《四明洞天丹山圖詠集》
About this page. The original text of 《四明洞天丹山圖詠集》 (Dongxuan 洞玄部, 1 volume) is shown in Classical Chinese as transmitted in the Kanripo (Kyoto University) edition. An English interpretation of the 25 passages on this page accompanies it: select a passage or press “Interpretation” to show it. All texts in English
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Vol. 1
Situated along the eastern coastline, Siming Mountain (四明山) derives its name—meaning "Fourfold Radiance"—from four naturally formed caverns that allow sunlight to penetrate the mountain's core. On clear days, these apertures resemble luminous windows when viewed from afar, earning them the local nickname "stone windows." During the Tang dynasty, this area became an administrative prefecture (modern-day Yuyao), later renamed Qingyuan Prefecture in the Song dynasty before being elevated to superior prefecture status in our current Yuan dynasty. Located a hundred li south of the prefectural seat, these illustrations depict the Daoist temple complex (祠宇观) at its foothills—one showing its Yuan-era construction and another its Tang-era relocation, collectively termed the Siming Mountain Diagrams.
According to records by Mu Xuanxu (an Eastern Jin Daoist theorist), Siming ranks ninth among the Thirty-Six Grotto-Heavens (洞天)—sacred mountains where transcendents dwell—revered as the "Cinnabar Mountains and Crimson Waters." Connected to the Great Orchid Mountain (大兰山), its serpentine ridges span 380 li with 280 peaks, the tallest reaching 210 zhang. Perpetual clouds shroud its slopes, particularly a 20-li zone where mists never disperse—called "Cloud South" and "Cloud North" respectively. A 30-li ridge walk reveals landmarks: the Three Terraces Peak, Screen Peak, Stone Chamber Peak, and Cloud Root Peak. Between the latter two, a waterfall cascades like the Milky Way beside the Murmuring Grotto (潺湲洞), while the Three Terraces Peak neighbors a dragon-deep pool (龙湫).
In the Eastern Han, Liu Gang—a former magistrate of Shangyu from Xiapi—abandoned officialdom to dwell with his wife Fan Yunqiao near the Murmuring Grotto, studying transcendence arts under Master Bai. A nearby stream still bears traces of their herb-washing. Upon mastering the Dao, they ascended Great Orchid's summit with companions. Climbing a giant cedar, Liu achieved feathered ascent first, then summoned his wife—both attaining immortality. Their discarded shoes transformed into a recumbent tiger below, prompting locals to name the site "Ascension Mountain" and the tree "Ascension Cedar." A shrine and "Fan Pavilion" commemorated them. Later, Liang-dynasty recluse Kong You resided here, witnessing valley coins turning to rubble when gathered, and healing an arrow-struck deer that returned to the wild—memorialized by a Deer Pavilion beside the shrine.
During the Chen dynasty's Yongding era (557–559 CE), an imperial decree expanded the shrine into a full Daoist temple (祠宇观), hence its hybrid name. In Tang Tianbao 3 (744 CE), court emissaries found the mountain path treacherous, ordering Daoist Cui Xian and hermit Li Jian to relocate the temple complex beyond the Murmuring Grotto for easier access.
This passage documents the historical origins and cultural landscape of Siming Mountain, one of Daoism's sacred grotto-heavens (dongtian). During the Song dynasty, a Daoist priest named Wu Zhenyang (Daoist name Hunpuzi) studied under Celestial Master (Tianshi) Zhang Xujing before traveling and settling here. Though Emperor Huizong summoned him to court, he declined the appointment. In 1116 (the sixth year of the Zhenghe era), the imperial court expanded the Daoist temple complex, constructing a Jade Emperor Hall and inscribing the plaque "Grotto-Heaven of Crimson Waters in the Cinnabar Mountains."
The text mentions two deified immortals: Liu Gang, posthumously honored as "Perfected Lord of Ascending Mystery and Illuminated Righteousness," and his wife Lady Fan, titled "Primordial Lady of Ascending Truth and Wondrous Transformation." Hunpuzi himself received the honorary title "Lang of the Cinnabar Grove," along with imperial decrees prohibiting woodcutting and granting tax exemptions for the area. Later, Southern Song Chancellor Zhang Jun (posthumously titled Duke of Wei) petitioned through Hunpuzi's disciple Kong Rong, securing for him the title of "Perfected One" (Zhenren) and permission to ordain one Daoist successor annually.
The mountain is home to qingling trees bearing sweet fruit and a rare creature called the ju monkey. During the Tang dynasty's Xiantong era (860-874), recluse Xie Yichen dwelled here, frequently visited by poets Lu Guimeng and Pi Rixiu, who each composed nine commemorative poems. Song dynasty poet Lu You also recorded the mountain's scenery.
The author describes viewing Siming's main peak, Dalan Mountain, veiled in mist while sailing past Qingyuan Bay (modern Ningbo waters). Later in the capital, encountering Xue Yifu and seeing two landscape paintings brought by Master Mao Yongzhen (then abbot of the temple), he felt profound longing to drink from its pure springs and commune with its wondrous creatures—though official duties prevented the journey.
The conclusion laments how contemporary scholars obsess over rank and wealth, incapable of either Liu Gang's transcendence or the poetic immersion of Pi Rixiu and Lu Guimeng, explaining why transcendent beings mock worldly pursuits. These records are preserved for future generations seeking the Daoist path.
A postscript notes Siming Mountain's alternate name "Crimson Waters Heaven," with 280 interconnected peaks bearing traces of immortals. The Poetic Anthology of the Cinnabar Mountains in Siming Grotto-Heaven was compiled by Tang dynasty scholar Mu Xuanxu with commentary by He Zhizhang.
According to ancient records, this mountain range features seventy peaks on each of its four sides, totaling two hundred and eighty summits, their undulating ridges resembling a folding screen. The eastern slopes appear like surging waves, with seventy towering peaks emerging intermittently from the clouds and mist. A mountain stream flows past Gouzhang (an ancient place name), where the sacred virtue (De) of two immortals manifested.
These two transcendents were Dong An and Bao Quan. Bao Quan was renowned for his noble character, while Dong An was celebrated for his filial piety. The recorded history of Siming Mountain (Four Luminaries Mountain) reveals that as early as the Eastern Han dynasty, numerous terrestrial immortals (earthbound transcendents who attained the Dao) emerged from this region.
Legend tells of Wang Yin, a general under Qin Shihuang, who attempted to drive these mountains to fill the sea here. He drowned in the attempt, buried beneath the waves without completing his monumental task. Thus the river came to be named Yin River, which persists to this day. Siming Mountain was anciently called Gouzhang, and the Yin River flows from here to the sea.
The Still Water Cave before Dalei Mountain (Great Thunder Mountain) derives its name from the Southern Dynasty poet Xie Tiao, who once secluded himself here for study. The springs of Daci Stream (modern Cixi) all originate from this area. Originally, Dalei Mountain teemed with wild beasts, and hunters often defiled its caves until a celestial being summoned thunderous rains to stop them, giving the mountain its name. From the Eastern Han through the Jin dynasty, numerous virtuous adepts attained the Dao while dwelling in seclusion here. The mountain still conceals mystical sites like the Golden Rooster Cave.
Several peaks resemble lotus blossoms, their contours connecting with Lizhou Cave (Pear Grove Cave). A crystal-clear spring flows through the mountain streams below, sustaining hundreds of households in peaceful prosperity. Furong Peak (Lotus Peak) neighbors Lizhou Cave. During the Jin dynasty, a certain Master Sun Wu encountered pear trees bearing fruit while wandering the mountain. After eating two or three pears, he felt completely satiated—when he turned to look again, the trees had vanished, thus naming the site.
Towering Mi Rock Peak holds a stone casket containing celestial honey (xianmi, the legendary nectar of immortals) at its summit, said to have once altered celestial phenomena. Below lies the hundred-zhang-deep Dragon Pool where locals often prayed for rain. Deeper still is a stone pool containing a hidden chamber housing divine scriptures. Legend says Wang Zhen, a recluse from Emperor Yu's era, once opened this chamber and marveled at its mystical texts.
