Nantong Langshan

Langshan Mountain, known as the "No. 1 Mountain between Rivers and Seas", is also a beautiful business card of Nantong. The last time I climbed Wolf Mountain was in early 1982, when I saw off my classmates who were assigned to Qinghai. In a blink of an eye, 43 years have passed. When I came to Langshan again in the early years of the Yi Si year, I could enter the park for free, haha! But my spirits remain the same. I climbed up to the Grand View Terrace in one breath and looked down at the mighty Yangtze River flowing into the sea. I could still feel the heroic spirit of "being in the prime of life and full of vigor and determination" back then, and I could also appreciate the heroic spirit of the ancients: "A long whistle echoed in the mountains and valleys, and when I looked up, I saw the vast sea and sky"! Langshan Faru Hall was originally the "Main Hall" of Guangjiao Temple. However, it does not have the traditional Eighteen Arhats, but instead has huge tile murals of eighteen famous monks since the Eastern Han Dynasty, created by Fan Zeng, which are quite creative and artistic. Faju Temple, next to Faru Hall, is the ancestral home of the modern eminent monk Master Shengyan. He was from Nantong, where he became a monk at the age of thirteen. He went to Japan for further studies and became the first doctoral novice monk. He later founded the Chinese Zen Dharma Drum School, and Jet Li, Brigitte Lin, and Ma Ying-jeou were all taught by him. Hanging in the nunnery is a collection of the monk's "108 Sayings of Freedom", including "The way for people to get along with each other requires communication. If communication fails, then compromise. If compromise fails, then forgive and tolerate him", "Good people are not lonely, kind people are the happiest", and "Compassion has no enemies, and wisdom does not cause troubles". Careful savoring will deeply feel the master's wisdom and the profoundness of Zen. The northern side of Langshan Mountain has unique rocks and steep cliffs with many cliff carvings. The stream below the cliff meanders and there is Qian Garden next to the water, inside which there are "Zhao Hui Chen Xiu Zhi Lou" and "Lin Xi Jing She" built by Zhang Jian. The path in the forest is winding, with dozens of stone calligraphy carvings on each side, which is very interesting for visitors to appreciate while walking. After going down the mountain, we also tasted the famous Langshan delicacy "Zilang Plain Noodles". There is a giant camphor tree in Shannan Garden, with ten huge trunks standing side by side. Banqiao named it "Ten Fingers Forming a Forest", which is a real wonder! That night, we took a night cruise on the Hao River, where both banks were bright and colorful.