venues—Xi'an Concert Hall, Shaanxi Opera House, Xi'an Art Museum, and Qujiang Pacific Cinema City. It also displays five major cultural sculpture groups: Tang Buddhist Culture, Tang Dynasty Heroes and Scholars, the Zhenguan Reign, Empress Wu's Procession, and the Kaiyuan Golden Age. It is the top choice for experiencing Tang culture in Xi'an and the only large-scale pedestrian street in the country built with replica Tang architecture against the backdrop of flourishing Tang culture, making it a local landmark.

After finishing my Mount Hua tour just at dusk, I was in perfect time to enjoy the splendor of the Ever-Bright City.

Located at the foot of the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, the Ever-Bright City is vast and dazzling, blending ancient and modern elements in exquisite grandeur. / My heart longs for the history of the ancient capital, / My eyes are amazed by the prosperous Tang breeze, / With one step I travel a thousand years, / In one night I see all the flowers of Chang'an.

The third stop was Xiangji Temple.

Xiangji Temple is the ancestral seat of the Pure Land School, one of the eight major Buddhist schools in China, one of the famous Eight Temples of Fanchuan from the Tang Dynasty, and a nationally protected cultural heritage site. In the second year of Emperor Gaozong's Yonglong era (681 AD), Master Shandao, one of the founders of Pure Land Buddhism, passed away. His disciple Huaiyun built Xiangji Temple and the memorial pagoda for Master Shandao to honor his merits, making Xiangji Temple the first formal monastic center after the establishment of China's Pure Land School.

The temple complex is solemn and orderly, with an elegant environment and a grand scale. The renowned Tang poet Wang Wei praised it in his poem 'Visiting Xiangji Temple': 'Unaware of Xiangji Temple, I walked miles into cloudy peaks. / Ancient trees, pathless for men, deep mountains, whence comes the bell? / A spring's sound chokes on perilous rocks, sunlit hues chill the green pines. / At dusk by the winding, empty pool, serene meditation subdues the poisoned dragon.' The Japanese Pure Land school directly traces its lineage to Shandao, honoring him as patriarch and Xiangji Temple as the ancestral seat. Wang Wei's poem is even included in Japanese elementary textbooks. On May 14, 1980, a grand memorial ceremony marking the 1,300th anniversary of Master Shandao's passing was held at Xiangji Temple by both China and Japan.

Shandao Pagoda was built to commemorate Master Shandao. It is a brick tower in the pavilion style with a square floor plan, originally thirteen stories and now standing at eleven stories. The base is 9.5 meters per side, and the current height is about 33 meters. The entire pagoda is built of grey bricks, with an exceptionally tall first story; the height decreases sharply from the second story upward. The walls feature flat pillars, lintels, and bracket sets. Above the south doorway of the first story is a brick-work plaque inscribed 'Splendid Event of Nirvana' from the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty. This pagoda is of the dense-eaves type, yet its body exhibits characteristics of a pavilion-style structure, making its architectural form unique.

Within Xiangji Temple stand three ancient pagodas—one large and two small. The large one, Chongling Pagoda, was built in memory of Master Shandao. The two smaller ones respectively honor Dharma Master Jingye and the Great Monk Xudong. The temple also houses a Shandao Academy and a library, fragrant and silent. I deliberately entered the Xiangji Temple library to look into its past and present; I moved softly, and it was steeped in quiet fragrance.

I practice Taiji every day, and my boxing society is named Pure Land, because the place we practice is called Pure Land Temple Square. Historically there was a Pure Land Temple here, but for various reasons, only a seven-story pagoda remains. From the fifth story up to the tip, a 20-meter-long nanmu pillar stands at its center. That is why I made a point of paying my respects at Xiangji Temple—because Xiangji Temple is the ancestral seat of the Pure Land School.

The fourth stop was the Daming Palace ruins.

The Daming Palace was the main imperial palace of the great Tang Empire, the political center and national symbol, located on Longshou Plain north of the Tang capital Chang'an (present-day Xi'an). It was the largest among the three main palaces of Tang Chang'an (the 'Three Great Inner Palaces': Daming Palace, Taiji Palace, and Xingqing Palace) and was known as the 'Eastern Inner Palace.' From Emperor Gaozong onward, 17 Tang emperors handled state affairs here over a period of more than 240 years. Daming Palace was the most magnificent palace complex of the Tang Empire and the largest palace complex in the world at that time.

After watching the TV series The Palace of Desire, I developed a keen interest in the stories that unfolded here, which prompted me to visit the Daming Palace ruins.

Taiye Pool, also known as Penglai Pool.

The Xuanwu Gate remains, currently under renovation. The Xuanwu Gate Incident launched by Li Shimin took place at the Xuanwu Gate of Taiji Palace, not here.

Danfeng Welcome Plaza.

The four great ancient capitals of civilization are Rome in Italy, Athens in Greece, Cairo in Egypt, and Xi'an in China. Xi'an, anciently called 'Chang'an' and 'Haojing,' borders the Wei River to the north and the Qinling Mountains to the south, with eight rivers encircling the city. It has witnessed countless rises and falls of emperors and changes of dynasties. The beauties and heroes of the realm have long turned to dust, leaving only sighs in old dreams.

Xi'an, 'since ancient times the land of emperors in Qin,' with its Chang'an moon and Tang Dynasty winds, is a place carrying some of China's most profound memories. Its rich cultural heritage has drawn people's yearnings through the ages. Strolling through the Daming Palace ruins, I felt the heartbeat of history. What attracted me most was that it stands as a vital support for the world's great ancient capitals and the most significant cultural symbol. Daming Palace was the grandest palace complex of the Tang Empire and the largest palace complex in the world at that time, a national symbol of China's golden age. First built in the eighth year of Tang Taizong's Zhenguan reign, it was ultimately destroyed at the end of the Tang Dynasty. How much splendor and dreams have all become stories for history to laugh at!

With the visit to Daming Palace ruins park concluded, this became my farewell trip of 2020.

During this journey, I also savored a great many local delicacies.