The southwestern ridges resemble charging oxen, their uneven heights interconnecting. Between the seventy peaks of varying sizes run two passages linking Yuezhou (an ancient province). The foothills border Yuyao and Shangyu counties, with convenient land and water transport. The Egg-Shaped Turtle Mountain conceals extraordinary rock formations of countless forms, said to contain three... (original text fragmentary here)
This passage describes the mystical landscapes and immortal legends of Siming Mountain (one of Daoism's Thirty-Six Grotto-Heavens). On its five peaks, immortals were said to roam daily, while the southwestern ridges boasted fantastical peaks drifting in and out of clouds like apparitions.
During the Han Dynasty, Zhang Pingzi (the astronomer Zhang Heng) once felled trees here, leaving behind purple-golden timber remnants that emitted strange resonances. Guarded by four stone lions, these sacred logs miraculously resisted decay through worldly calamities. The mountain streams were lined with hairy bamboos and grew various immortal herbs and spiritual fruits. Legend tells how Zhang Chong once carved a five-inch butterfly from this wood, only to see the carving suddenly take flight toward heaven.
Among the emerald cliffs stood thousand-foot stone screens that blotted out the sun, their crevices bearing miraculous fruits that could satisfy hunger, while mountain springs connected directly to the sea. The Jin Dynasty alchemist Ge Hong (revered as Immortal Elder Ge) once witnessed six-to-seven-foot-long fish here, which the mountain deity explained swam upstream from oceanic connections.
In the Wei Kingdom period, Yang Dezu encountered two immortals carrying torches in search of a golden blade along these trails. Deciphering their symbolic message - "two fires make 'flame' (炎), golden blade means 'Shan'" - he consequently named this area Shan Creek. The southern slopes held seventy peaks resembling a flock of sheep. Han herbalists Liu Chen and Ruan Zhao famously gathered herbs here, meeting immortals; their seven-day celestial sojourn spanned three mortal centuries, returning to find their seventh-generation descendants.
The mountain also concealed acre-sized pools where cave-dwelling immortal snakes exhaled mist that formed cloud pavilions. Locals called it Mat Creek after immortal-woven mats (簟) reportedly floated downstream. White cliffs cascaded with ribbon-like waterfalls into Purple Creek, where one bowl-shaped peak grew chaotic tangles of flora. Two peaks named Great Obscurity and Lesser Obscurity remained perpetually veiled in mist, confounding even seasoned woodcutters' navigation.
This passage describes the marvelous sights and immortal legends of Siming Mountain (a renowned Daoist mountain in present-day Ningbo, Zhejiang).
Within the mountain lies a stone bed several zhang in length, often shrouded in auspicious clouds. During the Song dynasty, a visitor suddenly witnessed the scenery transform into extraordinary beauty, only for it to vanish in an instant, leaving the sky dark and foreboding. Terrified, the traveler dared not linger, giving rise to the mountain's nickname "Great and Lesser Obscurity." The Purple Stream, also known as White Water, is said to be where celestial beasts like rhinoceroses appear. Legend tells of a man named Fan Yan from the Liang dynasty who captured a rhinoceros here. Its hide was made into a robe that granted invisibility—wearers would vanish completely from sight—earning the mountain another name: "Hidden Robe Mountain."
The northern slopes twist like a meandering serpent, with endless layers of peaks said to number seventy in total. The terrain resembles entwined fishing nets or two serpents coiled together. Two mountains stand facing each other, divided by a ravine that forms a natural barrier. At the summit of Baozishan, a stone chamber houses the Sweet Spring, whose waters taste like celestial nectar. Zheng Hong, an ancient seeker of immortality, once discovered this sacred spring here; drinking from it was said to confer longevity. The stone chamber also once held sacred images, though in recent times, sightings of divine manifestations have grown rare.
At the heart of Siming Mountain lies Fuhushan, covered in bluish stones. Legend claims that carving seven apertures into these stones would summon auspicious clouds, with each opening capable of summoning wind and rain. The mountain's red stones and cypress wood also bear seven apertures—for according to the Classic of Mountains and Seas, a mountain without such openings cannot be counted among the renowned peaks. Tales speak of a stone vault storing ancient texts and another holding salt of such sweetness that it could turn white hair black and reverse aging. The recluse Mei Fu of the Han dynasty once stayed overnight here and glimpsed countless hidden books, while a woodcutter named He Xin discovered immortal salt—though when he returned, it had vanished without a trace. The mountain is also home to a twisted log over twenty zhang long that emits a radiant glow at night, illuminating the surrounding peaks.
The caverns winding through the mountain's core often emit radiant light, visible to all who pass. This mountain range connects eastward to Gouzhang (an ancient place name), extends westward to the cave dwellings of Emperor Shun, links southward with the earth veins of Tiantai Mountain, and circles northward around emerald peaks. People cherish this numinous land where sages and celestial immortals frequently appear and disappear.
This describes the four boundaries of Siming Mountain (its eastern, western, southern and northern extents). The entire mountain spans eight hundred li, with countless miraculous events and auspicious signs recorded since antiquity.
During King Jing of Zhou's reign, a righteous man named Yichang traveled here, becoming the first recorded cultivator to achieve Daoist ascension from this mountain. Later in the Han Dynasty, Mei Fu also practiced here. One night in his chamber, he dreamed of a man revealing: "Yichang of Zhou achieved his feathery transformation in this very stone chamber, with his remains concealed in the celestial well." At dawn, Mei Fu indeed discovered undecayed bones in the well and gave them proper burial.
In the Eastern Han, Liu Gang (courtesy name Bojing), magistrate of Shangyu County, and his wife Fan Yunqiao retreated to Siming Mountain for cultivation, both attaining the Dao. One day at Dalan Hill, they climbed a giant tree and ascended as immortals.
Records of Liu Gang: Bojing of Xiadi first lived in seclusion at Siming Mountain before serving as Shangyu magistrate. After years studying under Master Bai, upon achieving the Dao he bid farewell at a feast with relatives. After the banquet, he climbed a hundred-foot fir tree, raised his hand in farewell, and soared into the clouds. His wife Lady Fan, equally skilled in Daoist arts, ascended with him. The present-day Baishui Temple preserves their legacy (documented in Ge Hong's Biographies of Divine Immortals and Baishui Temple inscriptions).
A eulogy reads: How far separates man from heaven? Both dwell within one cosmos. Mortals constrained by senses cannot discern illusion from truth. When Duke Liu ascended to the Dao, it was but visiting a neighbor's home—like pouring water into water, where like substances naturally merge.
Regarding Song Dynasty's Master Kong: Kong You (great-grandson of Jingkang), a man of peerless virtue, lived in seclusion at Siming Mountain. Once he saw hundreds of hu-measures of copper coins in a valley, yet regarded them as clay tiles. When woodcutters scrambled for them, the coins turned to sand in their hands. Another time, an arrow-wounded deer sought his aid—he nursed it to full recovery. When Governor Wang Sengqian offered him a magistrate position, he declined. His son Daohui, friend of Du Jingqi, inherited his noble character.
This passage documents the historical legends and Daoist heritage of Siming Mountain (located in present-day Yuyao, Zhejiang). Seventy li south of Yuyao city lies a mountain range with 280 connected peaks, named "Siming Grotto-Heaven" because four light-permeating caves adorn its central summit. Legend says when Emperor Qin Shi Huang dispatched Wang Yin to move mountains and fill seas, the mountain deities fled here, hence its alternate name "Ghost-Hiding Mountain."
During the Han dynasty, Liu Gang (courtesy name Bojing), the magistrate of Shangyu County, achieved immortality through Daoist cultivation here. When his wife Fan ascended to heaven, her dropped wooden sandal transformed into a tiger. The imperial court established a shrine for worship. In the Southern Song dynasty, recluse Kong You witnessed coins turning to rubble when gathered by woodcutters, and once healed a spirit-deer wounded by arrows. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang relocated the shrine to the mountain's base considering the original site too remote.
Song dynasty hermit Xie Yichen dwelled here, receiving visits from literati like Lu Guimeng and Pi Rixiu who left poetic inscriptions. Emperor Huizong bestowed the plaque "Cinnabar Mountain and Vermilion Waters Grotto-Heaven" during the Zhenghe era, constructing a Jade Emperor Hall and burying ritual implements including golden dragons and jade tablets. Yuan dynasty rulers continued sacrificial traditions with regular incense funding.
