Travel Notes | Wudang Mountain, one of the four famous Taoist mountains! Emperor Zhenwu’s dojo! Grandmaster Zhang Sanfeng ascended to immortality!

When it comes to Wudang Mountain, it is not the highest mountain I have ever been to, it is not the mountain with the most beautiful scenery, nor is it the mountain with the most comfortable magnetic field I have ever been to, but it must be the Taoist fairy mountain with the purest faith that I have ever walked through. …

Wudang Fairy Mountain, Zhenwu Emperor’s Dojo

There is only one belief in the entire Wudang Mountain, and that is Emperor Zhenwu! In the Taoist scriptures, he is called "the Holy Emperor who suppresses the Heavenly Martial Spirit and should bless him", or "Emperor Zhenwu" for short. Among the people, he is known as the Dangmo Tianzun, the Patriarch of Repaying Favor, and the Patriarch of Pifa. After the Ming Dynasty, it had a great influence across the country, and folk beliefs were particularly common in modern times.

According to "The Great Sage Xuantian Zhenwu Ben Chuan Shen Mantra" records, Xuanwu is the 82nd incarnation of Taishang Laojun. He practiced in Wudang Mountain for 42 years, achieved full success, ascended to heaven and became a god, and was named "" by the Jade Emperor. Xuantian God" and so on guard the north. Therefore, Wudang Mountain is revered by Taoism as the holy land for cultivation of Xuantian God.

Wudang Mountain, one of the four famous Taoist mountains

There are four famous mountains in Taoism, namely : Qiyun Mountain in Anhui, Wudang Mountain in Hubei, Qingcheng Mountain in Sichuan, and Longhu Mountain in Jiangxi. Wudang is one of the four great immortal mountains. Since the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, countless Taoist masters have gathered in the mountain to practice alchemy and fasting.

During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Li Tang claimed to be a descendant of Laozi and supported and worshiped Taoism, making it the first of the three religions. Wudang Mountain is even listed as the ninth blessed place among the seventy-two blessed places of Taoism. The Taoist status of Wudang Mountain has been greatly improved.

In the Song and Yuan Dynasties, Wudang Mountain was at its peak, and rulers strongly praised and promoted Wudang Zhenwu God ; Wudang Mountain became an important dojo for the emperors of the Yuan Dynasty"to pray to heaven and celebrate their birthdays"; making Wudang Mountain as famous as Longhu Mountain, the ancestral home of Zhengyi Sect.

By the Ming Dynasty, Wudang Mountain had been supported by the emperor as "the royal family temple", and the Wudang Zhenwu God was regarded as "the god who protects the country" came to worship, and the status of Wudang Mountain was elevated to " The best fairy mountain in the world " , ranking above the five mountains, and became the center of Taoist activities in the country, which lasted for more than 200 years. Peak situation.

Until the Qing Dynasty, because the imperial court believed in Buddhism, Taoism declined, and the Wudang lineage also declined. It was not until the opening of New China that it slowly recovered.

Wudang Clan was promoted by Zhang Sanfeng

When mentioning Wudang, one has to think of the Wudang Clan, and naturally the founder – Zhang Sanfeng comes to mind. There are simply too many legends about him. Tai Chi and Tai Chi Sword are both famous far and wide. Even children can have some fun. But the real Tai Chi advocates the use of stillness to stop the movement, and integrates Taoist inner alchemy training, inaction, tranquility, softness, and nature into martial arts. It is a fusion of inner alchemy, Qigong, and martial arts.

Patriarch Sanfeng was a native of Liaoning, that is, from the Northeast. He became a monk in the Northeast when he was young and became famous in the South. It is said that Patriarch Sanfeng was the last Patriarch recorded in history to ascend to immortality. I don’t know whether it is true or not…

Crow, the sacred bird of Wudang Mountain

When it comes to crows, everyone can think of a lot of bad death and bad luck waiting for them. But in Wudang Mountain, the crow has the title of "divine bird". There has always been a legend in Wudang Mountain that "Xuanwu cultivates Taoism and is guided by crows". It tells that Emperor Zhenwu came here to practice and got lost halfway. Fortunately, he was guided by crows. Later, Zhenwu achieved enlightenment and named crows as sacred birds.

