《武当纪胜集》

Wudang Jisheng Ji (Collection of Wudang's Scenic Wonders, a poetry collection describing the scenic sites of Mount Wudang)

Composed by Luo Tingzhen, the Woodcutter of Yunlu in Longxing Circuit

First Poem: Woodcutter's Song

I climb the mountain to gather firewood and come from afar to Mount Taihe (another name for Mount Wudang), a place that seems like the cavern dwelling of immortals. The peaks rise nearly to the ninth heaven, and amid the wind and dew the palaces of Heaven seem close at hand; Heaven and Earth endure for ten thousand ages, and the white clouds among the mountains seem to stretch on without end.

I wander at leisure on the heights beneath the moonlight, then walk back and forth along the mountain paths, as though every step accorded with the heart of Heaven. This is a place of joy, where Heaven and Earth seem uncommonly vast; within it, one forgets that the dusty world still lies beyond.

Second Poem

Everywhere under Heaven there are grotto-heavens and blessed lands (in Daoism, the dwellings of immortals and realms of blessing), yet Wudang is the seat of the Northern Emperor (the Daoist deity of the north), and from all four directions people come to pay homage as if gathering around the Pole Star. Wudang's majesty is resplendent, linked with Genyue; the Great Peak towers high, as if pressing down upon the earth.

The sage's transforming influence is boundless, as though one dwelt in the Golden Palace (the palace of the immortals); the highest Shenxiao (the Divine Empyrean, a Daoist celestial realm) shines in harmony with Yuxu (the Jade Void, a dwelling of the immortals). Wind and clouds gather, the sun and moon shine down, and it is the time of a grand gathering of immortals; I am fortunate to stand among those burning incense and offering prayers, as if set upon rosy clouds.

Boundary Mountain

The steps of those who walk in the mountains seem unlike those of ordinary people, rather like the immortals of Heaven. Entering the territory of Junyang (the area of present-day Junxian in Hubei), one seems to step onto a cloud-road leading to Heaven. Here there is a naturally drifting immortal air that moves one to joyful dance, as though singing in the spring breeze at the Wuyu (the spring bathing and singing in the wind described by Zeng Xi in the Analects).

Lang River

Trickling streams gather and gradually swell until they are like the sea; after rain, in a thousand gullies and ten thousand ravines, the waters surge like great waves. Leaning on my staff, I cross the river and its perilous slopes in safety, as though receiving the blessing of a clear sky.

Meixi (Plum Creek)

Ren and Gui belong to Water, and within the water lies essential qi, which gives birth to the sage and the divine; within the Kan trigram (symbolizing water), Yang qi is revealed and brings forth benevolence. The seedlings of benevolence spread across the earth, and the southern branches sprout in the warmth; the sovereign's creative transformation fills Heaven and Earth, so that all under Heaven seems to meet the spring.

Guanzhuang

Immortals drink pure dew and eat blossoms, and they store up Heaven-bestowed blessings and abundant fields. In the mountains there are fire jujubes and jiaoli pears (legendary immortal fruits); even with granaries richly stocked, they can lengthen one's years.

Chengzi Li

Green foliage and red blossoms encircle one another in layers, as if embroidered brocade surrounds the place; the mountain streams are a natural painting. The mountain path winds toward an altar and its gateway; before the pines, bamboo, and cliffs, there is also a small trail leading to groves of peach and apricot.

Haokou

On one side grows wormwood, on the other, iris and orchid; this is the pass where profit and desire contend with righteousness. Ordinary people and sages walk different forks in the road, and with one turn they choose different directions. Where the five-colored auspicious clouds gather thickest, there lies Mount Peng (the legendary immortal mountain).

Wudang Under Heaven

The original text includes no verse at this point.

The first gateway to entering the sacred realm and transcending into the profound is Junyang, the fairest blessed land in the human world. Everywhere the vault of heaven extends, people revere the Pole Star (Chenji) as the center; since time immemorial, all those between heaven and earth have looked up together to this mountain.

Reception Hermitage (Jiedai An)

From within the four seas, people come bearing incense, offering its smoke in wishes for long life. Who could not forgo the five grains, ride the clouds, and become an immortal? The post-station has prepared "blue-essence rice" (qingjing rice, a Daoist vegetarian food made from plants and the like) to fill the stomach; if one simply strives to climb the mountain, it feels as though one has reached the ninth heaven.

Maopo Earth God (Maopo Tudi)

Clear wine from among the rocks is offered, and fragrant sacrificial gifts are respectfully set out. Everywhere the vault of heaven extends, people revere the Pole Star as the center; since time immemorial, all those between heaven and earth have looked up together to this mountain.

Reception Hermitage (Jiedai An)

From within the four seas, people come bearing incense, offering its smoke in wishes for long life. Who could not forgo the five grains, ride the clouds, and become an immortal? The post-station has prepared blue-essence rice to fill the stomach; if one simply strives to climb the mountain, it feels as though one has reached the ninth heaven.

Maopo Earth God (Maopo Tudi)

Clear wine from among the rocks is offered, and fragrant sacrificial gifts are respectfully set out. The Earth God guards the sacred mountain, devoted to the duty; if there is merit, it should be rewarded, and the god should be enfeoffed and granted honors like a meritorious minister.

Mountain God Hall (Shanshen Tang)

Even without painted statues, the mountain god manifests efficacy; within the shrine are gathered the essence of the mountains, the rivers, and the spirit of the land. If the heart of cultivation is replaced by selfish desire, then even if no thunder sounds, the shock is enough to astonish.

Outer Court Peak (Waichao Feng)

The plants and trees seem to have spirit, grateful for the sage's kindness; the many mountains follow one another to pay court together at the Golden Gate. Distant peaks look back, beckoning the immortals to come, and guide them to join the same ranks in paying homage to the Supreme One.

Black Tiger Shrine (Heihu Ci)

When the black tiger first appears, its stripes have not yet shown; even when talent is not yet revealed, it already stands out above the rest. Bound by the command of the Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heaven (Xuantian Shangdi), it patrols the corridors; its claws and fangs lie deeply hidden, like iron-colored clouds.

House of the Great Calamity (Haojie Zhi Jia)

Since the divine turtle's pillar (the mythical giant turtle that supported heaven and earth) first appeared, how many years have passed down to the present? If the people from before the time of Emperors Xi and Nong (the legendary ancient rulers Fuxi and Shennong) were still here, they would yet keep the simple, unspoiled hearts of high antiquity.

When the black tiger first appears, its stripes have not yet shown; even when talent is not yet revealed, it already stands out above the rest. Bound by the command of the Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heaven, it patrols the corridors; its claws and fangs lie deeply hidden, like iron-colored clouds.

Jingjian Outpost (Jingjian Hou)

Who drifts out of the mountains like a solitary cloud? Along the way the scenery of flowers and moon entices, as though demons had set up a veil of illusion. The thunder axe lies hidden beneath the yellow earth, an ambush laid with wine; the evil spirit, its soul seized, returns in death to Fengdu (the legendary capital of ghosts and spirits).

Needle-Grinding Stream (Mozhen Jian)

Through repeated tempering, even what is coarse and dull can become fine; the sage master therefore invites those who have achieved cultivation to ascend to the celestial court. My resolve is not stone, but is even firmer than stone; a small vessel is made through grinding, and so the Great Dao may hope to be attained.

Yanghe River (Yanghe Jiang)

The original text includes no poem here.

The land was never where Su Ziqing (Su Wu of the Han dynasty, who was sent as an envoy to the Xiongnu and detained to herd sheep by the North Sea for nineteen years) lived for long, nor did the water take its name from "paper milk." The water here in fact comes from the veins of a spiritual spring, and it still runs clear when it reaches the Sea Gate.

Sword-Grinding Stream

The Divine Sovereign (the Perfected One revered in Daoism) was fit to guard the Dark Heaven. Legend says that after passing through tribulations, the Sovereign cast a sword of gold, its purple mist cold and clear. When the three-foot blade is drawn, it seems to span seas and mountains, and once the Dragon Spring sword emerges, it can purify heaven and earth.

Hidden Immortal Cliff

The fire in the furnace and cauldron has been worn down over many years. The recluse of the mountains wears splendid robes yet is draped in a green straw cloak. Even the white clouds do not know where the immortal has gone, and only a faint sound, like clinking jade pendants, drifts down.

Mountain Gate

Deep within the Grotto-Heaven, ten thousand peaks join in unbroken green. The gate of the cavern dwelling stands open and does not close even in the dark of night. Whoever can comprehend this pass step by step may set foot on the immortal road to the blue heavens.

Peak of Audience with the Sovereign

The Supreme Sage descended from heaven, and the carriage halted here at dawn. Dragons soar and phoenixes dance, and the mountains coil around them. The peaks ahead stand like chancellors in tall caps, calling loudly toward the palace gates and praying for the emperor's health and long life.

Scripture-Chanting Terrace

Immortal chanting rises and moves the myriad spirits, and every word recited at the sacred altar seems to echo in the celestial court. The Dragon Lord once sat here to hear the teachings, and the five stars still lie in a row like strung pearls.

Immortal-Gazing Pavilion

The Great Summit has now become the land where the sage was inspired, and the Ten Continents and Three Isles seem to converge on Junyang. The assembled immortals seem to return with their processions, riding azure dragons at dawn and colorful phoenixes at dusk.