The text also records how Southern dynasty recluses Dao Hui and his nephew Zong maintained austere poverty, rejecting official posts. Encomiums praise their noble character in treating wealth as rubble, attributing this to ancestral virtue. These accounts collectively construct Siming Mountain's identity as a Daoist sacred site, revealing the fusion of eremitic traditions with natural spirituality.
This passage primarily recounts the sacred Daoist sites and associated figures of Siming Mountain (located in present-day Ningbo, Zhejiang).
The text mentions Daoist Master Mao Yongzhen, who originally hailed from Sanhua Daoist Temple at Longhu Mountain (the ancestral seat of the Zhengyi tradition) in Jiangxi. Later, he expanded the Daoist temples on Siming Mountain. His disciple Wu Guogong commissioned an inscription to be carved into the mountain rocks, describing the mountain’s celestial scenery: its peaks and stone caves are exquisitely formed, with legends of immortals ascending amid swirling clouds, as well as mystical sights such as white cranes lingering and jade youths picking immortal fruits.
The author recalls meeting Mao Yongzhen while studying at Longhu Mountain in his youth. Twenty-eight years later, through Mao’s disciple, he learned that the master had retreated into seclusion in the mountains of Yuyao. Another twelve years passed before another disciple, Xue Yifu, brought a map of Siming Mountain and requested the author to supplement the records. The text lists several Daoist relics on Siming Mountain: the site where Liu Gang and his wife (a Han-dynasty magistrate of Shangyu, said to have attained the Dao here), Kong You (a Tang-dynasty recluse), and the shrine built by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang once stood. It also mentions Nanlei, where the Tang recluse Xie Yichen lived in seclusion, as well as scenic peaks like Dalei Peak and Santai Peak.
Finally, the passage notes that Siming Mountain boasts thirty-six major peaks, with its northeastern range extending 130 li (about 65 kilometers) to form 280 subsidiary peaks—all revered as sacred lands for Daoist cultivation. The entire text vividly portrays Siming Mountain as a time-honored Daoist grotto-heaven (dongtian) and blessed land (fudi), steeped in the atmosphere of transcendence.
This passage documents the immortal lineage and historical development of Siming Mountain (one of Daoism's sacred grotto-heavens). The mountain has three entry points from the southwest, north, and east—the approach from Yuyao being called Western Siming. The text supplements previously unrecorded details: During the Song dynasty, Wu Zhenyang (Daoist name Hunpuzi), a disciple of Celestial Master (Tianshi) Xu Jing Zhang Gong, trained at Sanhua Daoist Temple on Dragon-Tiger Mountain before wandering to this mountain. Emperor Huizong of Song offered him official positions as Danlin Lang and Collator of the Ning Shen Hall, but he declined. Later, the court posthumously enshrined Liu Gang as the True Lord of Ascending Mystery and Illuminated Righteousness (Shengxuan Mingyi Zhenjun), with his wife Lady Fan honored as the Primordial Lady of Ascending Truth and Wondrous Transformation (Shengzhen Miaohua Yuanjun).
Chancellor Zhang Weigong maintained close ties with Zhu Kongrong, a disciple of Wu Zhenyang who later became venerated as a Perfected Being (Zhenren). His lineage was transmitted generationally in orderly succession. Wu Zhenyang built the Qinghui Pavilion beneath a waterfall and established the Shitian Mountain Retreat for meditation. After his time, Tang dynasty literati like Lu Guimeng and Pi Rixiu, Song dynasty figures like Xie Shihou, and Yuan dynasty scholar Huang Wenxiang all composed poetry here—works Wu intended to compile and preserve.
According to the Huiji Chronicles, locals commonly called this site White Water Palace (Baishui Gong) or White Water Stele Temple (Baishui Guan Bei). As temple and monastery functions overlapped, the author suggests unifying the name as White Temple (Bai Guan). Yuan official Wei Su mentions acquiring Records of Protecting Yue (Baoyue Lu) by provincial graduate Xu Mianzhi, reflecting how Siming Mountain—despite regional conflicts—remained as serenely detached as the Peach Blossom Spring of Wuling, prompting him to inscribe this account alongside his earlier commemorative text.
The appended Preface to Shitian Mountain Retreat Poems clarifies: Located a hundred li south of Yuyao Prefecture, Siming Mountain houses the Dan Mountain and Red Water Grotto-Heaven (Danshan Chishui Dongtian). Here, Han dynasty magistrate Liu Gang of Shangyu achieved ascension, leaving behind shrine temples. The adjacent Shitian Mountain Retreat was built by Venerable Master Mao Yongzhen. Originally, the 30th-generation Celestial Master Xu Jing transmitted the Daoist methods to Perfected Being Wu Hunpu of Shangqing Palace's Sanhua Temple, whose teachings were later inherited by the Ruan lineage disciples.
This passage recounts the history of Shitian Daoist Temple (Stone Field Temple) on Siming Mountain (also called Dan Mountain) during the Song Dynasty and the story of the recluse Master Mao. When Emperor Huizong heard of the mountain sage but found him unwilling to respond to imperial summons, he expanded the existing shrine. This temple originally developed from Sanhua Monastery, which locals regarded as the shrine's affiliated Daoist center.
During Emperor Renzong's peaceful reign, the two great Daoist masters—Celestial Master (Tianshi) Zhang and Celestial Master Wu—served successively as court officials. Zhenyi Master Zhu Benchu of Sanhua Monastery gained admiration from high-ranking ministers for his profound learning and literary grace, and Master Mao became his disciple. Both Celestial Masters held Mao in special esteem, issuing decrees appointing him to oversee the shrine's affairs. At the time, the temple was dilapidated, but under Mao's care, collapsed structures were rebuilt, damaged sections restored, and for forty years it remained impeccably maintained.
In his leisure, Master Mao cultivated stillness in his mountain retreat, burning incense and sitting in meditation, undisturbed by external matters. The temple's surroundings were serene: waterfalls cascaded like silver rivers between cliffs, while fantastically shaped boulders dotted the lower slopes. The area abounded with medicinal herbs like calamus, "river carts" (a medicinal plant), and lingzhi mushrooms, yet scarcely one or two in ten crops survived—hence its name "Stone Field." Later, Xue Yifu also retired here. Originally practicing on Baiwu Mountain (near Shangqing Palace), he was captivated by Shitian's tranquility, composing the first poems praising it. In the capital, he told literati: "Stone Field's scenery is peerless, Master Mao's virtue sublime—I intend to live out my days there," inspiring many to write commemorative verses.
The author cites Laozi's principle of "knowing the masculine but guarding the feminine" to illustrate how Daoist practitioners should seek emptiness and stillness, relinquishing splendor for serenity, willingly embracing desolate places to nurture spirit and preserve true nature. Few like Master Mao would forsake fertile lands and mansions during prosperous times for barren Stone Field. When war ravaged the land for a decade afterward—reducing once-wealthy Yangzhou and Henan clans to ruin, their estates and fields reduced to rubble—Master Mao's foresight became all the more evident.
The text emphasizes that Master Mao not only understood Daoist principles but embodied them. Dwelling in simple stone chambers, content with coarse food, he exemplified Laozi's ideal of "wearing coarse cloth yet harboring jade"—plain exterior concealing inner treasure. The author reflects: when people competed for rich fields and grand mansions in peaceful times, who could have guessed Master Mao's "Stone Field" was the true grotto-heaven?
This passage contains the preface written by Zeng Jian of the Yuan Dynasty for The Anthology of Poems and Illustrations of Siming Grotto-Heaven's Dan Mountain, along with Tang dynasty poetic works about Siming Mountain. Here is the modern interpretation:
In his preface, Zeng Jian laments how the cool terraces and warm chambers of Siming Mountain (a renowned Daoist sacred site in present-day Ningbo, Zhejiang) have now crumbled into ruins. Amidst wild grasses and drifting mists, one can only faintly imagine the former grandeur of the Stone Field Mountain Retreat. He praises the wisdom of Master Mao (the compiler), believing he has truly inherited the authentic teachings of their predecessors, and thus writes this preface to be delivered through Master Xue. The colophon dates it to the first day of the tenth lunar month in the 21st year of the Zhizheng era (1361).
