Mount Huaguo, a land of fortune, and the Water Curtain Cave, a heavenly abode
Mount Huaguo is located in the southern foothills of Yuntai Mountain in Lianyungang City, Jiangsu Province. With its 136 peaks, Mount Huaguo's main peak is the Jade Maiden Peak, which stands at 624.4 meters and is the highest peak in Jiangsu Province. The landscape of Mount Huaguo is composed of red granite, with steep mountains and unique shapes. It is a national 5A tourist area and a national geological park. Legend has it that Wu Cheng'en, a native of Huai'an, traveled north by boat, visited Mount Huaguo after passing through the Guan River estuary, and was inspired to create 'Journey to the West'.
'Journey to the West' begins with the following passage: 'In gratitude to Pangu for creating the world, the Three Sovereigns ruled, and the Five Emperors set the moral order. Between heaven and earth, the world was divided into four great continents: Dongsheng Shenzhou, Xiniu Hezhou, Nanshanbu Zhou, and Beijulu Zhou. In Dongsheng Shenzhou, there is a country called Aolai Country. Near the sea, there is a famous mountain called Mount Huaguo. This mountain is the ancestral vein of the ten continents and the dragon source of the three islands. It was established from the separation of clear and turbid elements, and formed after the division of the primordial chaos. At the very top of this mountain, there is a magical stone. Since the beginning of time, it has absorbed the essence of the sun and moon, and after a long time, it gained a spiritual awareness. Inside, it nurtured an immortal embryo, and one day it split open to produce a stone egg, as large as a round ball. Exposed to the wind, it transformed into a stone monkey.
The chaos stone from which Nüwa mended the sky gave birth to Sun Wukong, who became the king of Mount Huaguo and made brothers with the great demons of the demon realm. The eldest brother, the Bull Demon King, was known as the Great Sage Equaling Heaven; the second brother, the Flood Demon King, was known as the Great Sage of the Sea; the third brother, the Peng Demon King, was known as the Great Sage Who Covers Heaven; the fourth brother, the Lion Camel King, was known as the Great Sage Who Moves Mountains; the fifth brother, the Macaque King, was known as the Great Sage Who Penetrates Winds; and the sixth brother, the Yu Ruyi King, was known as the Great Sage Who Drives Gods.
This divine mountain is not only one of the 'Three Immortal Mountains on the Sea' but also the Daoist practice site of the Three Pure Ones. As the 'tail end of the Yellow and Huai Rivers,' the Yuzhou Islands are located on the north side of the estuary of the Yellow and Huai Rivers and bear the important task of suppressing the floods of the Yellow River, which is of extraordinary significance. Mount Huaguo is famous for being the home of the Great Sage Sun Wukong as described in the classic novel 'Journey to the West' and is well-known for the mythological stories of the Monkey King. Since ancient times, Mount Huaguo has been known as 'the number one scenic spot in the East Sea' and 'one of the four great spiritual mountains within the seas,' combining mountains, sea views, historical sites, and myths.
The mountain gate of Mount Huaguo is guarded by four stone-carved lions, reflecting the characteristics of Mount Huaguo: there are no tigers in the mountains, and the monkeys are kings. The stone monkeys around the square are the welcoming monkeys of Mount Huaguo, originally numbering 108, symbolizing the 36 Heavenly Spirits and 72 Earthly Fiends. The plaque on the back of the mountain gate is inscribed with the four characters 'Dongsheng Shenzhou'.
The South Heaven Gate is located above the Bamboo Joint Ridge and to the east of the Wind Gate, backed by steep ridges, strategically situated, and overlooking the Jade Emperor Pavilion and the Sanyuan Palace from afar. In 'Journey to the West', the South Heaven Gate is the outer gate of the Jade Emperor's Lingxiao Hall. Sun Wukong's entry and exit from the heavenly court and his havoc in the heavenly palace all started from the South Heaven Gate. To the south of the South Heaven Gate, there is also an octagonal green stone platform, said to be the marshal platform of the Pagoda-bearing Heavenly King Li Jing. When the hundred thousand heavenly soldiers and generals were ordered to descend to the world to capture Sun Wukong, Li Jing arranged his troops and dispatched his generals here.
The Water Curtain Cave, as a famous spot in Yuntai Mountain, was originally famous for being the place where the Three Pure Ones cultivated their Taoist practices, with the Heavenly Official, the Earthly Official, and the Water Official being its original masters. The Water Curtain Cave is a representative attraction of Mount Huaguo. Long before 'Journey to the West' was written, the Water Curtain Cave was already well-known. It has been vividly described in the 'Thirty-Six Scenic Spots of Yuntai' by Gu Qian of the Ming Dynasty, as well as in travel notes and various local gazetteers by Zhang Chaorui and others. 'Journey to the West' describes: 'A white rainbow rises, a thousand feet of thunderous waves fly. The sea breeze blows incessantly, and the river moon shines and lingers. The cold air divides the green cliffs, and the remaining flow nourishes the green ferns. The murmuring waterfall is truly like a hanging curtain.' The inscription in the Water Curtain Cave in 'Journey to the West' reads 'Mount Huaguo, a land of fortune, and the Water Curtain Cave, a heavenly abode,' which has a profound connection with the 'Mount Wanshou, a land of fortune, and the Five Villages Cave, a heavenly abode' of the ancestor of earthly immortals, Zhenyuanzi.
The cultural landscape of Mount Huaguo has a long history and a rich cultural heritage, with ancient buildings, historical sites, stone carvings, and the traces of literati and poets throughout the ages scattered across the mountain. During the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, temples and pagodas were built here, becoming a bustling Buddhist sacred place. As early as the 30th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Zhu Yijun decreed that the main temple of Mount Huaguo, the Sanyuan Palace, be recognized as a famous mountain monastery. Emperor Kangxi personally inscribed the words 'Commanding the Torrents from Afar' on the main peak of Mount Huaguo, the Jade Maiden Peak, to express his reverence for the divine spirits of Mount Huaguo. Chairman Mao had a deep study of 'Journey to the West' during his lifetime, and the stele now engraved on Mount Huaguo is known as the 'Mao Public Stele'.
Mount Huaguo has distinctive landscape features and a mystical charm. The descriptions in 'Journey to the West' of the Water Curtain Cave and the mythological Nuwa's mending stone left behind, along with various myths and folk tales, integrate the natural and cultural landscapes, complementing each other and forming a unique scenic style.
The rich natural scenery and splendid historical culture, the peculiar landscape features and colorful myths and legends, coupled with the wonderful depiction in the classic novel 'Journey to the West,' endow Mount Huaguo with a magical charm!