Immortals' Gathering Slope

The fourteen sages and celestial beings of Penglai gathered at Mount Taihe to pay homage to the Divine Sovereign. They expounded the essence of "be discerning, be undivided, hold fast to the Mean," which also reveals the same spirit (Shen) and Virtue (De) shared by Yao, Shun, and Yu.

They gather and return beneath banners and standards, riding azure dragons at dawn and colorful phoenixes at dusk.

Immortals' Gathering Slope

The fourteen sages and celestial beings of Penglai gathered at Mount Taihe to pay homage to the Divine Sovereign. They expounded the essence of "be discerning, be undivided, hold fast to the Mean," which also reveals the same spirit (Shen) and Virtue (De) shared by Yao, Shun, and Yu.

Immortals' Gathering Bridge

The clear spring surges as if riding the Milky Way, bringing relief to all beings across the heavens and leading to Mount Taihe for an audience with the Divine Sovereign. On many a night of bright moon and gentle wind, the crisp sound of phoenix bells and the cries of phoenixes drifts down.

Sun-and-Moon Pool

The radiance of Heavenly De (Virtue) shines before the Emperor Lord. If the earth were not lit by two luminous wheels, it could not be called heaven and earth. The scenery of the mountain communicates with the sky, and by day and by night one can hear the two cavern springs resounding like thunder.

Palace of the Five Dragons

The golden towers rise lofty and resplendent, as if drawing close to the Ziwei Enclosure (the dwelling of the Celestial Emperor in ancient belief). Pure Yang Qi (vital energy) gathers and brings forth a shining glow. Three peaks reveal the horns and heads of true dragons, guarding the imperial carriage as it soars upward, flying alongside the sun.

Rock of the Gathering Immortals

Close to the Palace of the Five Dragons, this place seems to be where the host of immortals are about to assemble and pay court to the Celestial Emperor. Jade and silk are laid out in the imperial household, and the lords of ten thousand states come to attend the audience. The mountain crests stand orderly and solemn, like the place where hundreds of officials line up in ranks, and the Five Cities and Twelve Towers (the immortal palaces and pavilions of myth and legend) can faintly be glimpsed.

Celebration of the Nativity

Ten thousand people, with sincere hearts, offer congratulations to the ten thousand sages. Wherever incense is burned and prayers are made, it is as though one had come in person before the deities. Each spring, the crowds of worshippers are as lively as a marketplace; even from the farthest corners of the earth, people come.

Heavenly Palace

The precious mountain hangs high beyond the dusty world, reaching up into the Nine Heavens and rising above them. Among the towers, auspicious clouds of five colors have newly formed, and the Sanqing (Three Pure Ones, the three highest deities honored in Daoism) and the Three Realms (the three tiers of heaven in Daoist teaching) roam together in carefree ease.

Ascending to Pay Homage

Wudang Mountain seems to spread throughout all of heaven and earth, and those who cultivate the Dao (the Way) see the Honored Emperor with their own eyes as they ascend. The Great Summit rises steeply from the very roots of the mountain; climbing to its heights is like prostrating oneself amid the sound of thunder, paying court at the Heavenly Court.

Hall of the Three Pure Ones

The palace where Taishang (the Supreme Venerable, a Daoist deity) dwells came into being of its own accord. The Jade Firmament (the sky of the immortal realm) is vast and boundless, and one may say that it exists or that it does not. The radiance of the Sanqing shines down, making this place another realm of true immortals, as if beyond the human world there were a heaven above heaven.

Hall of the Jade Emperor

The hall is bright and upright, as solemn as the main gate of an imperial city. Within the golden towers, heaven and the human world each have their supreme sovereign. The Jade Emperor is lord of all quarters and governs the Six Directions (heaven, earth, and the four cardinal points); whether in the realm of the hidden or the manifest, all is ruled by him.

Main Hall of the Mysterious Emperor

The palace towers stand solemn and austere, as though one were in a Grotto-Heaven, a realm of immortals. Ranges of peaks encircle it, and amid the green it seems that immortals stand in rows. The lofty divine throne sits upright at the center, like the position of the Pole Star; hundreds of millions of spirits and the multitudes alike bow before the imperial presence.

Hall of the Bright Truth

The Celestial Venerable of the Primordial Beginning first transformed himself many times, and later was born as the son of a father and mother, establishing Qian and Kun (Heaven and Earth). Within the heavenly palace, he displays the etiquette of the family; his parents in the upper realm are honored as Emperor and Empress.

Hall of the Penglai Truth

Fourteen sages and perfected ones of the Three Heavens (the heavenly realms in Daoist teaching) stand in successive ranks, and their merit and virtue shine with unmatched brilliance throughout the cosmos.

Having transformed himself many times in the beginning, the Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun) was later born into the home of mortal parents and opened up heaven and earth. In the celestial palace he still observes family etiquette toward his kin, and in the upper realms his parents are honored as emperor and empress.

Hall of Penglai Truth

The fourteen sages and perfected ones of the Three Heavens stand in order of rank, their merit and virtue lofty and illustrious, their fame known throughout heaven and earth. The incarnation in the Golden Gate ascends the imperial throne, and auspicious winds and clouds gather over Mount Wudang.

Pavilion of the Seven Sovereigns

Before the myriad things of heaven and earth had formed, Taiji (the Supreme Ultimate, the primal source from which heaven and earth arise) already existed. After it came Jade Purity, and then the Dark Heaven. Yao, Shun, Tang of Shang, King Wen of Zhou, and King Wu of Zhou in the heavens were all founders in the manner of the sages of antiquity.

Hall of the Cassia Register

The deities enshrined here oversee the affairs of the chief ministers and also preside over Wenchang (the deity in charge of literary fortune and official success). Through long accumulation of virtue and good deeds they became renowned worthies and enjoy honor and esteem. To come here is like entering the toad-adorned gates of the Moon Palace, climbing the highest branch, and bathing in fragrance drifting down from the Nine Heavens.

Hall of the Primal Sovereign

The assisting deities of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) jointly adjudicate the affairs of the Mysterious Origin. The two sages share a deep bond, like sworn brothers. The spirits of Qiqu Mountain manifest in divided form and together spread the teachings, and for this reason the Heaven of Moyi has become the Heaven of Supreme Harmony.

Hall of the Three Mao Perfected Lords

After finishing their travels at Chicheng (a fairy mountain), the Three Mao Perfected Lords came riding dragons. The three brothers supported one another and came here from the exalted imperial court. Their standing among the immortals of the West is honored, and their radiance only grows brighter. The Lord of the Golden Gate likewise rests beside palace towers that rise to the sky.

Pavilion of the Five Dragons

The five dragons line the road to welcome the emperor's carriage as it ascends to heaven. The rewarded meritorious ministers know that this is how they came to rise in flight. The dragons are robed in brilliant colors, their scales like gold, and together they climb to the very top of the Lingyan Pavilion (a tall pavilion commemorating meritorious officials).

Hall of Thunder

The Lord of Dongyuan commands the Thunder Department and dwells in Shenxiao (the celestial realm where the thunder deities reside). His thunderclaps are fierce enough to terrify ten thousand demons. Yet he holds his divine awe in check and keeps its power within his grasp. He is majestic but not violent, and so the court ranks stand in solemn order.

Hall of Marshal Zhao of the Thunder Department

In a former life Marshal Zhao was Deng Yue, once a king among ghosts. Later he enforced the laws, manifested his power in the region west of the capital, and guarded the ancient city of Xiang. He can summon wind and rain, and having entered the service of the Dark Emperor, he also oversees all the departments of heaven.

Hall of Marshal Meng of the Thunder Department

In his day Marshal Meng harbored great ambitions and set his purpose on the Central Plains. His conquest of Caizhou and the destruction of the Jin state were all done to support the Yuan dynasty. Heaven feared that the thunder would be wielded unjustly, and so it drew on the power of the Three Heavens to spread its grace widely.

Well of the Five Dragons

In the first year of Xinghan (206 BCE), the stars gathered here. A spring welled up and formed a well that encircles the temple courtyard. The dragons in the well lay hidden beneath the water, then rose one by one into the sky. The land's veins here are spirited and fine, and the spring water is sweet, never to decline through all the ages.

Shrine of the Five Hundred Spirit Officials

The original text gives only the name of the hall here, with no accompanying verse.

The deities are many, and all reverently serve the Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heaven (Xuantian Shangdi, the Daoist god of the north). Five hundred divine officials among them each oversee a particular duty. They stand in two ranks, arranged in perfect order like a pivot turning with the wind. Gao Yao, Kui, Hou Ji, Qi, and other worthy ministers from the age of Emperor Shun are also counted among this assembly of sages.

Bell Tower

The bell tower rises like a pillar holding up the sky, its crossbeams like rainbows. The bell sounds resonant and grand, with the force of a great whale's cry. When it is struck according to proper rule, its sound answers the great harmony between Heaven and Earth. Clear and lingering, it carries beyond the ninth heaven.

Stepping-Clouds Pavilion

The pavilion climbs into the clouds, and from afar it looks neither like mist nor like smoke. Light like the nine-colored rosy clouds envelops it, revealing a solemn and auspicious scene. This is the first high place passed on the way to pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun, a supreme Daoist deity). The immortal officials line up like jade bamboo shoots, as if arranged amid clouds the color of green jade.