At the Nanyan Palace of Wudang Mountain, there is a scenic spot called Crow Ridge. Friends who are interested can go and have a look.

How to get to Wudang Mountain?

1. High-speed rail: Yes, the Wudang-Shanxi high-speed rail station is open! It only takes less than 3 hours from Hankou to Wudang Shanxi. After getting off the train, there is a car that goes directly to the foot of Wudang Mountain

2. Airplane: Buy an airplane in Shiyan directly! Then go to Shiyan City and catch a bus to Wudang Mountain

How many days to spend in Wudang Mountain?

It is recommended to stay for 2 days, preferably one night halfway up the mountain. In this way, we can visit some scenic spots at the foot of the mountain on the first day, and then directly climb Wudang Golden Summit on the second day.

PS: The itinerary on the first day is relatively easy, and there is a bus; on the second day, you can choose the cable car or pure climbing (it takes about 3 hours to reach the Golden Summit by pure climbing)

Where to live in Wudang Mountain?

There are places to stay near Nanyan. Book in advance during the peak season and look for them later in the off-season.

Day1 The bus goes up the mountain and must go to Zixiao Palace

When I went to Wudang Mountain that year, no one from Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai accompanied me. Instead, three friends from Northwest China came from Xi’an to climb together. After buying tickets and entering the mountain, we followed the bus through several scenic spots and played a bit. Because I have been here for a long time, the most impressive thing is a hermitage and Zixiao Palace.

I can't remember the name of that secret place that seemed like a hermit's retreat. I just remember that it was a lake, a wooden bridge, and a small wooden house in the middle of the lake. When I got closer, I realized that this was the filming location for the scene of Hu Qingniu, the medical fairy in Butterfly Valley, in "The Legend of Heaven and the Dragon Slayer".

The Zixiao Palace is the largest palace in the lower half of Wudang Mountain️. The architecture of the Ming Dynasty has been preserved to this day. The Taoist temple is very large, and there are many masters practicing in the temple. I entered the Taoist temple, worshiped various gods and ancestors, and then came to the Sanqing Hall. It turned out that the Sanqing Hall was under repair, and the Taoist priest drove me away without even raising his head.

That night, we stayed halfway up the mountain, eating wild vegetables from the mountain, and staying in a small hotel with a simple but extremely warm environment. The four of us slept soundly.

Day2 Climb all the way to Wudang Golden Summit

Encountering a stone cave on the road, I think it is the place with the best magnetic field in the mountain.

Early the next morning, the innkeeper’s wife showed us the way up the mountain. This day is the real test. There is no ropeway, so you can only climb up step by step. One-day gate, two-day gate, three-day gate... They are all endless steps. I took the lead and rushed forward alone. It is very difficult to walk up and down the mountain road. Because when climbing a mountain, the biggest fear is the downhill slope, because the way down will be doubled sooner or later!

On the second day of the trip to Wudang Mountain, you will find that Emperor Zhenwu is really the only belief in the entire mountain. There are temples of Emperor Zhenwu everywhere. I carry two sticks of incense on my back and I must worship at every temple and offer incense. But in the entire Wudang Mountains, I have worshiped Emperor Zhenwu countless times. There is only one statue of Zhenwu in a cave halfway up the mountain. I think it is the most effective and the magnetic field is the most comfortable. This cave is quite hidden. If you are lucky enough, you can go look for it.

Climb all the way to Wudang Golden Summit. The Taoist priest in the temple is very spiritual, but unfortunately there are too many lay people, and the spiritual energy on the top of the mountain has been washed away. However, I also regretted my trip to Wudang Mountain and took the conventional route. A friend of mine walked on a small road and came across a village in the mountains. There were nearly 20 people in the village, practicing and living in seclusion in the mountains. I want to meet them by chance.