The text then presents three sets of Tang dynasty poems depicting Siming Mountain:
Meng Jiao's Seeing Off Daoist Xiao Returning to Siming Mountain portrays the Daoist master Xiao Lianshi with a heart as detached as a lone crane and aspirations as lofty as mountain pines. Dwelling atop Siming's peaks, he companions with thousand-zhang cliffs and hundred-foot waterfalls, feeding on crimson snow (alchemical elixirs) while tilling clouds as his fields. Silent in meditation, aloof from worldly affairs, he often treads celestial paths to roam the heavens.
Liu Changqing's Wandering Through the Four Windows marvels at Siming's extraordinary landscapes: emerald cliffs leaning against the sky, massive boulders forming natural canopies. The grotto windows reveal vistas in all directions—the Winnowing Star (asterism) to the south, the Northern Dipper to the north, with sun and moon rising and setting east and west. Roaming freely with his half-unfastened headscarf, accompanied by clouds drifting aimlessly from the valleys, the poet suddenly forgets worldly honors and disgraces, laughing freely in the immortal winds.
Lu Guimeng's Nine Odes selects nine scenic wonders:
Stone Window describes the cavernous window (natural stone chamber) suspended in clear skies amid towering cliffs, where lingering clouds reflect sunset hues. This place connects to the legendary Round Mountain (fairy isle) and Square Citadel (Daoist paradise), frequented only by cultivators studying Daoist scriptures.
Passing Through Clouds depicts traversing sea-like mists where paths vanish in the depths, with only woodcutters' axes echoing on the wind. Morning dew soaks his robes, cold wine fails to intoxicate—after moments of quiet contemplation, he seems to glimpse the immortal Su Jun (possibly referring to Perfected Lord Su Lin).
South of the Clouds records crystal streams in the southern foothills rich with cinnabar deposits. At night one hears southern birds calling, while autumn mountain hazes shimmer. The poet imagines dwelling here permanently to gather sacred mushrooms himself.
Deer Pavilion describes the structure beneath cliffs where white deer (celestial beasts) often pass. The creatures sleep long in tender grasses while spring waters exude medicinal fragrances.
Through classic Daoist imagery—grotto-heavens, alchemical cinnabar, reclusive cultivation—these poems vividly portray Siming Mountain's numinous landscapes and transcendent atmosphere as a sacred Daoist site.
This poetic passage depicts the celestial scenery and ascetic life at Siming Mountain, one of Daoism's sacred grotto-heavens. The pavilions and terraces stand timeless, their origins unknown, while legends tell of cultivators achieving daylight ascension here. Even now, mountain hermits claim to witness immortals astride jade qilin steeds returning through the mist. Stone-milk vines cascade from pine boughs, tender lingzhi mushrooms sprout between rocks, yet no feathered robes flutter beyond the balustrades where seekers gaze.
Within the murmuring grotto, a waterfall plunges from cloud-wrapped cliffs, its endless song echoing like primordial celestial music. The cascades play twin-pipe harmonies and pluck sunset-hued zither strings, while spray scatters like dragon's spittle, dampening crane-feather robes through pine forests. Beneath the moon, unseen beings frolic in the waters—their chanting surely carried from Shangqing (Upper Clarity), one of the Three Pure Realms.
The mountain yields qinglingzi fruits encircling its ridges. Their jade-green rinds conceal flesh more exquisite than precious stones. When these fairy fruits fall, woodcutters gather them, startling roosting birds with their tapping. Surely celestial officials guard these treasures, harvesting them in season for heavenly offerings.
Famed throughout Siming Mountain, the juban monkeys drink together at mountain springs, their cries joyous rather than mournful. Wild vines dangle like fine tassels, cold springs gleam as polished jade. Which wandering cultivator might befriend these spiritual creatures as companions on the immortal path?
The Stone Window, carved by heaven and earth, sits framed by azure cliffs. Moss paints natural brocade, while rolling clouds form gauze curtains. Moonlight breathes through its lattice, its doorless frame greeting dawn's glow unbidden. Such divine craftsmanship surely connects to the dwellings of jade maidens.
Through twenty li of cloud-choked caverns, the cultivator walks alone. Deer tracks vanish in moments, human voices fade within inches. His staff parts emerald mists as faint celestial radiance stains his robe. Though long seeking without encountering transcendents, perhaps he's already entered layered immortal citadels unseen.
South of the cloud sea where streams flow backward, even migrating geese avoid the peaks. Villagers harvest crimson spirit herbs and drink from the ageless spring. Children retain primal innocence, marriages transcend worldly ties. These descendants of true officials (perfected immortals) naturally remain exempt from mortal taxes.
North of the cloud sea dwells perpetual twilight, as if turned from the longevity star (Southern Pole Immortal). Here dogs recognize medicinal scents, locals sketch lingzhi shapes. Napping beneath pines, drunkards use stone screens as tables. Should one burn incense here in practice, surely the Golden Court Paradise would open its gates.
Deer linger often here, passing through cloud-wreathed archways. They wait patiently among blossoms for mates, leading fawns through bamboo groves. All day they drink from jade-clear streams, inhaling golden lingzhi fragrance. The cultivator beneath the Stone Window becomes immortal without even knowing.
Mount Siming (one of Daoism's sacred grotto-heavens) was once a cultivation site for numerous immortals. Though these perfected beings have now ascended to their celestial ranks, the terraces and pavilions where they practiced remain. Within stone grottoes, one can almost still hear the immortals' laughter, while the sound of wind through pines startles sleeping deer. The well waters here exude medicinal fragrance (hinting at alchemical springs), and crane cries resemble recitations of mysterious scriptures. Those wishing to reestablish hermitages amidst these cloud-wreathed peaks discover such numinous realms cannot be measured in worldly riches.
The gurgling spring of Chan Yuan Grotto flows ceaselessly from its lofty source, its ripples seeming to shatter the moon's reflection and melt half the sky. Waterfall echoes reverberate through valleys, turbulent currents churning clouds and mist. One can imagine ancient immortals gathering by these streams on deep autumn nights.
The mountain's qingling fruits (a type of celestial berry) ripen under mountain winds, reserved as nocturnal offerings for true immortals. Their flavor rivals celestial ambrosia, their jade-like forms resembling polished brain coral. Wild cranes often accompany harvesters, and where these fruits fall, spiritual springs emerge. These divine trees likely share lineage with Peach Blossom Spring's varieties, their flowering cycles transcending mortal calendars.
The imagined realm of Ju Hou Kingdom inspires profound longing - its countless emerald cliffs where misty vines resemble immortal officials' seals, and cloud-filled ravines serve as their fiefdoms. Perfected beings dispatch enlightened monkey guides to ferry seekers, even teaching young primates to serve the Dao. Should you mundane creatures attain deathlessness, you too might tread the path of cultivation.
Poet Xie Jingchu's waterfall verse describes: "Cascades plunge a thousand zhang down sheer cliffs like heavenly silk unfurled. Beyond winding ridges through emerald woods, their roar carries afar. Smooth boulders near the falls invite repose - no vulgar visitors come, making this perfect for refined appreciation. When autumn crispness arrives, we'll climb upstream by vine and creeper."
Sun Yingshi's "Wandering Mount Siming" reflects: "This life nurtured lofty aspirations, traveling afar with treasured sword. Shunning fame's marketplace, solely seeking famous mountains. Eastward crossing azure seas, southward passing Danqiu's immortal peaks, westward climbing Min Mountain's heights with unrestrained cries, northward gazing at Guanlong with melancholy. Witnessed Lu Mountain's clouds, navigated Wu Gorge's waters, marveled at Jian Pavilion's peril, admired Dragon Gate's wonders. Though not exhaustive, most wonders beheld. Now dwelling idly by Bamboo Lake, often journeying in dreams. Hometown's Mount Siming, renowned across nine provinces, visible when stepping out yet perpetually elusive. How contradictory worldly matters prove - has the mountain god become my foe? Suddenly seeing humor in this, though aging brings vain sorrow. Seizing spring's beauty, fortunate in like-minded companions, with provisions and bamboo staff, wearing simple field garb, finally fulfilling this wish. Midnight rains ceasing, evening clearing to luminous skies and gentle breezes. Pointing toward distant forests, delighting in spring sounds, treading mist-wrapped ridges, halting carriages for boundless admiration."