Office of Merit and Virtue

The heavenly officials who record good deeds each have their own duties. The offerings of incense that people make are also regarded as especially meritorious. When a person who cultivates the Dao accumulates merit and reaches the full measure of three thousand deeds, volumes of golden books and jade registers record the achievement.

Hall of Sea and Mountain

Within the cavern dwelling another cavern dwelling has been opened, as though the whole world had joined to create a Penglai paradise. Mist coils and drifts like a bamboo hat in the rain, and wind and clouds gather, their scenes ever changing. Unless an immortal descends, ordinary people can hardly reach this place.

Seat of the Supervising Director

Its scale resembles the heavenly realm, and from here the multitude of immortals is governed. Though it is only the layout of a temple in the human world, it governs the worthy like a balance scale, impartial and fair. Seated at the head is Laojun (the Daoist deity Laozi), who presides over the subtle and profound methods of the Dao and oversees the grotto-heavens and blessed lands of the world.

Seat of the Deputy Director

The deputy and the chief share one heart in upholding the teachings of the master. Sages and Perfected Ones alike rely on them to discern the will of Heaven and to help bring matters to completion. They work closely together and do their utmost to assist in the affairs of the temple, as the Duke of Zhou assisted King Cheng. Such a person is a worthy who presides over the altar of the spirits and helps manage its affairs.

Hall of the Perfected Officials

The Perfected Officials support the right Way, drive out evil influences, and forbid inauspicious matters. Their duties are solemn, and they preside over and guard the altar. The pines and cassia trees before the hall seem moved by this presence and reach straight up into the clouds and valleys. The officials carry memorials in their sleeves, which they may present to the Celestial Emperor.

Hall of Fasting

In the Cloud Kitchen (the Daoist term for the dining hall), Daoists take their meals and nourish their Qi (vital energy) through food and drink. They practice with smoke-cured gourds and dew-catching bowls, as if stirring the coiling Qi of dragons into rising. In the Dantian (energy center), there are also spiritual elixirs like golden grains of millet, each one symbolizing the elixir of immortality that grants the gods eternal life.

Purple Cloud Daoist Realm

The incarnation came down to enlighten the human world; originally, this was a true immortal who held rank in the Celestial Court. The three cave-dwellings of Mount Wudang were built anew, so that, like Fangzhang, Penglai, and Yingzhou, they stand arrayed among the three immortal mountains in the sea.

Ancestral Hall

The lineage of the Daoist school passes from generation to generation, and its renown grows fresher with the years. The immortal spirits of the ancestors dwell mostly in the realm of the immortals, wreathed in white clouds. Descendants remember their forebears with far-reaching devotion, as smoke curls from the incense burner; a single stick of incense rises to the heavens above and reaches down to the underworld below.

Shrine of the Pacification Commissioner

A descendant of the Mount Tai line, once a subject and neighbor of the old order, and now a member of the gatherings of the immortal mountains. With a spine firm as iron and stone, this was a person of merit and virtue. This heart has long since returned to the Dao (the Way) and is in communion with the High Perfected (gaozhen, the exalted immortals revered in Daoism).

Hall of the Venerable Elders

Having lived through the years of the Tang, this figure was an elder of Fragrant Mountain; and standing proud between heaven and earth in the Han, an immortal of Zhi Ridge. As wind and clouds gathered, guests and friends filled all four seats. From ancient times to the present, this one has roamed free and at ease in stillness and purity.

Official Hall

The brilliant morning sun rises, and phoenixes seem to alight upon the colorful banners. The assembly lines up in order to wish all health and long life. When the palace gates open, they lead to the Northern Gate Tower (beique) of the Son of Heaven; the people cheer aloud, their voices like rolling thunder, their bearing solemn and orderly.

Hall of the Purified Heart

Like an empty boat moored peacefully in a realm of ease, how could the storms of the mortal world reach into these mountain forests? A pool of still water is clear and limpid, just as the heart within its small space is bright; with a mind so open, one can hold a vast sky without a single cloud.

Leader of the Toiling in the Dust

The tumult of the world, like wild horses and drifting dust, stirs up worldly attachments. Yet even those of humble station may hold the noble aspirations of the immortals. Fragrant springs overflow and the sea of clouds stretches wide; by day one tills the fields among the clouds, and at dusk one draws water from the spring.

Legacy of True Constancy

When the sacred altar was first opened, the place was still woodland thick with brambles. With nothing but two empty hands, a gleaming hall of gold and jade was raised. Incense has burned abundantly for ten thousand years, and the resolve to revive the Daoist tradition remains firm as iron and stone.

Leader of the Toiling in the Dust

The tumult of the world, like wild horses and drifting dust, stirs up worldly attachments. Yet even those of humble station may hold the noble aspirations of the immortals. Fragrant springs overflow and the sea of clouds stretches wide; by day one tills the fields among the clouds, and at dusk one draws water from the spring.

Legacy of True Constancy

When the sacred altar was first opened, the place was still woodland thick with brambles. With nothing but two empty hands, a gleaming hall of gold and jade was raised. Incense has burned abundantly for ten thousand years, and the resolve to revive the Daoist tradition remains firm as iron and stone.

Roaming with the Immortals in Response

Many times this figure held the celestial writ aloft, receiving grace and incense offerings; thunder, wind, and rain seemed to be held in the palm. The sword has returned to its case and the immortal spirit has gone far away. Yet people still imagine riding a phoenix, whip in hand, toward the realm where the Celestial Emperor dwells.

Hermitage of Humble Emptiness

The atmosphere here is harmonious and serene, gentle and clear as ice and snow. The rooms are spacious and deep, just like the bright and empty state described by Zhuangzi. Daoism (Xuanjiao) and Confucian learning are in harmony, and so heaven and earth appear vast; among the plants and trees of the courtyard, boundless wind and moon are found everywhere.

Moon Hermitage

Its eight windows are all as exquisite and translucent as jade, and a vast radiance shines forth from within one's nature. Ten thousand mountains gleam white, and heaven and earth seem sleepless through the night; the whole household seems to dwell in the Palace of Cassia.

White Snow Hermitage

"Long have I dwelt in a realm of jade-bright splendor; crane-feather robes shine together like six-petaled blossoms. In the clear night, fragrance fills the house still more, as all around we hoe the moonlight and plant plum blossoms."

In this immortal realm of long and peaceful dwelling, the scenery is as fine as precious jade. Those who wear crane-feather robes (the feathered garments Daoist priests often wear) shine in mutual reflection, as though six-petaled snowflakes were interweaving their brilliance. On quiet nights the fragrance in the house grows richer, and it seems that people, borrowing the moonlight, are clearing the ground all around to plant plum trees.

Cloud-Mountain Study in Seclusion

The foundation of governing the world and achieving great works lies in making virtuous character shine. Living in seclusion among the cloud-wrapped mountains, one can still offer small help, as clouds rise from the peaks. By storing up ample reserves in ordinary times, one can send down timely rain when it is needed and nourish all living beings.

The Lecturer's Hall

Once more the key to knowledge is turned, to enlighten those who are still unlearned, who study the teachings of Zhuangzi (a Daoist scholar of the Warring States period, who once served as a minor official at the lacquer garden) and Heshang Gong (a Daoist scholar of the Han dynasty). Though the lecturer hides in a dwelling as secluded as a cavern abode, unseen by the world, the lecturer's heart and intent are lodged in the Six Classics (the six canonical works of the Confucian tradition).

Five Dragons Peak

The mountain summit rises straight into the sky like tier upon tier of jeweled canopies, and its pavilions and halls soar through the air as if surging amid the azure clouds. Through the mist, the peaks reveal their majestic and extraordinary form. Once roused, they stand like stellar summits, displaying a single line of the Qian hexagram (the Qian hexagram is composed entirely of Yang lines, symbolizing strength and vigor).

Heavenly Pool

The summit towers as if ten thousand fathoms high, and the spring pours down like a silver cascade, gathering into a deep and abundant source. Here, concern for the people of the world has long been held: whenever the scorching sun burns like fire and all things wither with drought, the waters turn into sweet rain.

Upper Dragon Pool

The first spring reaches up to the blue heavens, and within the pool a divine creature seems to lie hidden, nurturing its might. When the moment arrives, it receives Heaven's command and sends down rain to moisten the world. The rain falls first from the distant palace of Hairuo (the dwelling of the sea god) at the edge of the sky.

Black Dragon Pool

The black dragon lies hidden beneath the deep pool, for now concealing its traces and not coming forth. The pool belongs to the Kan trigram, which symbolizes pure water, and it nurtures a wondrous power. Gracious streams fill the very crown of the high peak, and it seems that all the changing winds and clouds of the world gather here.

Elixir-Refining Pool

The primordial ancestral Qi (the original Qi that existed before the generation of Heaven and Earth) has long been stored and condensed here. Within the furnace and cauldron, Yin-Yang alternate and serve as each other's root. Drops of golden liquid hold the transformative creativity of the immortals, and the half-pool of spring water seems to lead to the gate of Heaven.

Golden Cauldron Peak

The peak is shaped like a three-legged cauldron, complete with both handles and body, as though the bronze cauldrons of the Nine Provinces had only just been cast. Like a ceremonial vessel handed down through generations of emperors, it supports the earth, receives the heavens, and guards the eight directions.

