The immortal place I'm going to share with you today has a cool breeze blowing from the mountains, cliff swings that don't require long lines of waiting, ultra fast high-altitude zip lines, and adrenaline pumping jungle Hida.

This place is Wanshou Mountain, located in Shizhu County, not far from the main urban area of Chongqing. It takes only 1.2 hours by high-speed rail to reach Shizhu Station. There are renowned Huangshui National Forest Park and Qianye Grassland here, and I firmly believe that Wanshou Mountain Scenic Area will become the third shining business card of Shizhu Tourism.

Wanshou Mountain is a historical and cultural scenic spot mainly built by Qin Liangyu during the Ming Dynasty to defend against enemies. The mountain top covers an area of 2000 square meters, with a highest elevation of 1490 meters. The trees in the mountains are lush and green, resembling a magical forest in fairy tales. When the weather is clear, the sunshine falls on the grasslands and forests, and the occasional dazzling light illuminates the memories of a summer.

At this season, the weather is unpredictable, and the sky after rain is particularly clear. Cotton candy like clouds flutter their wings and wander in the deep blue sky, giving the illusion that they can touch the clouds on the mountain with just a lift of their hand. Originally, every place close to the sky can give people a sense of emptiness and beauty.

The original name of Wanshou Mountain was Taiping Mountain. There are various opinions about the reason for the name change, but my favorite one is the following: there is a folk tradition that Taiping Mountain is rich in water and soil, has a pleasant climate, abundant crops, and people live and work here. Most of the people here are long-lived, and there are at least ten centenarians in a small village, so Taiping Mountain was renamed Wanshou Mountain. However, good feng shui and Changshou Village are just embellishments, and the most noteworthy one here is a woman, a female general who has experienced hundreds of battles and achieved great military achievements - Qin Liangyu.

Throughout history, Mulan, who served her father in the army, Mu Guiying, who broke through the Tianmen Formation, and Yu Taijun, who was in charge at the age of 100, have had an unparalleled aura of women that will last forever. However, upon closer reflection, one cannot help but feel a bit puzzled. Most of the great deeds of these female heroes stem from literary works or folk legends, with no documented historical records. Qin Liangyu, on the other hand, is the only female hero in Chinese history who has been independently recorded and included in the "Biographies of Generals" instead of the "Biographies of Heroic Women". This stone pillar female hero, Qin Liangyu, who has been recorded in history, was honored as a marquis with her outstanding military achievements, which is truly admirable~

Walking on the tree lined path of Wanshou Mountain, every step up the stairs feels like approaching those scattered histories step by step. Walk along the path Qin Liangyu has walked, speculate on what Qin Liangyu has done, feel the clear military discipline and rules here, and the stirring atmosphere of the flames and smoke. Of course, there are not only cultural relics here, but also magnificent natural scenery and diverse forest entertainment.

From the observation deck, it can be seen that the mountains and clouds are intertwined, and the distant high and low mountains are mixed with light shining from the clouds. Although it is dark, it is a vivid ink splashed landscape painting. If you're lucky, you can still see the vast sea of clouds in the morning or evening. I was at the height of the sun, regretfully brushing past the sea of clouds. As one of the "Eight Scenic Spots of Stone Pillars", Wanli Cloud Sea will only meet again next time!

Female Generals Go to War

The sculpture 'Female Generals on Expedition' was built on the site of the Qin Liangyu Dianjiangtai site, depicting the scene of Qin Liangyu leading the White Pole soldiers on a campaign. Qin Liangyu was originally from Zhongxian County and married Ma Qiancheng, the pacification envoy of Shizhu Tusi, through a martial arts competition. Although Qin Liangyu was of the female generation, she was also skilled in both literature and martial arts, with both talent and appearance. She persuaded her husband, "A man should be a tree of honor for thousands of miles, and be used as a sitting guard?" So the couple worked together and trained a white spear weapon called the "White Spear" at Shizhu. After her husband passed away, according to the chieftain's system of "if the husband dies, the son will inherit, and if the son is young, the wife will inherit", Qin Liangyu inherited the position of Shizhu Xuanfu Envoy, which later became a famous story for his outstanding military achievements.

Love over Magpie Bridge

This magpie bridge is not the one in the story of Cowherd and Weaver Girl, but it also has the same profound meaning. On this magpie bridge, there is the most beautiful perspective to admire the male and female stone pillars, which not only allows you to see the whole picture, but also appreciate its artistic conception. There is also a touching legend about this. The male protagonist of the story is named Lan Qingtian, also known as Lan Zhuzi, while the female protagonist is Chang'e's sister in the sky. This is a love story between immortals and mortals that was not approved by the Jade Emperor. In the end, it did not yield good results and was turned into two stones by the enraged Jade Emperor, separated on the north and south sides of Mount Wanshou, preventing them from meeting each other!