This passage depicts the majestic scenery and wondrous sights of Siming Mountain, one of Daoism's sacred grotto-heavens (dongtian). White waterfalls cascade with gurgling sounds while peculiar pines whisper in the wind. The rugged mountain paths twist like sheep intestines, with woodcutters' songs echoing through the trails. From the high vantage point, a thousand miles of scenery unfolds before the eyes—rolling peaks intertwine like veins across the land.
The author employs vivid metaphors to describe the mountain's contours: some resemble unfolded writing desks, others towering ceremonial crowns; some stand like arrays of halberds and spears, others jut like sharpened blades. The ever-changing formations shift between poses—now like dancing phoenixes, now like galloping steeds, now like frolicking suanni (mythical beasts), now like battling pixiu (wealth-attracting creatures). The entire spectacle appears as the Celestial Sovereign's Bright Hall with nobles paying tribute, or like King Wu of Zhou marshaling troops at the Qiyang alliance.
Ancient trees pierce the heavens here, their trunks so massive that forty people could barely encircle them, their gnarled roots bearing witness to millennia. Though seemingly withered, these elders never truly perish, their fresh branches still weaving emerald canopies. The howling winds grow still here, while traces of geological transformation remain evident. To the southeast lies a high ridge flanked by flat fields dotted with villages where chickens and dogs call to one another, and cattle return at dusk. After officials collect firewood taxes, farmers busy themselves with spring plowing. The fertile soil holds few stones, though the cold climate rejects wheat—instead, wild peach and plum blossoms line the paths beneath dense canopies of pine and catalpa.
Sheer cliffs and perilous peaks dominate the landscape, with Xue Dou Peak (another name for Siming Mountain) presenting particularly treacherous paths. Perpetual mists shroud the slopes as mountain winds howl day and night. Ascending spiraling stone steps and bridges reveals magnificent towers adorned with pearl-embroidered silks and golden splendor—a bell summons a thousand to meals while sounding boards ignite hundreds of lamps, creating a celestial paradise untouched by mortal worries.
Every vista compels lingering: distant peaks offer visual feasts, lake waters shimmer like brocaded mirrors, twin streams plunge into thousand-zhang waterfalls. Wild ducks glide across pools where elusive qiu dragons (hornless legendary serpents) occasionally surface. Gazing down at the deep pools dizzy the eyes, while cupped spring water quenches thirst. Mountain grasses grow in untamed clusters, cliffside blossoms scatter randomly. Truly this is the ultimate retreat to escape worldly affairs—why seek any other Peach Blossom Spring?
This poetic passage depicts the celestial scenery and spiritual insights of Siming Mountain (one of Daoism's sacred grotto-heavens):
The first section paints the mountain landscape: watching gibbons nimbly gather poria mushrooms, hearing the plaintive cries of deer. Sunlit birds sing melodiously while strange sounds resembling ancient chariot shafts emerge from the mist. Bamboo groves whisper like sheng and se instruments in harmony, crystalline streams chime like jade pendants touching. Magpies frolic in clear weather, turtledoves mourn in the rain. The poet shares tea with Buddhist monks in mountain retreats, lodging casually in monastic cells, listening to water clocks mark the night while reminiscing about youthful travels spanning ten thousand miles.
The second section reflects through an ancient tree: here Liu Gang and Fan Yunqiao (renowned Eastern Han Daoist couple) achieved their cicada-shedding ascension. Though half-withered, the old tree radiates numinous beauty, its renewed bark flourishing abundantly. The蟠桃 (flat peach) ripens once every three millennia, the铜狄 (bronze immortals) require polishing every five centuries. After the crane-riding transcendents departed, only silence remains in the valleys, leaving later seekers wandering in search of celestial traces.
The third poem sings of qinglingzi (immortal fruit): tossed down by drunken transcendents, awaiting discovery by cultivators who might plant them anew.
The pilgrimage verse describes Master Wu, a lofty adept dwelling reclusively in Siming Mountain, untouched by worldly affairs. Though emperors prepared empty thrones for him, he wouldn't even enter city gates. The mountain generates its own wind and thunder, its宫观 (Daoist temples) formed naturally. Recently traveling securely by bamboo palanquin, why worry about graying hair?
Two mountain excursion poems portray Siming's wonders:
- Mountain radiance penetrates the nine heavens where immortals come and go daily. Waterfalls cascade like the Silver River, cave gates perpetually locked in white clouds. Mystical trees glow golden in deep ravines, celestial rafts reveal iron patterns on sheer peaks. Countless transcendent traces remain indiscernible—only falling petals follow the stream.
- A titan's axe split stone windows (natural caverns) as we push through vines, scaling cliffs tirelessly. Lichen-striped boulders crouch like stone tigers, jade dragons roar in plunging cataracts. Suddenly body and mind clarify completely—singing drunken odes to timeless friendship.
The conclusion reflects on worldly life: fame and shame resemble snail-horn battles, meetings and partings mimic gulls floating on waves. In名利场 (the arena of reputation and gain), we bind ourselves, betraying the authentic joy of gibbons, cranes, springs and rocks. Only in late years does the heart find ease—though not as liberated as Zhi Dun and Xu Xun (Jin dynasty transcendents), nor as unrestrained as Ruan Ji and Liu Ling (Wei-Jin eccentrics). Better to learn from mountain pheasants and Hao River fish (Zhuangzi parables) in natural freedom than emulate Liu Zongyuan's exile hardships. May kindred spirits join in appreciating this celestial symphony.
Striking the wine vessel, one forgets worldly measures,
For truly this gourd holds a celestial realm within.
The meaning of the drunken sage lies not in wine itself.
Wandering beneath the moonlight, the heart grows tranquil,
Forgetting the path home—all worldly affairs are but fleeting clouds.
What, then, is truly worth clinging to?
Sun Gengkuan writes:
With friends, I sought the depths of secluded wonders,
Climbing together to White Water Mountain.
Silver waves churned, moonlight spilled upon dark cliffs,
Leaning against stone, I felt the chill of heaven and earth.
Passing through mist-veiled herb gardens to gather medicine,
Seated upon a stone altar, we played chess.
Drunk on beauty, we forgot the lateness of our return,
And descending, our sleeves were fragrant with autumn orchids.
Feng Xiayin writes:
The immortal cave of Cinnabar Mountain, eternal through the ages—
Today, at last, I journeyed there.
The waterfall hung high, its spray like cold snow in tumult;
Ancient cliffs in twilight seemed tinged with autumn hues.
They say a tamed tiger once followed an immortal away,
And in the lofty hall, the immortal’s portrait still remains.
Yet regretfully, our return was too hasty—
We could not linger to explore the depths of this hidden realm.
Guo Baiyun chants of the waterfall:
Gazing all day without weariness,
My spirit refreshed, as if already immortal.
The waterfall’s roar swells like sudden night rain,
Its might like a hundred mountain springs bursting forth.
Swift currents thunder through rocky gorges,
Sheer cliffs pierce the heavens like swords.
Lost in wonder, I forget my old age,
Still longing to scale those perilous peaks.
Zhao Danshan writes:
Like a jade dragon, the waterfall roars, splitting the cliffs,
Furious waves surge, exuding towering grandeur.
Swirling mountain winds may at any moment turn to flying rain,
Echoing through ten thousand valleys like spring thunder.
Zhao Zhuyi writes:
Cold springs plunging from on high form a mighty cascade,
Its sound at first like the tide of the Qiantang River.
Beneath the pines, though rainless, the air is ever damp;
Within the rocky crevices, though clear, remnants of snow linger.
Who knows when this white silk was hung upon the cliffs,
Or how this thousand-foot rainbow spans the clouds?
Cinnabar Mountain has ever been the abode of immortals—
The legendary Weak Waters must flow nearby.
The monk Lei Ya Yuanqiu writes:
Spray fills the air like snow in a clear sky,
A white rainbow arches over Cinnabar Mountain.