Golden Lock Peak

It seems that iron chains are used here to imprison demons, reinforced with refined steel to restrain rebellious followers. Encircling mist deepens the solemn and austere atmosphere, and the two gates stand in pure and stern guard, leaving the baleful and malevolent nowhere to hide.

Dragon Temple

The dragon's body gathers the power of creation and transformation and commands wind and thunder. Wisps of smoke curl up from the incense burner, and it seems that one can sense the faint, hard-to-see forms of the spirits. The Dragon Temple waits in stillness for the Fulu (talismans and registers) mandates, the commands of Heaven, to be sent down from the Nine Heavens.

Within a single body lies the creative transformation of Heaven and Earth, as if it carried wind and thunder within it. Enjoying the incense smoke rising from the censer, one's form and breath become distant and unfathomable. Waiting for the talismanic mandate (fulu) to descend from the Nine Heavens, one can cause sweet rain to fall in all eight directions, its waters churning across the vast expanse of heaven and earth.

Liujia Peak (Six Jia Peak)

In the heavens dwell hundreds of millions of powerful spirits, who by command are arrayed in the imperial court according to the cosmic cycles. When they appear, they shake like thunder, occupying the eastern position of Jia and Yi, the Wood phase of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). The generals wear armor and wield halberds, revealing their majestic true forms. Liujia is the name of a group of divine generals in Daoism.

Liuding Peak (Six Ding Peak)

Blazing Yin fire reveals the Qi of true spirit, arranged like the lines of the hexagrams, shining amid the clouds and illuminating the sun and moon. Once a talismanic summons is issued, even the grass and trees of Mount Bagong obey its command; the wind howls and the rain roars, shaking heaven and earth. Liuding is likewise the name of a group of divine generals in Daoism.

Diezi Peak (Layered Script Peak)

Cang Jie, who understood the wondrous transformations of creation, invented writing. The characters among the clouds are as graceful as phoenix-seal script, seeming to match the generation and transformation of all things. The layered peaks also resemble hymns carved into a cliff face, as if depicting the radiance of the sun and moon high in the sky.

Sangong Cliff (Three Dukes Cliff)

Above the clouds, it seems as though ministers of the first rank sit in rows on a high ridge; its bearing is solemn, as though one stood in the imperial court. This place seems to govern the opening and closing of wind and thunder and the transformations of the spirits. It is also like a place where ministers govern the state, discuss the principles of the Dao, and harmonize Yin-Yang.

Jiuqing Cliff (Nine Ministers Cliff)

This place seems a site for inquiring into the fortunes of Qi and discerning clear skies from overcast ones. The dwellings among the clouds are spacious, as if the gate of the azure heavens were deep and unfathomable. Peaks large and small stand sharp and upright, seated in a ring, like courtiers in the royal court presenting themselves in due order.

Zhongzhi Peak (Upright Substance Peak)

The peak is upright in form, like ministers holding ceremonial tablets standing in ranks; the surrounding mountains seem like immortals draped in rosy clouds. The scene before one's eyes is as clear as being within the Hall of Audience with the Origin, with the peaks embracing the light of heaven, as if drawing near the sage ruler's countenance. The Hall of Audience with the Origin is the hall where immortals pay homage to the revered deities.

Dabi Peak (Great Brush Peak)

The peak supports the sky and stands upon the earth, like a brush that oversees documents. Its tip emerges sharply, as though sealing within it auspicious clouds of five colors. A sheet of blue sky is available for the brush to write upon, and the stars, sun, and moon all shine brightly within the patterns of the Dao of Heaven.

Zhongbi Peak (Middle Brush Peak)

The second, middle mountain raises the renown of the Mao family, whose descendants gather together, each one a hero. With the brush they write of virtue (De) and place it within a silver tube; inscribed high among the clouds, it resembles a magnificent mansion.

Dushu Cliff (Reading Cliff)

The principles of the Six Classics have not yet been put into practice, yet their root already exists in the heart. The Mysterious Teaching (Daoism) also finds its entrance here. Within the cliff there seems to be a seat of honor for the Preceptor-Minister of Jade Void, who assists the Emperor of Heaven and upholds his dignity.

Qianzhang Peak (Thousand-Zhang Peak)

The peak soars into the clouds, far surpassing ordinary mountains; tall pines seem to roar in anger amid the wind. It holds up the southwestern quarter of heaven and earth, like a towering pillar steadily supporting the farthest reaches of the cosmos.

Wuzong Mountain (Five Summits Mountain)

In the original text, no poem follows the title "Wuzong Mountain."

The stars in the heavens are like a string of pearls, arranged into the finest essence of the constellations; the court of the human world governs affairs of state and assigns each official his place. Changzhen (Changzhen, the name of a Daoist immortal) appears in the form of a divine tortoise, as if holding together the breath and form of heaven and earth.

Wuzong Mountain

The stars in the heavens are like a string of pearls, arranged into the finest essence of the constellations; the court of the human world governs affairs of state and assigns each official his place. Changzhen appears in the form of a divine tortoise, as if holding together the breath and form of heaven and earth.

Little Brush Peak

Who fashioned this slender brush tip, which seems to plunge all at once into the azure clouds? Even the master of cursive script from the Wang family would have no use for a brush like this. An immortal rides a boat, intending to write a memorial to the celestial court with it; the ink carries a fresh fragrance and reaches straight to Zichen (the residence of the Heavenly Emperor).

Lion Peak

The summit's rocks are steep and the peak towers high for all to see; like the king of beasts, it carries a solemn majesty. When the autumn wind stirs the grasses and trees, they sway like a golden mane; all manner of monsters and foxes hear of its might and hide away, not daring to make a sound.

Middle Nose Peak

The mountains each have their own appearance, but this one stands right at the center, like the raised bridge of a noble's nose. Two protrusions at the summit resemble nostrils turned toward the sky; the incense smoke rising from the peak reaches straight to the jade steps, as though offering incense to the celestial court.

Incense Burner Peak

Sunlight is warm upon the ridges, and auspicious vapors rise; the thick incense smoke in the burner seems to pray for people's longevity. The sovereign bestows favor without partiality, and his blessings spread across the four seas; may long life and good fortune descend upon families, the nation, and all beings under heaven.

Bamboo Shoot Peak

Bamboo stalks grow out of the grass like whips; the clumps on the high ridges are short, steeped in clouds and mist as dense as smoke. Fei Changfang (a legendary immortal) once chose a bamboo staff to serve as his immortal's staff; when he cast it into Ge Pond, the staff turned into a dragon.

Peach Stream Daoist Domain

The fisherman now crosses the water once more, coming to seek the immortal gate amid the clouds and mist; the source of the immortals is right here. People seem to ascend from this place to Yujing (the Jade Capital, the celestial capital of Daoist legend); the shed husk (the form or relics left behind when an immortal transforms) stands empty, guarding the ranks of sword inscriptions.

Peach Blossom Spring Grotto

Heavenly fragrance drifts and turns into the spring colors of Wuling; this mountain has always been home to many immortals, so why speak of a peach blossom spring that existed only in the Qin era? May the descendants of this enlightened age all enjoy long life and good fortune, and may their heirs in robes and caps no longer be the old refugees who fled the chaos of Qin.

Purple Canopy Peak

The mountain light flickers, and the evening haze gathers in clouds; the peak rises high, as if covering the very summit of the world. The emperor's carriage seems to halt in the sky, its colorful ceremonial banners idly arrayed; one imagines the immortals of old soaring through the air, rising straight into the clouds.

Great Lotus Peak

The noble person stands upright and dignified, with a form like this peak. Its base is broad, winding and coiling among the other mountains. When its blossoms open, they seem ten zhang across, like a boat laden with lotus roots; even the summits of Mount Tai and Mount Hua look small before it.

Small Lotus Peak

The descendants of the lotus root, transplanted from the Jade Well, need no rain or dew to nourish them, and the spring of their growth will still arrive. If one day they are lent to the Bodhi Seat (the seat from which the Buddha practiced and taught), they will become a sage of the Western Paradise.

Biaozi Slope

The land here is spirited and graceful, a gathering place of essence that brings forth the finest of fruits. When autumn comes, every fruit ripens, golden and full like the Golden Elixir (Jindan), and is held ready as an offering to the Sovereign Lord at the Peach Banquet, with wishes for his long life.

Luomao Peak

Having cast off the official's cap of the mortal world, one dwells among mountain ridges and mist, and in changing one's way of life, the old bearing changes too. Unexpectedly, the wind from heaven blows the black gauze cap back, so one dons court robes and ceremonial crown once more and hurries off to pay homage at Zichen (the emperor's residence, also meaning the court).

Zijieyun Peak

From Penglai (the legendary immortal isle in the sea), the immortals send down sweet rain. It falls gently and unhurriedly, gradually moistening all of the Nine Realms (the lands of the nine provinces). The spiritual energy of the world's mountains and rivers seems to have gathered here, and the multitudes have come together to celebrate.

Sandou Rock

The hollows in the stone wall resemble a wine vessel, leaning against the lofty cliff. Under the moon, who will share a cup with me? Could it be that Li Jin, Prince of Ruyang, in his drunkenness once left his wine flask here, and went to court carrying it with him?