The photos taken on the Magpie Bridge are quite beautiful, with the embellishment of blue sky and white clouds, making it easy to take pictures. Since ancient times, Magpie Bridge has been filled with high hopes for beautiful love. If a lover comes here together, why not leave a vision of love here, hoping to win the hearts of one person and never part ways. Like male and female stone pillars, love is stronger than gold and fearless of obstruction.

[Xiema Terrace]

Xiematai is an ancient and charming transit station outside Wanshou Village. Due to the steep cliffs surrounding Wanshou Village, horses and supplies cannot be directly transported to the village. Therefore, the grain and forage transported from the Tusi Mansion can only transit here, making it a place for storing grain and resting horses.

In ancient times, if soldiers or friends visited, they would also tie their horses to this place and hike into Wanshou Village. The pavilion you see now was restored on the original site, which existed many years ago. It can be seen that every stone slab and every inch of land under our feet exudes a strong historical atmosphere.

Zhuma Beacon Tower

At the most spacious and flat area on the top of Wanshou Mountain, there is the largest observation platform in the scenic area, the Zhuma Beacon Tower. If you want to experience the magnificence of "seeing all the mountains at a glance", you must come to this observation deck. In addition to being able to fully appreciate the beauty of Wanshou Mountain, there is also a stone beacon tower, which is also the first sentry post of Wanshou Military Fortress. If any enemy situation is discovered at Maguan, the soldiers stationed at the beacon tower will light the smoke and signal to remind the soldiers of the fortress to prepare for battle.

Qianzhaimen Site

The ruins of the front gate of Wanshou Fort are also the most important defensive gate. I don't understand military strategy, but I know this place looks great for taking photos. Whether from the outside in or inside out, it's an excellent filming location. The framed scenery is filled with beauty, with blue skies and white clouds, green bamboo leaves, ancient city walls, and mottled inscriptions, all perfectly combined~

The three words' Wanshou Village 'on the stone were personally inscribed by Qin Liangyu. Although the time has passed and the handwriting is blurry, there is still a place of turbulent years to look back on. A woman who can command soldiers and make repeated military achievements in ancient times is by no means simple.

The statue of Shakyamuni Buddha

The statue of Shakyamuni Buddha was carved during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties.

The statue of Shanwang was carved in the Ming Dynasty. Shizhu is mainly inhabited by the Tujia ethnic group. The Tujia people believe that the Mountain King is in charge of wild animals and birds, so they worship the Mountain God before and after hunting. Some villages even have temple fairs to compete with the Mountain God, which are very lively. And the villagers' offerings are also burning incense and offering oil!

It is said that the Buddha statues here are highly spiritual and responsive to every request. If you have any wish to fulfill, why not light a stick of incense and make a wish like a Buddha's wish? After all, if you never forget it, there will always be a response. Sincerity is the key, attitude is essential!

【 General's Mansion 】

After walking along this section of bluestone road, the General's Mansion is faintly visible in the jungle. According to legend, after Qin Liangyu returned from his visit to the capital, he worked on farming and mining to develop production, while also organizing his army and practicing martial arts, ensuring that the people could live and work in peace and contentment. She was revered as the "Great Wall of Women" by the local people and deeply loved by them.

The Shuaifu used to be the military command center for the White Pole soldiers stationed at Wanshouzhai, under the leadership of the Shi Shi chieftain. The Qin Liangyu Shuaifu has a width of five rooms, with one floor and one bottom. It is a traditional wooden building from the Ming Dynasty with a beam lifting and head piercing structure. It was restored based on historical records. In front of the Shuaifu, there are some sites such as the General's Platform, Flag Platform, and Training Ground. The Shuaifu displays and exhibits the life and related cultural relics of the heroic woman Qin Liangyu.

Nowadays, Wanshouzhai has already smoothed out the sharp edges of its golden age and iron horses, and replaced them with a fresh painting style of peaceful time and forest like scenery everywhere. On weekends, there are more people going up the mountain to escape the heat and cool off. The fragrance of wine is not afraid of deep alleys, and the beauty of Wanshou Mountain will eventually be known to more and more people.