The loom of heaven hangs unseen,
Yet the axis of the earth turns endlessly.
Rippling waves shimmer like cold jade,
Scattered droplets drift like morning wind.
Where in the mortal world might such sights be found?
Surely only by reaching the dragon’s palace beneath the sea.
Huang Jinqing of the Yuan Dynasty inscribes for Master Shi Tian:
The Outer Historian dwells upon Cinnabar Mountain—
Such landscapes suit such a man.
Long have we missed lofty chants like those of Pi Rixiu,
Now once more we witness the pure breeze of Xie Lingyun.
Before his gate, the flying waterfall churns eternal snow;
At the cave’s mouth, delicate blossoms grace the spring light.
Aged, I return from the capital seeking recluses—
When may I clasp my lute and linger with you day by day?
Liu Dexuan inscribes the waterfall:
The true immortal of White Waters rides a white crane—
Who knows in what year he ascended from these mountains?
Now transformed into a thousand feet of jade-white cascade,
Or a silver river pouring halfway through the sky.
At dawn, the crane’s dream leaves shadows of the moon;
At night, the dragon’s chant accompanies the wind in the pines.
I long to follow the immortals in gathering herbs,
Yet fear the cinnabar well of Ge Hong is overgrown with moss.
This poetic passage depicts the celestial scenery and immortal legends of Siming Mountain (one of Daoism's sacred grotto-heavens). Several poets employ exquisite imagery to portray transcendent landscapes—flying waterfalls, radiant clouds, and grotto-palaces that transcend the mundane world.
The opening verses describe the nightscape of Tiantai Mountain (a renowned Daoist peak), where mermaids glide through crystalline waters like a dragon palace, a beauty the poet finds impossible to fully capture in verse. The cascading waterfall plunges from a jade terrace like an unspooled bolt of white silk, as if the Weaver Girl (the celestial weaver maiden) could no longer restrain her shuttle, or as though Chang'e (the moon goddess) had skillfully sheared it with her scissors. The waterfall's glow illuminates twin palace gates, seemingly shaking the Milky Way, while its roar carries the force of a thousand mountains swept by wind and rain. Unable to take in enough of the shrine before the grotto, the poet follows the moonlight back to Tiantai Mountain.
Zhang Boyu's verses tell of arriving at Danshan (another name for Siming Mountain) with a sword, his sleeves fluttering like wings in the wind. By the empty altar, the waterfall murmurs softly. Life in the mountains is austere and hardly hospitable, yet the deep valleys never close their doors. At the summit of Dalanshan (Siming's highest peak), he hopes to encounter the legendary immortal couple Liu Gang and Fan Yunqiao (renowned Han-dynasty transcendents).
Of the White Water Palace (a mountain Daoist temple), the poem recounts how two immortals once ascended to the heavens in their chariots, their deeds echoing through millennia. The temple's master imparts the Daoist Jia-Yi Scripture (an early Daoist text), while beneath dim lamplight, the poet observes the Gengshen vigil (a Daoist cultivation practice). The mountain waterfall mimics rainfall, while wildflowers at the grotto's mouth bloom freely in spring. Looking back at the dusty mortal world, he prefers straw sandals and the companionship of the Dao.
Zhao Junzhang's verses recall gathering herbs with woodcutters, gazing from afar at white clouds piling atop crimson cliffs. Though eons of kalpas have passed, the immortal aura remains; thirty-six streams flow with spring water. In the gem-like temples (a poetic name for Daoist abbeys), laughter and conversation come easily, and leaning on a staff of goosefoot, he climbs the sheer cliffs. The locked grotto gates go unrecognized—likely left behind when Liu and Fan departed.
Gao Zecheng writes of Siming Mountain after spring rain, journeying to Santai Peak in search of immortal dwellings. When clouds part, emerald peaks cradle golden palace gates; when winds still, the Milky Way descends to the Jade Void (the celestial court). At night, cinnabar light transforms into cranes within the grotto; by day, otters peer from the streams (an allusion to Liu and Fan's legend: Liu could spit water to form fish, while Fan created otters). He asks after news of Liu and Fan, hoping the Bluebird (Queen Mother of the West's messenger) might bring word from the western skies.
Finally, the monk Baiyun Ziyue writes of hearing of the marvels of Shitian (possibly a scenic spot), where the Qinghui Pavilion often lures visitors to linger. Here, the chime of jade pendants often drifts down from the heavens, and auspicious clouds wreathe the peaks. In spring rain, green peaches exude delicate fragrance, painting a scene of pure transcendence.
The "Poetic Collection of Danshan from the Siming Grotto-Heaven" depicts the celestial scenery and cultivation life around the White Water Palace in Danshan. Several literati express their yearning for reclusive immortality through poetic exchanges.
The first poem is dedicated to Mao Waishi (a Daoist official title) of White Water Palace, Song Wuyi. The poet admits never having visited Danshan yet having long heard of the palace's fame. Though the journey to this grotto-heaven is merely a hundred miles, it feels like traversing three lifetimes to arrive. Here, cranes dance amidst blossoms to the sound of sheng music, while waterside pavilions glow brilliantly in the morning light. The poet invites Master Mao to gather Polygonatum (a medicinal herb used in Daoist practice) together when the weather warms.
The second poem, by Sun Daoxin, describes a waterfall with imagery of a jade dragon plunging down, its thunderous force shaking the heavens. Silver-white waters cascade from great heights, their cold radiance reflecting the moon, leaving the deep pool devoid of fish. In the sixth lunar month, the splashing spray feels like cooling snowflakes, refreshing the spirit and evoking envy for Liu Chen and Ruan Zhao (mortals who encountered immortals on Tiantai Mountain). Though such cultivators are rare today, the cave still retains the warmth of alchemical fires, and returning cranes seem to bring spring hues from the Peach Blossom Spring. The poet longs to rest by these flowing waters, using a single ladle of immortal water to cleanse worldly worries.
Zhu Jingchun's poem in the third section confesses his innate love for mountains and rivers, often leaning on his staff to gaze at peaks. A cave once housed a crimson phoenix that flew away, while the waterfall roars like a jade dragon. Wind-blown mist resembles snow drifting midair, and even without rain, the valleys echo with thunder. He particularly admires Mao Waishi's hermitage, truly akin to the Penglai paradise.
Chen Bangxie's verse in the fourth asks where these flowing waters originate—seemingly from piled white clouds. The thousand-foot cascade resembles snow; ten thousand valleys resound like thunder. The cultivator's bones are pure and translucent, and visitors arrive untainted by dust. Laughing, they descend the mountain, returning by moonlight with their lutes in hand.
The final poem praises the Pavilion of Clear Radiance, as miraculous as an immortal manual hidden beneath a pillow, nestled in Danshan's ninth celestial tier. Cultivators often practice beyond clouds and waters, their names carved into cliff faces. On clear nights after rain, the waterfall's voice is especially audible; the warmth of the alchemical furnace makes one forget the passage of years. Occasionally, they drink and sing freely, letting the world call them "earthly immortals." Within the pavilion, jade cups for washing brushes feel transcendentally refined. The space brims with poetic charm, far removed from worldly clamor, with splendid mountains perfectly framed by the window. Bamboo accompanies white clouds; here, reading and writing blend the fragrance of ink with tea's curling smoke, naturally elevating the mind to clarity and loftiness.
These poems depict the celestial scenery and immortal cultivation stories of Siming Mountain (one of Daoism's grotto-heavens and blessed lands).
The first poem describes an immortal abode amidst the Dan Mountain and Red Waters: the clear emerald surface reflects the source of white clouds, while an iron flute's sound startles the cold toad (the lunar palace's toad), and jade pipes (immortal music) summon cranes descending as night falls. When inspiration strikes, the poet leans on his long sword to gaze at the sight, its blade light shooting straight to the Big Dipper's constellations (symbolizing connection with celestial realms).
Gao Boyuan's poem states that Dan Mountain and Red Waters are dwelling places of immortals, where one should visit wearing cloth socks and blue shoes. The hundred-foot flying spring resembles a snowy Milky Way descending, while crane cries echo through the autumn hues of the grotto-heaven. By the cloud altar (a cultivation site), the green ling fruits ripen, and before the stone chamber, jade trees (celestial trees in immortal realms) bloom. Facing such magnificent streams and mountains, when might one build a hermitage here?