Cangyun Rock

Though following the sovereign and achieving great deeds is a fine thing, for now let us conceal our traces. The five-colored radiance is held within the brocade-like valley. Even if the heart longs to leave the mountains, do not depart the peaks like drifting clouds just yet. When the time is ripe and the spring wind blows, then send down the timely rain.

Daming Mountain

This sacred realm is pure and clear, gathering the essence of heaven and earth, with auspicious light shining in all directions. Here there is no morning or evening, as if another world existed between heaven and earth: it is always like high noon, with sunlight falling on the middle of the street.

Cuoya Peak

The peak rises abruptly, like an ancient tree lying across a jagged cliff. When spring arrives, the spirit of growth in all things is especially strong. If one cut off a single branch and used it as the Thunder God's axe, one could, like an immortal, ride it up to the Heavenly River.

Juyun Peak

Auspicious qi gathers in the sky, each wisp answering the others. The Sovereign Lord and the assembled Perfected arrive riding divine dragons. Fragrance lies thick upon the summit of the sacred mountain, and all the sages have come together to pay homage at the celestial palace.

Zhusha Rock

Heaven and earth in their creative work seem like an alchemical furnace, and the elixir it refines is almost beyond imitation. The fire-trees it nurtures shine with vivid color and radiant vitality. When the immortals grind them fine and place them in a golden mortar, heaven and earth grow warm again, and all things revive as in spring.

Meileng Mountain

In ancient times there was one who served in office yet lived as a recluse, and could make even the greedy become honest. The shape of this mountain looks very much like Yuan of Lushan (Yuan Dexiu of the Tang dynasty, who served as magistrate of Lushan and was known for his integrity). Suddenly seeing Yuan Gui (Yu Liang, styled Yuangui) with a face covered in dust, the mountain opens its eyes wide and stretches out its ridges, as though looking at someone and asking a question.

Fumo Peak

The original text includes no verse.

"Within a hand's breadth of the Heavenly Gate, the carp has already become a dragon; as the cosmos turns the Yang back, all things are as in spring."

The Heavenly Gate stands close at hand, and the carp has already become a dragon. Yang Qi (vital energy) turns back between heaven and earth, and all things burst into life as though it were spring.

Eyebrow Ridge Mountain (Meileng Shan)

In ancient times some officials retired to the mountains and forests, and their incorruptible character was enough to reform the stubborn. The features of Yuan Lushan can still be seen clearly. He glares at the dust-covered Yuan Gui with wide-open eyes, as if demanding an explanation from him.

Demon-Subduing Peak (Fumo Feng)

The Heavenly Gate stands close at hand, and the carp has already become a dragon. What lies hidden will rise in the end, so there is no need to hurry. Zhuge Liang need no longer be sought at Longzhong, for he now dwells right here.

Yu Gong Rock (Yugong Yan)

The old man of the mountain dearly loves to dwell among the green hills. This place in the prefecture is where one may gather purple zhi fungus and shake out one's robes to live in seclusion. With the River Diagram (Hetu) on his back, the immortal can drift far away at ease. One imagines he means to seek out Fuxi in the age of high antiquity.

Parrot-Cry Peak (Yingming Feng)

Even an ordinary feathered creature can become an immortal and dwell among the azure clouds. Once it climbs to a great height, it rises above the crowd. The dawn in the Dongtian (grotto-heaven, the dwelling of immortals in Daoism) arrives earlier than anywhere under heaven. A vast capacity brings a name that will spread throughout the world.

Evergreen Spring Rock (Changchun Yan)

Immortal flowers bloom throughout the valley like a brocade estate. The seasons never end, and a heavenly fragrance drifts everywhere. The Dizhen (the Perfected Immortals of Daoism) continually exercise their power of creation, so that life brings forth life without end. A single immortal elixir can turn the Yang Qi of heaven and earth back again.

Solitary Yang Rock (Duyang Yan)

The principle of the Prior Heaven (xiantian) has been clearly revealed, and the mountains themselves take the form of the Gen trigram (symbolizing the mountain) from the Book of Changes. Those who nourish the fire within have hearts as vast as heaven. Their bones are upright and their Yang Qi is full, so that few in the world can match them.

Chongmen Mountain (Chongmen Shan)

Someone bought cassia wood to use as firewood and carried it all the way to the mountaintop. The smoke tower rises high and can be seen from far away. The King of Han once came here, and even his clothes were scorched by the fire. The flames climb as though the fierce Qi of the Fire Virtue were blazing in the heavens.

Hand-Climbing Mountain (Shoupa Shan)

The sea is shallow, yet the immortal realm of Penglai still lies far off at the end of the cloud road. The assembled immortals have come here and built a bridge to the sky. Together they stretch out the claws of Magu and climb to the summit, where they reach the azure heavens and the clouds above.

Yin Xi Rock (Yin Xi Yan)

Wherever the Dao dwells in seclusion, immortal spirits are present. At Hangu Pass, Yin Xi received the mind-to-mind transmission of the Dao De Jing (Daodejing). He did not have to wait until after he had knocked at the pass to ride a crane into the sky, for within this mountain he is already as though in the celestial court.

Strongman Peak (Jianren Feng)

With a body like the giant Juling, he strode across the nine provinces, and thousands of years have passed since heaven and earth were opened. When Gonggong crashed into Mount Buzhou, the peak seemed to rise up in anger and hold up the northwest corner of the sky.

Outer Cloud Rock (Waiyun Yan)

On leaving the mountain he slipped by chance and, quite by accident, rode off on a dragon. After sending down the rain and returning, he was so weary that he wanted only to sleep. Let Master Xiyi (Chen Tuan's style name) stretch out his limbs and rest in peace. There is no need to fear that, on waking, he will fail to dream of the Shang ancestor.

Cloud-Mist Rock (Yunwu Yan)

The original lists only the name "Cloud-Mist Rock" here, with no accompanying poem.

Among the clustered peaks, leopards and hidden dragons seem to lurk, and auspicious Qi (vital energy) rises in steaming waves. The true immortals all seem to dwell here, guarding this sacred land. Invisibly, immortals' carriages seem to pass back and forth, and one imagines that within the deep, misty realm there are still hidden terraces and palaces.

Dripping Water Rock (Dishui Yan)

Water drops strike the rock wall like the clinking of golden locks, or like the Milky Way pouring down. A single silver-white thread of water hangs from above, a truly impressive sight. Were the sluice not shut fast to store water and bring rain, the current would surely whip up wind and waves as it battered the jade-like cliff and turned the stones of the mountain.

Great Green Sheep Stream (Daqingyang Jian)

The watercourse here seems to connect to the grotto-dwelling of the Luo River, and the stream is full of strangely shaped stones, like dragons asleep one after another. The nine lodges where earthly immortals live cannot be far away, and the stream's source seems to gather from afar, running straight to the Nine Heavens.

Small Green Sheep Stream (Xiaoqingyang Jian)

The immortal maiden who herded sheep by Lake Dongting bore a lifelong grievance over past events. The dragon maiden, though gifted with marvelous powers, had not yet truly attained the Dao (the Way) and become a spirit. She purified herself and drove her flock here to seek realization, single-minded in her devotion, until at last she was transformed into row upon row of adjoining stones.

Immortals' Resting Rock (Xiexian Yan)

The immortals ride on true Qi, roaming on the wind through the myriad heavens and earths. Throngs of perfected ones come and go day and night, plowing and wandering among the clouds. For now they halt their carriages, jade pendants chiming, to rest in the Yaohua Grotto, where they sit in rows and raise their cups to drink freely.

Early Stirring Peak (Zaochun Feng)

The Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heaven (Xuantian Shangdi) guards this place, and since ancient times it has shown his solemn celestial might. At the summit a black banner of slaughter stands high. Even without the strength of the great deity's arms, the wind and clouds on all sides will long support and protect this peak.

Xiyi Rock (Xiyi Yan)

The subtle arts of the immortals are transmitted heart to heart. The immortal, intoxicated with the beauty of mist and rosy clouds, drifts peacefully into sleep amid pure dreams. Pushing aside the pillow and rising, he can survey the affairs of the world below, then move his couch along with the clouds and lie down again atop Mount Hua.

Jumbled Stone Peak (Luanshi Feng)

Huang Chuping went deep into the blue-green mist and rosy clouds to cultivate himself, leaving his flock behind, and who knows how many years passed. If the true forms of those sheep were touched by an immortal's transforming power, then every stone on the mountain would gleam as if dyed with cinnabar. Huang Chuping is a legendary immortal, said to have once transformed his flock of sheep into stones.

Immortals' Revelry Rock (Xianchang Yan)

The immortals take mist and rosy clouds as old friends, keeping one another company, admiring the moon and chanting to the wind, sharing life together in a single heaven and earth. The summit of the Great Peak lies close to the road to heaven, and the immortals travel to and fro there, riding together in chariots drawn by five-colored auspicious clouds.

Jade Immortal Rock (Yuxian Yan)

Within the golden cauldron, dragon and tiger are left free to coil and join together. The original text of the poem here is incomplete, so its meaning cannot be fully determined.

Within the golden cauldron, dragon and tiger twine and coil; in the immortal recipe, the pine and the citrus are the elixir held in the cultivator's heart. One day the clouds and mist before the cave gate will part and the doors will open, and one may fly ten thousand li, roaming freely through the vast cosmos.

