The original text and translation of Xu Xiake's travel notes

The original text and translation of Xu Xiake's travel notes are as follows:

Original text: On the fourth day of the lunar month, we arrived at Tangkou at fifteen miles. After five miles, we arrived at Tang Temple and bathed in the soup pool. Holding a stick and looking at Cinnabar Monastery, he climbed up. Ten miles away, go up to Huangnigang. The peaks in the clouds gradually emerged, and gradually fell to the bottom of my staff. Turning into the stone gate, crossing the threat of Tiandu and coming down, the tops of Tiandu and Lotus both appear half way up the sky. There is a Qiqi on the road going up to the east, which is something that has never been seen before. Then it goes straight up, almost reaching the side of Tiandu.

Go north again and walk among the rocks. The stone peaks are picked up piece by piece; the road twists and turns among the rocks. If it is blocked, it will be chiseled, if it is steep, it will be graded, if it is broken, it will be connected by wooden structures, and if it is hanging, it will be connected by planting ladders. Looking down, the steep ravine is dark and gloomy, with maples and pines alternating with five colors, as bright as a picture. I have thought about the wonders of Mount Huangshan in my lifetime, and there are wonders like this. I have never explored them before, so I feel ashamed to travel quickly!

Translation: On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, we traveled fifteen miles to Tangkou. After walking another five miles, we arrived at Tang Temple and bathed in the soup pool. Holding a cane in hand, he looked at the Zhusha Nunnery climbing in the distance. Ten miles later, we boarded Huangnigang. The peaks shrouded in clouds and mist just now gradually emerged and gradually fell under my crutches. Turn into Shimen and cross down from the side of Tiandu Peak, so the two peaks of Tiandu and Lotus stand out beautifully in the sky.

There is a fork in the road going east, which I have never walked before, so I followed the fork straight up, almost to the side of Tiandu Peak. Go north again and walk through the cracks in the rocks. Pieces of stone peaks rise up between the road. The road twists and turns between the stone peaks. The blocked places are cut out, stairs are built in the steep places, wood is built to pass through the broken places, and ladders are placed in the suspended places to connect.

Looking down, the valley is steep and gloomy, with maple trees and pine trees mixed with each other, colorful, as brilliant as pictures and brocades; then I thought that visiting Huangshan should be a wonder in my life, but it is still so strange. I had never explored the scenery before, so it was both a pleasure and a shame to revisit it this time!