Male stone pillar

It is said that Shizhu County is named after the male stone pillar. The male stone pillar is about 100 meters high, which looks like a tall, bearded and beautiful man from all angles. It is very magical. Together with the Monty Python Peak in Mount Sanqing in Jiangxi Province, a stick of incense in Enshi in Hubei Province, and the Yangyuan Stone in Danxia Mountain in Guangdong Province, it is called the "Four Pillar Peak Wonders in China".

The male stone pillar is also a geographical indication of Shizhu County and one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Shizhu. It is referred to by literati as the "towering stone pillar". Even Guo Moruo has written the four words' The stone pillar is towering above the sky '!

Shouxian Zen Path

The Shouxian Zen Taoist scenic spot consists of the Ascending Cloud Ladder, Immortal Cave, Immortal Path, Zen Path, and Shouxian Tower. Here, one can experience the rich traditional culture of the integration of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism.

It is said that after Qin Liangyu built Wanshou Stronghold, he prayed for the safety of the military stronghold. He invited craftsmen to carve many stone statues in the natural cave on the cliff, including Sakyamuni, the Eighteen Arhat and Taoist immortals. Among them, the Xianren Cave is the most magical. Due to long-term weathering, the natural stone patterns on the walls of this natural cave have formed large "Xianren" characters. However, these two characters are only visible to those with deep merit and are mysterious.

And the statue of the birthday star in front of us is 15.8 meters high, making it the tallest birthday star statue in the southwest region. Shouxing is the god of longevity in ancient mythology, as well as a deity in Taoism, and is the foremost of the three stars of happiness, fortune, and longevity. Friends who come, remember to pray for health and longevity in front of the birthday star.

[Internet celebrity swing]

Ordovician is considered the internet famous pioneer of cliff swings, and the high-altitude swing that exploded overnight can also be checked in here! Two small swings and one large swing, the larger one is not much different from the Ordovician period, while the two small swings are really challenging. After all, there are protective measures in front and behind the large swing, and you can sit on it and shape it freely; The small swing relies entirely on the hips and legs for balance, and arm strength is also important.

The older a person gets, the more timid they become, and they will think twice about any potentially dangerous behavior. To be honest, I didn't go to play on the popular swings of the Ordovician period because the high-altitude hollow bridge in the first ring made me nervous, and I watched others play in all subsequent stages. So, this time on Mount Wanshou, I mustered up the courage to experience both swings.

The scariest thing about the big swing is the moment it falls from a high altitude. Suddenly, my heart tightens and I feel a little nervous. Then I get used to it and can open my eyes to enjoy the beautiful scenery from a high altitude. The feeling of flying in the clouds is really enjoyable, as if all my cowardice is gone and all my troubles are forgotten. No wonder many people are asking for another time!

In fact, cliff swing is not a modern extreme excitement sport. Qin Liangyu used this method to train white pole soldiers and exercise their courage. It is said that he was afraid of the former's 20 stick punishment. Of course, not everyone can sit on this 8-meter cliff swing. The age requirement is 16-50 years old, without hypertension, heart disease or other diseases, and only tourists weighing less than 180 pounds can play.

[zip line]

The challenge of zip line is not too difficult, I easily cleared it. The protective measures are in place, and once you sit up, you can release your hands. You can open your eyes to see the scenery under your feet, or close your eyes to listen to the whispers of the wind in your ears.

Sitting on a zip line once will make you deeply understand the simple and rough truth of 'you can get through it with your eyes closed'. Nothing can stop you, the dream of flying freely!

Feilada

I have experienced a small part of the Feilada project in Dahongshan, Suizhou before. As long as I am not afraid of heights, the Rainbow Bridge is basically not difficult. And rock climbing is the real test of a person. We decided to give up when we first started climbing because the initial difficulty was high, and climbing required relying on arm strength to lift our weight. I had no advantage in this stage.

However, the coach didn't give us a chance to give up and helped us get to the first level. He didn't let us get off halfway and forced us to complete the entire journey. It also made me deeply realize that there are some things that I thought we couldn't do, as long as I force myself, we can also come to a perfect end. Human potential is infinite, and Feilada is such a movement that inspires potential. Play once, see your own strength clearly, many things we can actually do~

If there is a chance, invite three or five friends to come to Wanshou Mountain for a walk. Inhale oxygen in the mountain, sit on the swing and climb rock, sway on the Rainbow Bridge, drink water in Wanshou Spring, bow in front of Shouxian, and make your weekend colorful!

The reason why Wanshou Mountain is favored by me is closely related to the relaxation I find here. The pleasure of traveling around is to completely break free from the shackles, and to discover a different version of oneself while feeling joy. Isn't it beautiful~