Fumo Peak (Peak of Subduing Demons)

The cliffs rise steep and sheer, and blue-green rock thrusts at the heavens like swords. The Emperor-Perfected (Dizhen, a divine figure revered in Daoism) guards the numinous altar and bears the burden of fated tribulation. The Longquan sword lies locked in a golden lotus case. Though it shows no edge, it is enough to make ghosts and demons tremble.

Yanghe Peak (Peak of Harmonious Yang)

A single spirit herb suddenly sends up violet mist. The earth is rich and moist, the sunlight warm, as if nourishing a field of fine jade from Lantian. The Daoist blends primordial Qi (yuanqi, the original energy of life) into the scene of spring's awakening, and among the white clouds filling the valley seems to plow on until noon.

Yunxia Temple (Temple of Clouds and Rosy Mist)

Several golden rays blaze with brilliance, and the host of immortals, wearing flying ornaments, vie with one another in splendor. Here there is no place left for the Five Dragons to take their ranks, so another quiet and secluded cave-heaven was opened, named Liaoyang.

Dragon Pool

The pool is half full, as though it held the waves of the Dragon Gate. The site is well placed and meets a great assembly. Once the thunder of the Nine Heavens crashes forth, it will be like a dragon leaping the gate, rising in one bound to the heights of the azure clouds.

Thunder Cave

Here the prenatal Qi is nurtured and protected, so that Yang energy revives within the earth. The Celestial Lord, mounted firmly on his jade dragon, lies hidden here. Within the cave turns the pivot of heaven and earth, and a single ladleful of spirit spring can become sweet rain, descending to moisten the four directions.

Nanyan Palace of Tianyi, Truly Auspicious and of Ten Thousand Longevities (Renovated)

The hidden treasury of the heavenly palace is opened and the sacred realm expanded. The Pure Yang immortal chose this land of pure Yang. The glow of clouds and the colors of jade seem like a vision from beyond the human world, and their radiant light shines over all under heaven.

Dongyuan Abbot's Chamber

The divine man, holding wind and thunder in hand, founded a teaching and achieved great merit through extraordinary strategy. The tall pavilions soar into the sky as if holding themselves up. Though dwelling in the dusty world, one can ascend in flight, hidden among mountain ridges and clouds.

Ganlu Spring (Sweet Dew Spring)

The jade well is deep and secluded, and its water reflects blue-green ripples. On New Year's Day the Emperor-Perfected refined elixir here. The spring is clear and fragrant, and for a thousand years and more it has been like the wine of heaven. May people escape sinking and hardship and drink a cup of it.

Heavenly Bridge

A waterfall leaps from the cliff to the mountain's midpoint. On first entering the path of cultivating perfection, one feels already to have ascended the Nine Heavens. People have also built pavilions linked by walkways in the air. Looking ahead, they stretch on step after step, and the road is long.

The Three Halls of Nanyan

The sage emperor's holy friends are ranked on the western side, and the parents of the holy one dwell in the center. Within the halls, left and right wind about one another, wreathed in clouds of incense. This is the Tianyi Ziwei Zhenqing Palace.

Shrine of the Perfected Officials at Nanyan

The Great Summit is fronted by covered galleries and plank walkways suspended in midair. Looking ahead, terraced fields join one after another, as if the road stretched ten thousand li.

The Three Halls of Nanyan

To the west of the Sage Emperor stand the Sage Companions in sequence, while the parents of the Venerable Sage occupy the center. Incense smoke curls and rises around the halls, forming an auspicious sight. This is the Zhenqing Palace, where Tianyi and Ziwei are enshrined.

The Shrine of the True Officials at Nanyan

The Great Summit towers directly before the shrine, visible to people far and near. Streams and ridges encircle it, green as far as the eye can see, facing a sharp, steep peak. Among the wonders of Wudang, this place is especially marvelous. Raise your eyes, and beneath the eaves you will see the Qi (vital energy) of the Heavenly Truth.

The Forward Shrine of the True Officials

A thousand gullies and ten thousand ravines gather the beauty of the mountains and rivers. Solemn dignity has never depended on outward ceremony or appearance. Do not say only that divine beings truly dwell here. Even if clay and carved wood have no spirit of their own, they can become sacred through the reverence and offerings of the people.

The Gathering of the Seas at Nanyan

How could bells of gold and cauldrons of bronze compare with the alchemical furnace that refines and nourishes water and fire? Those of virtue and standing give gladly, sending their wealth into the Xuandu (Mysterious Capital). The patriarchs agree to transmit the Mind Seal (the essential teaching passed orally from master to disciple), and each receives a talisman of destiny for immortality.

The Abbot's Immortal Retreat

The abbot's talent runs as deep and wide as a sea of gold and jade, and his literary inspiration surges like the tide. When the wind of the eighth month rises high, it seems he rides the waves into the sky. His heroic spirit is gathered in the mists and valleys, and alone he roams from the isle of immortals, riding the golden turtle.

The Heart-Testing Stone

Human feelings in the world are often as treacherous as iron. But if one preserves the Shen (spirit) and cultivates the mind, the place where one stands will be safe and open. When one walks the Dao (the Way) with an untroubled heart, even a narrow ledge of rock feels no danger, and a drop of ten thousand fathoms inspires no more fear.

The Ascension Terrace

The spirit of the practitioner has long since risen and descended before the Sovereign Lord, yet the physical body is not yet the true and profound Dao. Climb the tiers of rock, cast off the body of dust, and you may roam the four directions of heaven and earth and govern the vast expanse.

The Rock of Thanks to Heaven and Earth

For a moment I feel gratitude toward the spirits of heaven and earth, a thankfulness words can hardly exhaust. The path at the foot of the cliff leads straight to the celestial court. Store the shed remains with care, and the body becomes light enough to ascend. Afterward the spirit wanders freely and serves in Yuqing (Jade Purity, one of the Daoist celestial realms).

The Valley of Ten Thousand Households

Among the emerald ridges, immortal dwellings lie scattered and interlaced. Layer upon layer of mountain clouds lock the green hills and veil them again and again. The heaven and earth within the caves are vast by nature, like a fief wide enough to hold many households.

Niucao Stream

In former times, when Laozi left the Hanguan Pass, he passed this way riding a green ox. Now the dragon-horse has appeared, and the Daoists contemplate the principles of the Yi, grasping its changes amid the murmuring waters.

Qingyang Stream

For a thousand years people have chanted the tale of Xie Pond (Xiechi); that line of verse from the West Hall seems as though it were received in a dream. Rooting itself among duckweed and water algae, it is offered up for sacrifice, as if returning to the golden age of antiquity described in the Shijing (Book of Songs).

Huanghuang Peak (Huangya Peak)

The peak rises from the heavy earth, still and single-minded. The utterance of the Dao (the Way) corresponds above to the "Heaven of Great Peace." Golden goblets (ancient wine vessels) coil around the golden palace gates (the palace towers where immortals dwell), set in a realm that is neither being nor non-being, vast and boundless.

Xianding Peak

The stillness here does not allow fierce winds to shake the Celestial Pivot (the axis of heaven). Light shines forth across the broad expanse of heaven and earth, and the quiet realm is clear and empty. The peak shoots straight upward, its form like Genyue (the Northern Song imperial garden), and also like a dwelling among the five-colored auspicious clouds in the heavens of the high winds.

Xiatianmen Peak (Lower Heavenly Gate Peak)

The Three Realms (the three tiers of heaven in Daoist teaching) roam freely above the great summit; raising one's eyes, one sees five-colored auspicious clouds drifting high. Climbing onto the first newly opened tier, one seems to arrive at the twelve towers of the Jade Capital.

Tianmen Peak (Heavenly Gate Peak)

Looking down, one sees Hongya; looking up, the azure sky. With no barrier in the heart, a broad and open road lies before the eyes. The gates of the Nine Heavens seem to be just overhead, and in the turn of a body one seems to arrive beside the Jade Emperor, attending upon him.

Zhongtianmen Peak (Middle Heavenly Gate Peak)

At the first pass, one suspects one has already climbed to the dwelling of the sovereign; mist and rosy clouds drift faintly, as if encircling the jade palaces of the immortal realm. The climb is like a dragon's crouching and a tiger's coiling, like a magpie ascending to its nest, as though borrowing the power of flying immortals to step into the blue heavens.

Zuantian Wuli (Five Li Piercing the Heavens)

Climbing past several tiers of cliffs, one arrives where the emerald green stands tall; only half a stage of the post road remains, and one may gaze leisurely. Ascending the high terrace and passing through the hollow openings of the empty rock, in a moment one is above the blue sky.

Feisheng Terrace (Ascension Terrace)

At the very summit of the precious mountain stands a celestial palace, with tiers of furnaces and cauldrons arranged like a miniature Hua and Song (Mount Hua and Mount Song). It took forty-two years to walk the length of these steps; amid the colored clouds, one seems to hear the cries of luan birds and the long calls of phoenixes.

Shangtianmen (Upper Heavenly Gate)

Having reached the highest pass, one must still press on; above the nine empyreans there is yet a third realm. Here one's height seems to surpass the sun and moon, with clouds and mists all fallen beneath one's feet; and further above, what heaven could be higher than Yuqing (Jade Purity)?

Dading (Great Summit)

Great Wudang stands towering like a pillar of heaven, encircled by a thousand cliffs and ten thousand ravines, the elder among the many mountains. It rises loftily to receive the heavens and embodies the sacred Dao; and it seems that the Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heaven (Xuantian Shangdi) is here assisting the Jade Emperor.

