Ni Weng Cave

The alarm rang at 6:30, and I got up to wash and go downstairs for breakfast. The B&B provided breakfast at a shop called Zhuangzhuang, which was a bit of a walk away. Not knowing if it was good or not, my nephew and I decided to try any breakfast place we encountered first. If it wasn't enough or we wanted more, we would continue to Zhuangzhuang. We saw a place with a few locals chatting and working around a stove. We asked if they served breakfast and ordered two bowls of wonton soup and two Jinyun pancakes. The dining area was inside, where we could see the household's smelly shoes and various daily items scattered around. This was probably the essence of authentic local life. After eating, we still felt hungry, so we continued to Zhuangzhuang for two sesame balls, a bowl of tofu pudding, and a basket of soup dumplings, which used up our two breakfast vouchers. While waiting, I looked around and saw posters on the wall introducing local foods. The three local delicacies included Jinyun pancakes, Shuang noodles (also called local noodles), and Qiaorou soup. It is said that Jinyun pancakes were invented by an emperor while refining elixirs, and although the emperor ascended to heaven, the pancake recipe was passed down. This legend seems far-fetched, much less believable than the story of an imperial relative inventing tofu during the Han dynasty. After breakfast, we returned to the hotel to rest and checked out at 8:30 to start our day. The first stop was Yandang Book House, which wasn't mentioned in Ctrip's introduction but became a popular spot recently due to online hype. The site was a redesigned and decorated former quarry, grandly named a book house, but there wasn't much to see. Taking photos up and down took only about ten minutes. The second stop was Ni Weng Cave, which was more interesting. Ni Weng was a famous figure from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, known for his talents and strategies. Fan Li used Ni Weng's strategies to help Goujian defeat Wu. The scenic area has a natural stone cave with a stone statue of Ni Weng lying on his side reading a book, accompanied by an engrossed white ape. The nearby stone walls feature inscriptions by famous people from the Tang and Song dynasties, showcasing a rich cultural heritage. There is also a cultural heritage site: Dufeng Academy. The entrance has a couplet in seal script, which reads, 'Dufeng stands firm, the place where the ancients once recited and studied; Xiandu remains intact, scholars today offer fragrant tributes.' If it weren't for the lady at the gate, I wouldn't have been able to guess even three characters. Inside, there was another couplet. I guessed the first two characters on the right side correctly, so I confidently asked the lady if the left side started with 'descendants.' She said it was 'millennia.' I was immediately embarrassed and quickly moved on to another area. Ni Weng's strategies led to hegemony, Confucius' Analects can govern a nation. I fancy myself a cultural traveler, but here I am full of shame. A couplet is just two lines of text, but I could barely guess a few characters. I now believe my reading is insufficient, lamenting half a lifetime in vain.