Chen Lüchang's verses portray Siming Mountain's vast expanse, where white jade platforms house immortals near stone windows. A waterfall appears to descend from heaven itself, while the Three Terraces stars (Daoist constellations) hang high before the cave. Ancient trees' withered branches resemble dragons transformed, and dense bamboo groves' clear shade await the phoenix's return. Though often seeking immortal traces along the Yin River (ancient Ningbo), it's here he encounters Penglai's fairyland.
Wang Jingzhong's poem describes Siming Mountain's exquisite beauty that one could gather in one's arms, with cloud-rooted stone houses towering ruggedly. In the forest linger immortal shoes that once transformed into tigers (a Daoist metamorphosis allusion), while cave-dwelling apes appear humanoid. The waterfall plunges thousands of feet downward, where a cultivator has dwelt in seclusion for over forty springs. Each night the elixir chamber (alchemy workshop) glows with numinous light, surely indicating frequent immortal visitations.
Yuan Deji's verses declare Siming Mountain surpasses ordinary peaks as a celestial realm: half of its azure sky suspends the Milky Way, while perpetual sunlight illuminates emerald ridges' clouds. Beyond the dusty world comes a recluse's phoenix song, and the forest preserves tiger tracks awaiting the Primordial Lord (a Daoist goddess). The poet expresses tireless mountain climbing, hoping to dwell long in this place far from worldly mundanity.
The final two poems mention the legend of Immortal Elder Liu (Liu Chen, a Han dynasty figure said to have encountered immortals in Tiantai Mountain): having once served as an official in Yu territory, he spent years refining divine elixirs and gathering spiritual herbs before finally ascending astride a simurgh. The poet laments his unrefined mortal frame preventing immortal encounters, yet these celestial traces endure through millennia of human admiration. The closing line emphasizes Dan Mountain's eternal status as an immortal residence, highlighting its spiritual traces' distinction from the mundane world.
The "Poetry Anthology of Danshan in the Siming Grotto-Heaven" depicts the celestial landscapes of Daoist grotto-heavens and blessed lands. Here is my interpretation of each poem:
The first poem describes winding mountain springs where immortal traces remain after millennia. Among pavilions and towers, one can almost hear the flutes of ancient transcendents, while sacred lingzhi fungi nourish hermits practicing grain avoidance. The poet longs to ride a firewood cart in search of true immortals, yet wonders if his mundane form would be welcomed in these sacred realms.
Yang Yuanqing's poem tells of an immortal maiden ascending on a jade dragon, leaving behind celestial traces in the mountains. The poet traverses clouds to gather fairy fruits (qingling berries) and follows waterfalls to seek the White Water Palace (a Daoist temple). Amid wartime chaos, the sudden sound of ritual bells draws his gaze toward the mysterious Daoist wind. He reflects that renouncing worldly ties need not be difficult, recognizing an old herb-gathering sage moving through the clouds.
Ma Yizhi's verse speaks of long dwelling in cities yet constantly recalling the names of grotto-heavens, climbing mountains with a staff in spring. After rain clears, waterfalls run cold; when cliff blossoms fade, stone windows glow. Seeing white-haired Daoists in yellow caps evokes ancient simplicity, while wild waters and idle clouds embody serene freedom. The poet considers bringing his family to follow County Magistrate Liu (likely Liu Chen, the Han official who encountered immortals on Tiantai Mountain) in studying longevity methods.
The fourth poem portrays mountain paths leading to White Water Palace, where peaks stand like blue lotuses. A thousand-foot waterfall hangs like white silk as the poet ascends three or four summits. Though he spots otters chasing fish, only immortals ride cranes as companions. After ten days roaming these mountains, he completes his pilgrimage to northern and southern celestial traces.
The fifth poem laments how the White Water Immortal never returns, while purple-green palaces lean against clouds. Cliffside waterfalls resemble silver belts between three emerald peaks. Herb-gathering boys fly with cranes, and docile deer bearing flowers approach humans. Here the poet realizes this is no mortal realm, sitting with fellow Daoists on mossy stones for pure conversation and poetry.
The final poem by Yang Bianmei depicts Mount Siming (one of Daoism's Thirty-Six Grotto-Heavens): 280 verdant peaks piercing the sky, where sun and moon (the golden crow and jade rabbit) pass through mountain windows. Dreaming of visiting the immortal He Kuangke (Tang dynasty Daoist), the poet climbs Dalanshan's solitary summit to see wheel-like tidal surges and rainbow-lit mirages. He encounters peach-blossom beauties (female immortals) dining on dragon livers and phoenix marrow, growing wings after the feast. Meeting Master Mao (likely Mao Nü, the Qin palace maiden who became immortal), he recalls legends of red jade shoes turning to stone. The poem concludes with the Guanyin Grotto's flying tides, wind-bent pillars at Zu Bridge, and the eternal pursuit of celestial traces at heaven's edge.
This passage comprises poetic inscriptions from the Collected Poems and Illustrations of the Dan Mountain in the Siming Grotto-Heaven, where multiple Daoist practitioners extolled the sacred mountain Dan Mountain (a renowned site for spiritual cultivation). It primarily depicts the legend of Immortal Mao (Mao Xian) practicing Daoism on Dan Mountain, along with various cultivators' yearning for this celestial realm.
Immortal Mao once became intoxicated after drinking immortal wine at Mount Lu. Upon sobering, he rode a tiger back to Zhongnan Mountain (a famous Daoist site). Smiling, he summoned a colorful luan bird to descend, while jade stones as large as bushel measures could be found in the mountains. The noble recluse Shi Tian (a virtuous hermit) dwelled at Dan Mountain, inheriting his ancestors' Daoist practice, and all visitors praised him as truly living up to his reputation.
Xue Chaoyang (a Daoist practitioner) wrote at eighty-five: "I've often heard guests describe the grotto-heaven's (immortal realm) wondrous scenery, and have long yearned for these pristine mountains and waters. Here, the Ascension Platform stands near ancient stone forests, while deep in the Medicinal Washing Stream, wind and rain arise spontaneously. In ancient times, the Perfected Lord Sanhua cultivated here, and now his spiritual descendants carry forward his legacy. Should you ask this white-haired elder, I'd still gladly visit to pay my respects."
Other practitioners also left poetic traces: Han Yanxin reminisced about his past cultivation at Dan Mountain, recalling shared dwellings with fellow Daoists and borrowing tigers for rides; Wang Shuyu depicted immortal abodes beneath Sanbai Peak, where spring breezes caress wisteria vines and waterfalls cascade like the Milky Way; Liu Tanzhi praised the towering Chishui Mountain (another name for Dan Mountain) that transcends the mundane world, where hermits gather spiritual herbs and refine elixirs in secluded practice; Chen Juncong mentioned brewing pine-flower wine to entertain guests, exemplifying immortal hospitality.
Collectively, these poems sketch Dan Mountain as a quintessential Daoist cultivation site: fantastical peaks and flying waterfalls, magical herbs and divine beasts, recluses refining the Golden Elixir—all embodying the transcendent atmosphere of the immortal realm. Through verse, the practitioners express both their longing for this sacred landscape and their reverence for the cultivated life.
The Anthology of Poems on Danshan in the Siming Grotto-Heaven depicts the celestial scenery of this immortal realm. The first poem describes a waterfall at the cave entrance scattering like fine rain, where the White Water Immortal (a Daoist transcendent) warmly welcomes guests, and the Green Mountain Scholar delights in inscribing verses. The immortal Ju Hou whistles at night beneath the triple-flower tree, while wild deer occasionally bring five-colored lingzhi mushrooms. The poet laments that since the famous immortal couple Liu Gang and Lady Fan ascended to heaven, who else might come to share such divine fortune?
Xie Yuangong's poem portrays mist-shrouded mountain ranges stretching endlessly, with immortal palaces overlooking perilous peaks. On clear days, the mountain shadows reflect in the azure sky, while the June waterfall still carries a chill. The phoenixes have departed, leaving only their empty abode, yet fierce tigers now guard the immortal altar. Before the cave, peach trees remain evergreen through all seasons, awaiting the poet's return to discuss the art of alchemy (Neidan).