Dading Shengtan (Sacred Altar of the Great Summit)

At the end of the solitary peak, the atmosphere is majestic and solemn; people from the four seas look up toward this place, none without feeling awe. The radiance of the divine eye shines across a hundred thousand li, and true spirits gather on the summit wreathed in five-colored auspicious clouds.

Wangmu Palace (Palace of the Queen Mother)

Grand Summit Sacred Altar

The peak rises high and alone, majestic and formidable. People throughout the world look up to this place with awe. Even from ten thousand li away, one seems to feel the lightning-bright gaze of the divine eyes. Many true spirits gather atop the Five-Cloud Peak.

Palace of the Queen Mother

Peaks stand in ranks, green pines grow thick, and the mountain colors are cool and clear. After feasting at the Jasper Pool, the Queen Mother (Xiwangmu) returned riding a azure phoenix. In her immortal palace grow the immortal peaches, which are said to transform one's very bones and flesh. The poet uses this image to wish that people enjoy peace and long life year after year.

Horse-Striking Peak

Lu Cuiwei (the figure in the poem) once waited at the Golden Gate for an imperial summons. His jade-adorned carriage halted among the mountains, then set out to meet the morning light. Suddenly a road in the clouds drew his steed galloping upward. Content and fulfilled, he rode toward the heavens, swift as if in flight.

Wangzhou Peak

This is the land where the imperial ancestors arose, joined to Junyang (a place name). It is the homeland where the sage opened the way of moral teaching, as dear as a parent's native village. Whenever the emperor ascends to the summit, feelings of remembrance stir within. May this resting place for ten thousand years be ever protected, and may its incense offerings gather and never disperse.

Zixiao Peak

The rocks tower like multistoried halls, as though wings were joined together. Looking down from the mountain, one sees clouds drifting over the plain, layer upon layer like five-colored mists. This place seems a dwelling opened up within a realm of misty immortals, and the vast sky seems close at hand.

Zixiao Crag

The crag soars into the clouds, as if leaning against the Dipper's ladle stars. Its ground is covered in green moss, a place where those who cultivate the true path dwell in peace and delight in the Dao. The immortals call it the palace halls of Heaven, where the wind, rain, and sunlight of the human world seem never to appear.

Taiqing Crag

The Great Red Heaven (Daichi Tian, one of the heavens described in Daoism) lies hidden in the deep and distant haze. Even earthly immortals cannot cross the fierce celestial winds to reach it. Here, instead, a body is set at the top of the cloud-wreathed mountain, as if a temple had been conjured forth to honor the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning and to enshrine the Celestial Worthy of the Dao and De.

Zixiao Palace of Benevolent Sages

The sage-master guides people to this lofty height, where cloud-capped peaks surge around like emerald waves. The palace faces south and sits in an upright, honored position. It seems like Fangzhang and Yingzhou, the immortal isles of the sea, spanning the back of the great golden turtle.

Secret Hall of Wind and Thunder

The patriarchs built this pavilion through the transmission of the mind-method, and it reaches high into the blue sky. Zhen and Xun represent thunder and wind respectively. Here the might of thunder and wind is deployed, commanding the myriad spirits. Climbing Zixiao Peak to receive the sacred decree in person, one feels as though one's own body has become a key post at the pivot of the heavens.

Lingxu Crag

The cave's windows are delicately open and transparent, as though sun and moon hung side by side. Who can enclose the deep clouds and mists and bring them down to the mortal world? Within the human heart, in a space of a mere inch, is where the spirits dwell. The jade halls of Heaven likewise appear and vanish in the clouds, like this misty window.

Zixu Palace

When the spiritual altar of Chu was newly built and the teachings first began to spread, the shrine must have been grand in scale. Now only ruins like a castle in the air remain. Where could one ever see again the splendor of those days?

Zixu Rock (Zixu Yan)

The peaks tower high, set precisely in the Qian and Dui directions of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams). The mountain winds upward in coils, like a dwelling place of the gods. The Jade Hall of heaven seems to open its windows through the mist.

Zixu Palace (Zixu Gong)

When the spiritual altar of Chu was newly built and the teachings first began to spread, the shrine must have been grand in scale. Now only ruins like a castle in the air remain. Where could one ever see again the splendor of those days?

Zixu Rock

The peaks tower high, set precisely in the Qian and Dui directions. The mountain range coils and stretches on, as if winding its way from fifty thousand li away. This seems to be the first dwelling for cultivating truth that Heaven opened, where a person, seated on a single mat, might face the Sovereign of the Nine Heavens.

Taihe Rock (Taihe Yan)

Among a thousand mountains and ten thousand ravines, the peaks and cliffs are lovely and extraordinary. The place still keeps the peaceful, harmonious air of ancient times, like the "spring terrace" of which Laozi spoke. It is also as though one had long dwelt in the golden age of Yao and Shun.

Crown Prince Rock (Taizi Yan)

The cliffs and gorges are dim and deep, and the terrain seems secluded and still. Here the Crown Prince studied the Dao and sought immortality, and afterward ascended to become Xuantian Shangdi, the Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heaven. Among all the rulers of the ages, how many have lived as long as he?

Wangyun Peak (Cloud-Gazing Peak)

Clouds drift out from the mountain caves. They seem to have no intention, yet they follow their own course. The Qi (vital energy) of heaven and earth spreads widely and reaches in every direction. As cloud vapor slowly rises between the cliffs and gullies, it is an ideal moment to burn incense and sit in stillness on the summit to watch it.

Cuiyun Rock (Cuiyun Yan)

Human affairs in the world are tangled and ever-changing, and in an instant white clothes turn into a gray hound in the clouds. Only the pure and numinous Qi endures through the ages, faintly reflecting the immortal palace of compassion and benevolence.

Yanchang Palace (Yanchang Gong)

The elixir in the golden cauldron has been refined away, and the dragon and tiger seem to have fallen cold and silent. Now one burns incense and sits in stillness beneath the pines, gazing at the scenery.

Cuiyun Rock

Human affairs in the world are tangled and ever-changing, and in an instant white clothes turn into a gray hound in the clouds. Only the pure and numinous Qi endures through the ages, faintly reflecting the immortal palace of compassion and benevolence.

Yanchang Palace

The elixir in the golden cauldron has been refined away, and the dragon and tiger seem to have fallen cold and silent. This immortal altar is now empty, still, and aged. Who knows when the Penglai Hall will open again, so that one may gaze up at the five-colored auspicious clouds and wish for lasting peace and health?

Wangding Peak

The peaks pile up in purple and emerald, and those who climb them differ in character. Yet everyone reveres this place, hoping to study, cultivate themselves, and become worthy men. The highest peak ahead is where the worthy look up to the sage. But the peak soars so high into the clouds that in the end only Heaven is there.

Fuchao Peak

With sleeves full of heavenly fragrance, one walks out of the palace gate, and joyfully meets the Queen Mother of the West at a banquet on western Kunlun. One's heart still longs for the imperial court, and one still holds a loyal heart, hurrying from one court assembly to the next to meet the Most Honored One.

Taichang Office (Taichang Fu)

献纳司（负责进言与典章事务的官署）位列日月之旁，夷、夔（舜时掌管礼乐的贤臣）与群臣在舜的朝班中相联。白云洞的官员守护着白云洞：身处名山，所担负的职责却在天界。

佑圣府

This office governs the Northern Culmen of the heavens and holds charge of Tianshu (the pivot of the northern sky). The Pivot Court of the Northern Culmen (a celestial government office) bears the same duties. Divine generals hurry back and forth, relaying the commands of the thunder deities; across the Three Realms, how many confidential documents are processed here.

元和迁校府

This office ensures that all things between heaven and earth receive balanced nurture and transformation; it is located in the heavens. The true immortals whose names are entered in the immortal registers all receive favor and commendation. When the sovereign holds court to assess his officials, above the Jade Capital (the immortal realm where the Celestial Sovereign dwells) there are always capable men like Kui and Gao (Kui and Gao Yao, worthy ministers of Shun's era) to assist him.

佑圣府

This office governs the Northern Culmen of the heavens and holds charge of Tianshu. The Pivot Court of the Northern Culmen bears the same duties. Divine generals hurry back and forth, relaying the commands of the thunder deities; across the Three Realms, how many confidential documents are processed here.

元和迁校府

This office ensures that all things between heaven and earth receive balanced nurture and transformation, and the true immortals entered in the immortal registers all receive favor and commendation. Whenever the sovereign holds court to assess his officials, the Jade Capital in the heavens always has worthy ministers like Kui and Gao.

天乙真庆宫

The Celestial Sovereign dwells in the Ziwei Enclosure (the stellar enclosure where the Celestial Sovereign resides), above the northern position of Kan. The numinous qi of the four seas is distributed in every place, and ten thousand waterways all take their source here. A single strand of the vital qi of the Primordial Beginning (the original state before heaven and earth were separated) transforms into water, nourishing all things for ten thousand years, like rain and dew falling everywhere and bestowing grace upon the world.

威烈王庙

In life he was devout and exacting, resolved to revere the mysterious Dao (the Way); by the grace of imperial favor, he was permitted to guard the sacred mountain through the passing of kalpas. His spirit is silent, without form or sound, so remote as to be unfathomable; yet the might of thunder, lightning, and wind seems to be right before one's eyes.

