Qingyang Xiaokongtong, Dec 14, 2024

When I left the Qingyang Cultural Center, I asked the guard at the door, and she showed me the way to Xiaokongtong. I didn't expect Xiaokongtong to be in the wild behind the center. After entering the archway of Xiaokongtong, I saw a map of the scenic area. Xiaokongtong Scenic Area is located in the hinterland of Dongzhiyuan, the world's first loess plateau. The scenic area is surrounded by gullies on three sides, and the mountains are steep. The winding and narrow East Gully and West Gully are like the two wings of a phoenix, the ridge in the middle is like the body of a phoenix, and the Guanyin Pavilion at the arrowhead is like the head of a phoenix. Therefore, Xiaokongtong Scenic Area is also called Phoenix Mountain. There are cliffs on both sides of the mountain road, and you can hear the sound of spring water flowing at the bottom of the gully. There are various Buddhist temples and Taoist temples along the way, making it a religious holy place where Buddhism and Taoism coexist in Longdong. It is now a national 3A-level scenic spot. It is said that Xiaokongtong is the sister mountain of Pingliang Kongtong Mountain. When someone went to Pingliang Kongtong Mountain to worship, they couldn't make it, so they simply built Buddhist temples and Taoist temples here in Qingyang Xiaokongtong. The weather is very nice today. The sun is shining on me, and I feel warm in the cold winter wind. I walked along the main road of the scenic area to a corridor with a stele of Yue Fei's "Man Jiang Hong". There is a parking lot here, and further ahead is the ridge of Xiaokongtong Phoenix Mountain, where cars can no longer enter. There is no one in the scenic area today, and I have it all to myself. Along the way, I can see some small Lingguan Halls and Maitreya Halls from time to time. There is also a hall commemorating Jie Zitui, which is a small adobe house. At the end of the road, you can see a bluestone pavilion with a stone tablet inscribed with "Hometown of Qibo". Further ahead are some large-scale Taoist temples and Buddhist temples, such as Foguang Temple and Qingyang Performance Stage. The temple fair on March 3 every year is particularly lively here. After passing these temples and Taoist temples, you can see a tall Maitreya Buddha sitting on a platform. Behind the Maitreya Buddha is a small mountain path leading to the Guanyin Pavilion at the end.