Zhushan, Fengcheng, Jiangxi, a little-known paradise, a paradise for hermits from Jiangnan.

Zhushan is one of the four famous mountains in Fengcheng City, Jiangxi Province. It is located in the Zhushan Forest Farm, 30 kilometers southeast of the city, and only more than 50 kilometers away from the provincial capital Nanchang. It is known as "The First Like a Dragon" "The tail is like a dragon's plate, and the belly is empty, a place where treasures can be gathered." Because the mountain was famous for its rich oak trees in ancient times, it was called Qishan, and later evolved into Zhushan.

On July 16, 2018, several of our friends from Nanchang drove to Fengcheng City, and then drove from the city into the Zhushan Forest Farm in Fengcheng. It is understood that Zhushan Forest Farm is a state-owned forest farm in Fengcheng City. It was established in August 1958. It has a total area of ??20 square kilometers and currently has 190 employees. The forestry area is nearly 60,000 acres, mainly composed of fir forests, masson pine forests, and camellia oleifera forests. It is Fengcheng City is one of the main timber producing areas.

It is about a 5-kilometer drive from Zhushan Forest Farm to the main peak, Triangle Mountain. There is a cement road that circles the top of the mountain. It is reported that this road was constructed in 1998 when the forest farm was responsible for the survey and design, and the temple on the mountain invested 90,000 yuan to build a 4.5-kilometer simple road in the mountainous area, allowing tourists to drive to the top of the mountain and avoid the pain of hiking.

After driving to the end, get off the car and walk. You can reach the top of Triangle Mountain in less than 10 minutes. Triangle Mountain is named after its peak is triangular in shape. It borders Fuzhou Linchuan District in the east, and is connected to Zhushan Forest Farm in the south, north and west. The mountains run north-south, 13 kilometers long, 5 kilometers wide, and cover an area of ??41 square kilometers. The main peak is 556.2 meters above sea level.

On the top of the mountain, there was a temple built in ancient times, but it has been abandoned for a long time and cannot be examined. After the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, religious policies were implemented. In the 1980s, religious men and women in Fengcheng City rebuilt a small temple on the top of the mountain and named it "Triangle Mingshan Temple". In recent years, the temple has been expanded and the "Mainxiong Hall" has been built. The temple is divided into three halls, dedicated to various Bodhisattvas and Guanyin. The Buddha Sakyamuni, Samantabhadra, Manjusri and other Bodhisattvas enshrined inside are all carved from a huge camphor tree and covered with gold powder. When we visited, there were no professional monks or nuns in the temple, only a few faithful men and women guarding the temple.

About 20 meters southeast of the temple, there is a square concrete pier measuring point; not far away, there is a huge stone lying flat with a chessboard carved on it, which people call "chessboard stone". About 30 meters northwest of the temple, there is a large mulberry tree, estimated to be more than 20 years old. There are many red ribbons fluttering on the tree, expressing the best wishes of faithful men and women.

There is also a large platform on the mountain. According to legend, Xu Zhi (97-168 AD), a hermit of the Eastern Han Dynasty, also known as Ruzi, once recited poems and books here, hence the name "Ruzi Terrace". Xu Ruzi came from a poor family. He worked hard since he was a child, was eager to learn, and was knowledgeable. Because he was dissatisfied with the eunuch's exclusive power, he finally refused to become an official despite being recruited many times. He was called "Nanzhou (Jiangnan) Gaoshi" at that time. Chen Fan, the prefect of Yuzhang, respected Xu Ruzi's talents and knowledge and liked to talk to him, sometimes staying up all night. He even prepared a bed specially for Xu Ruzi to stay overnight. As soon as he left, the bed was suspended. The writer Wang Bo, one of the "Four Heroes of the Early Tang Dynasty", wrote in the "Preface to Prince Teng's Pavilion" that "there are outstanding people and places, and Xu Ru sits on the bed of Chen Fan". This allusion comes from this. At that time, Xu Ruzi's hometown was Yinxi Village, Baitu Township, less than 3 kilometers north of Zhushan Forest Farm. The village got its name because he lived in seclusion here and was not an official.

There is a small pool next to the Ruzi Terrace. According to legend, Huan Guo (1074-1138), a doctor of Taixue and Confucian scholar in the Song Dynasty, was named Kanghou. He devoted himself to the study of "Spring and Autumn" and wrote thirty volumes of "Chunqiu Biography". In the early Ming Dynasty, this book was designated as the textbook for imperial examinations. Huan Guo once read books and washed inkstones here, hence the name "Ink Washing Pond".

Not far away, there is a natural stone cave under a cliff, about 5 meters deep, 14 meters wide, 4 meters at the highest point and less than 1 meter at the lowest point. It is shaped like a boat. There is a clear spring dripping from the top of the cliff, like a bead curtain, all year round. The water is crystal clear, sweet and delicious. There is a flat in front of the cave entrance and a hut, where an old man lives. There are seven or eight peach trees under the flat. In spring, the peach blossoms bloom like brocade and clouds, so this place is called "Peach Blossom Rock". It is said that there was a small hole in the original peach blossom rock, and white rice flowed out every day, which was only enough for one monk. Later, a mediocre monk wanted to get more rice, so he drilled a hole. As a result, the drill broke, the hole was blocked, and rice could no longer come out.

In addition, there are many scenic spots and cultural landscapes on Zhushan Mountain such as Longze Academy, Catfish Cave, Liushui Stone, Dishui Rock, Zongzi Rock, Yixiantian, Xianren Cave, etc., attracting many people every year. Tourists and cyclists come here for sightseeing.

However, what fascinates us about Zhushan is the natural landscape of retreating into the mountains and forests to find a secluded life. Zhushan, a paradise in the world, is also a paradise for hermits from the south of the Yangtze River. It has nourished and sheltered the souls of many people who were pure, unworldly, and proud.