云窟庵

It lies hidden deep within the sacred mountains, and no one knows which range it is among; the thatched hut is tightly shut, and all traces of its dweller are concealed. What coils in the dark, deep cave was probably, in a former life, a five-dragon.

紫霄灵泉

From beneath the rock wells up half a pool of clear spring water; even if the mountain itself were worn away by vast upheavals, as when the blue sea turns to dust, this spring would never run dry. Its trickling waters suffice to sustain tens of thousands of beings, and its wondrous efficacy reaches in all directions, remaining so through the passing of countless autumn moons.

九渡涧

The cranes drew his carriage far away and never returned; the crown prince (the heir apparent) became an immortal and went to White Cloud Mountain. How could a stream block his path back to his beloved mother's side? When he reaches the celestial palace, he will surely behold her sacred countenance.

九波务

Yaohua (the jade-like radiance of the immortal realm) shines from afar across the emerald bend of the stream, and several times has let its light fall upon these waters. Take a handful of spring water and brew it into wine, and one drinks and is drunk for a thousand days; even the old guest of Xinfeng (an old traveler from a classical allusion) could regain a youthful face because of it.

展旗峰

Seven rocky peaks are scattered like stars across the sky, towering high, so that one looks up to them and leans upon them for support; the great standard (the chief banner of an army) is raised high, escorting the Six Flying Steeds (a term for the sovereign's carriage). When the banners unfurl, they seem to spread out and fill the six directions (the four quarters of heaven and earth); when they are waved, the wind rises and the rain stops, and their majesty shines forth to the heavens.

千年艾

Spirits dwell in the mountains, and so the plants and trees there seem touched with spiritual power. A single pill is enough to increase one's strength, with effects almost comparable to ginseng or poria. Its branches and leaves are all bound up with human life, as though the living force of the Way (Dao) lay at its roots, enabling a person to enjoy long life.

Ten-Thousand-Year Pine

The essence of heaven and earth gathers here, growing mixed in among the wild fleabane. Is its worth found only in towering into the clouds? Even when withered for a time, it can regain its vitality; it endures wind and frost without aging, because its roots are firm.

Venus Stone (Jinxing Stone)

Pure, unyielding qi (vital energy) condenses into a marvelous form, and the Taibai star of the west (Venus) sends up an auspicious radiance. The light it gives off fills heaven and earth, and Mount Hua (Huashan) flourishes because of it, becoming a place of treasure.

Silver Star Stone

In former times it was presented to Liangzhou together with fine jade; now it remains at the summit of the sacred mountain as its guardian. Each piece is a treasure of the world, as precious as cinnabar, and its auspicious light illuminates the sky throughout the night.

Pine Moss (Songluo)

Ten thousand strands hang down like silk, suspended amid the blue-green mist of the clouds. After thousands of years, they are still light and unfurling. They bring broad blessings, like wearing court robes and holding high office; their shadow seems to reach the golden gates of heaven (the palace of the Celestial Emperor) and all the lands of the world.

The Not-Empty Bird

Daoism reveres Laozi and Zhuangzi and values emptiness and non-being; one who diligently does good may also be called a sage like Shun. Look at the crow, who seems to convey the principle beyond words: the three thousand merits (accumulated good deeds and virtue) truly depend on genuine practice.

The Crow

It comes to the Wutong Terrace (the legendary high platform where the phoenix perches) to serve and run errands, holding a post like that of the phoenix, responsible for welcoming guests. When those who come to pay court to the Celestial Emperor arrive, it calls out the announcement in flocks, leading the ranks of cranes to have audience with the Sage Venerable.

Half a Musical Score

This music is elegant, a rare and beautiful sound in the world. It is not played on bamboo pipes or silk strings, but is the voice of birds of five colors. Like the Shao music and its dances, it gathers the celebratory feeling of the many birds, holding the spirit of the phoenix arriving in ceremony (the phoenix descending in response to an auspicious omen).

The Bird My Teacher

The Great Way (Dao) is present everywhere, and it dwells in the nature of all things; even the smallest creature must have something worthy of respect. The merit of transforming and nurturing all things is the same as the way heaven covers and earth bears them. Living between heaven and earth, who could possibly stand beyond Qian and Kun (heaven and earth)?

The White Pheasant Parrot

Clad in robes of pure emerald plumage, it is a spirit bird from Yizhou, guarding the sacred mountain and the perfected sages (realized immortals who have attained the Way) to the east. It transforms into a phoenix that flies in the courtyard and nests in the pavilions, using its two wings to protect the emperor's carriage as it ascends to the Heavenly River.

Lingshou Staff (a walking stick made from lingshou wood)

An old tree as sturdy as a lofty pine, like an elder who has weathered many years; its vital essence seems to gather the Taiyi (the primordial Qi (vital energy) of Daoist thought). Fortunately, this ancient staff never fell into the hands of treacherous men like Kong Guang to be defiled. The years of cultivation in the mountains seem as long as heaven itself.

Qianlin Tree (a legendary divine tree of the upper realms)

This is a marvelous tree of the higher realms, as if it grew in an immortal grove adorned with the seven treasures. Its branches are like jade, its leaves like lapis glass. Were the Great Peak (one of the main peaks of Wudang Mountain) not perched high in the heavens, how could such a singular spirit tree grow?

Pine of the Steadied Heart

The green pine stands tall like a vigorous, heroic figure. It leans on a stone that seems to have no foundation, yet rises ten thousand feet. Leaning against it feels like climbing Mount Tai, where one looks up and sees the distant sky; it holds up its emerald canopy in the air, its trunk firm as iron.

Cloud Bamboo Staff

This bamboo staff is tinged with purple throughout, hidden among forests and springs as though blessed by heaven. In times of danger it can support the state, and it also symbolizes the worthy who steady the world. Now that the roads of the world are smooth and the course of heaven is calm, Elder Ge (Ge Xianweng, an immortal of Daoist legend) earnestly invites it to accompany the immortals.

Heavenly Lamp

Between shadowy cliffs and deep valleys, a stream murmurs along. When night falls, it is as though eight exquisite, translucent windows have opened on every side, and suddenly one sees divine light shifting in the ninefold heavens, a few tongues of flame as bright as silver lamps.

Stone Lamp Wick

Inch by inch it is hard, as if it had a resolute heart, and the very substance of the Dao is revealed through it. Its light is inexhaustible and shines in all directions. The oil is unceasing like orchid balm, and the flame burns on without dying; it shines bright for ten thousand ages, as if heaven and earth were forever held in the clarity of early dawn.

Huangjing (Solomon's Seal) (a plant commonly used in Daoist diet and health cultivation)

The shoots of huangjing carry pure Yang energy, as if sleeping peacefully beside the deer; its rootstock is plump, grown over many years. Simmered at night in the stove beneath the moonlight, it can replace the "green essence rice" (a food of Daoist legend for health cultivation) and serve as a method of cultivating immortality and nourishing life.

Cangzhu Decoction (a medicine decocted from herbs)

Plants once as lowly as weeds can become as precious as gold and jade. Refined through the control of fire, they become the medium for shedding the mortal frame and becoming an immortal. Brewed to maturity in the great cauldron of creation, the medicine of long life is not found only on the immortal isle of Penglai.

Black Tiger Elixir (an elixir named for the "black tiger")

Its might is awe-inspiring, as if it surpassed bears and grizzlies; at dusk it still lingers in the wilds, by walls and mountain cliffs. Take a single dose and it is as if tiger fangs and claws spring up to attack the illness; ordinary aches and itches are as helpless as the donkey of Qian.

Chuanxiong Cakes (medicinal cakes made from chuanxiong; the original text writes "川芍饼")

Weakness and pain in the head and eyes are the most miserable of afflictions, yet the medicines of the immortals have a powerful strength to drive out illness. The cakes are white as snow, a treasure produced in Shu; there is no need to speak of "initiation by anointing the crown" or the Three Vehicles (Buddhist paths of practice), for the potency of the medicine itself brings the cure.

Aiye Decoction Pills (pills made from mugwort and other herbs; "元" may refer to the pill form)

Even among thorns and tangled weeds, medicines such as ginseng and poria lie hidden; this is a place where heaven and earth nurture their essence and where spiritual energy gathers. Even a stubborn illness of seven years can be treated with medicine refined over the furnace fire, and its efficacy deserves to be recorded in painted annals.

Sweet Tea

Those who cultivate the Way and seek the Dao are content with a simple, plain life, and in it they can still savor a marvel as subtle as that of the immortal realms. With their own hands they plant rare spirit herbs and gather blossoms as fair as jade. Since ancient times, these things have brought sweetness to the palate and nourished the common people far and wide.

Illustrated Map of Wudang

Climbing through tier upon tier of lofty heights, one surveys Taihe Mountain (another name for Mount Wudang). The mountain paths wind and coil, and eight hundred li of rivers and peaks lie fully in view. The scenery within the mountain is richly varied, splendid as brocade and embroidery, more than poems can ever fully express. Can a single painting truly capture all of it?

The breeze and moonlight of the mountain are deeply moving and often stir the heart to reflection, while the mists and clouds shift endlessly, beyond all telling. If one can look beyond the picture while viewing it, one will understand that the delight of the mountain's scenery far exceeds what the painting shows.