Qi Wen Angji's verses recall the Great Orchid Mountain after the ancients' ascension, where only empty halls remain among the cliffs. The waterfall cascades year-round like snow, while valley clouds perpetually guard the Mysterious Pass (a vital site in Daoist cultivation). Gibbons pluck dewy green fruits, and tiger roars accompany celestial winds. After last night's fresh rain before the cave, the host invites guests to linger and listen to the murmuring streams.
Han Zhijing's poem describes the Red Water Danshan Cave as a land of jade hairpins and bamboo shoots. Emerald peaks stand like screens, and winding streams stretch like silk ribbons. The poet imagines riding clouds straight to the Milky Way, yet envies the refined elegance of late Tang poets who composed verses beneath the moon. When people perform the Yu Steps (a Daoist ritual gait) on the stone altar, ethereal songs chime with jade pendants.
The monk Da Ming Jingyu writes of leaning on the railing to gaze at White Water Danshan, where the Three Platforms constellation (a Daoist asterism) seems within reach, and the May waterfall still chills the air. Immortal couples arrive playing flutes at the cave mouth, while hermits gather herbs amidst the clouds. The poet compares himself to a white crane from neighboring peaks, accompanying immortals without thought of return.
Zhao Dechun's verses paint thirty-six majestic peaks piercing the heavens, where immortals dwell in caves bathed in crimson mists. White deer graze on jade-like herbs, and dark gibbons drink from spiritual springs. The deep mountains remain eternally tranquil, with spring blossoms blooming and falling unnoticed. Noble souls, unbound by worldly ties, cultivate here day and night. The stone fields yield blessed grain that grants longevity.
In Master Mao's Stone Field Mountain Retreat, Zhang Zhongju describes clearing a hundred acres at Siming Mountain's base to build his hermitage. The jade-white rice grows in paired stalks, and quarried "cloud roots" (mountain stones) are squared with precision. Cave immortals consume only refined essences, while no one seeks the divine goats on the ridge. Knowing the master recites the Yellow Court Scripture (a Daoist classic) daily, he rinses his mouth solely with flying spring water to preserve purity.
This passage depicts the cultivation life of two Daoist practitioners at Siming Mountain (one of Daoism's sacred grotto-heavens), showcasing the immortal joys of Daoist hermits. Here are their stories:
Chen Zishan (courtesy name Zuren) practiced cultivation at Siming Mountain where divine beings had left their traces. Dwelling atop towering peaks, he traversed the skies like an immortal riding the wind, transcending worldly concerns. The mountain housed evergreen jade bamboos (langgan) and animated spiritual springs. Each morning he paid respects to the Daoist deity Wangfu, while evenings found him wandering with celestial youths (qingtong). Though possessing only two qing of poor farmland, he sustained himself by consuming white ying (an immortal herb) and special cooking methods. This ascetic lifestyle stood in stark contrast to worldly existence—so much so that even thieves disdained to visit. Emulating the stone-eating method of the Eastern Florescence Immortal (Donghua zhenren), he maintained the longevity markers of green hair and square pupils (characteristic of immortals), his physique resembling the legendary immortal Chisongzi.
Hu Shigong (courtesy name Yi) carved stone chambers and cultivated spiritual fields at Siming Mountain. Sustained by sesame meals and grain-abstention formulas (bigu, the Daoist fasting practice), he observed worldly famine with compassionate sorrow. His spiritual seedlings bore jade-like fruits, where a single millet grain could reveal the entire cosmos. At the pinnacle of cultivation, he could drink golden elixir (jinye jiang) in dreams—a single draught surpassing ten thousand kalpas. Returning to mundane awareness, he achieved mutual forgetfulness with his surroundings, practicing amidst pine winds and white moonlight. His stone chamber housed self-pounding cloud mortars (yun dui, cultivation tools) that prepared medicines automatically. Maintaining a childlike face and crane-white hair (jiangxia denoting rosy complexion, xuanguang indicating cultivated radiance), he could also perform star-step chanting (buxu, a cultivation method) in the Blossom Pearl Palace (Ruizhu gong, a Daoist paradise). Through sensory withdrawal (bi dui) and incense meditation, his surroundings flourished with celestial herbs and lingzhi mushrooms.
The mentioned "White Water Palace" was where the ancient physician Hua Boren attained the Dao—encountering only two immortal opportunities in ten years. Beyond the palace flowed fishless crystalline streams, while herb-gathering paths wound through mist-wreathed peaks resembling golden hibiscus flowers, manifesting the uniquely serene landscapes characteristic of Daoist grotto-heavens.
This poetic passage depicts the reclusive lives of several Daoist cultivators in the Siming Grotto-Heaven (one of Daoism's blessed grotto paradises). The first section describes adepts gathering herbs of immortality to present to an enlightened ruler. They practice with the "purple river cart" (a Neidan/internal alchemy term referring to the pathways of Jing-essence and Qi circulation within the body), summoning the "golden flower ram" (an alchemical symbol representing Yang energy) to assist in elixir refinement.
The following scenes portray the cultivators' daily lives: One dwells in White Water Cave, where fields by the entrance require no strenuous labor, as the mountains provide jade for refining elixirs. They gather firewood by mountain streams, cooking meals with immortal companions. At night, no doors need locking—moonlight enters naturally, and while sitting in meditation, they hear celestial cranes accompanied by sheng music from the ninefold heavens.
Chen Zexu builds his cottage at the mountain's base, eschewing conventional farming. For him, "cultivating jade" (a metaphor for alchemy) is as precious as the legendary He's Jade, and his alchemical practice yields "Yu's surplus grain" (immortal herbs left by the Great Yu). Knowing his affinity for the detached life of wandering clouds and flowing water, he delights in mountain springs, often dreaming of his old dwelling by Brocade Creek.
Zhao Xingwu depicts carving a dwelling into sheer cliffs—a feat requiring no mortal effort, as miraculous as Emperor Shu's legendary road-building. The immortal fields yield grains more refined than mundane crops, while spring-enriched earth produces life-prolonging jade. Returning home, his wooden clogs slip on emerald moss, the thatched hut beautifully framed by pine-draped vines.
Xue Yifu dwells content in his few acres of lean mountain land, preferring its austerity to fertile plains. Practicing grain avoidance (bigu, a Daoist fasting technique), he reminisces about the immortal Huang Shigong while cultivating white elms amidst misty clouds. Jade-infused Qi nourishes the mountain's exquisite trees; when pine-scented clouds pass, only a solitary crane's nest remains. He prepares to follow his master in seeking the elixir.
The concluding verses express the poets' yearning for the ascetic life: Zhang Xiannan admires those inheriting the Tang dynasty's legacy (possibly a reference to a specific adept), feeling inadequate compared to Han dynasty's immortal strategist Zhang Liang. Wu Juzheng, weary of worldly life since youth, traces immortals' footsteps through landscapes of thousand-foot waterfalls and celestial dancers, recalling the reclusive traditions of past masters like Pi Rixiu and Lu Guimeng.
This passage discusses the cliff inscriptions at Danshan Scenic Area in Siming Mountain (one of Daoism's Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands). The general meaning conveys: Without inheriting the aspirations of our predecessors, how could one truly appreciate the secluded beauty of this place? Our forebears left behind poetic inscriptions here, and now we polish the cliff surfaces to continue this tradition of inscription in their manner.
"Siming Grotto-Heaven" refers to Zhejiang's Siming Mountain, ranked as the Ninth Grotto-Heaven in Daoist cosmology. "Danshan" (Cinnabar Mountain) is the main peak area of Siming Mountain, named after the legend of Ge Hong practicing alchemy (lian dan) there. "Cliff polishing" (mo ya) denotes grinding a flat surface on rocky cliffs for inscriptions—a common practice among ancient literati when visiting famous mountains. The entire passage showcases the tradition at Daoist Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands where later generations perpetuate cultural heritage by replicating their predecessors' poetic inscriptions.
Source text: Kanripo 漢籍リポジトリ（KR5b0310）; Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Report an error / feedback