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Fei Lai Feng (also named Ling Jiu Feng), stands
next to Ling
Yin Temple and is a must-see in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province.
There are many legends about the peak's name. A well-known legend
states that an Indian monk named Huili arrived in the valley 1,600
years ago and was surprised to see a peak so dissimilar from any
other one in the valley. He believed that the peak had flown over
from India because the shape, although unique in China, was common
in India. However, he did not know why the peak would have flown
to this spot so far from his country. Hence the peak's name was
created and has passed down to the present day.
Fei Lai Feng, 209 meters (about 700 feet) tall,
is a pure limestone mountain that is very distinctive from the sandstone
mountains around it. Large stones scattered along the peak are said
to resemble animals like a flying dragon, a running elephant, a
crouching tiger, and a fleeing monkey. On the other side of the
peak, a pavilion named Cui Wei was erected to immortalize the national
hero Yue Fei. This man contributed greatly in the war against Jin
Tribe during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279).The pavilion
was destroyed many times before the large restoration of 1942. The
current pavilion keeps its old face with fresh paint.
The caves of this mountain shelter about 330 stone
statues dating from the 10th to the 14th centuries. The statues
appear in a variety of poses ranging from standing, to sitting,
to sleeping. A favorite may be the Laughing Buddha, sitting on the
cliff along the stream with exposed breast and belly. If you wonder
why he has such a big belly, the answer is that his belly is where
the Buddha keeps all of the world's troubles. The question always
comes out "why are there so many Buddha statues in the cave?"
Local legend has it that the peak had destroyed many villages before
it settled down in Hangzhou. In order to prevent the peak from causing
even more damage, over 500 Buddha statues were caved out of the
peak to suppress it. Consequently, the water-eroded caves in the
peak are regarded as the very birthplace of many local legends.
In 1993, a new site by the name of "China
Grotto Art Garden" was set up around the Fei Lai beauty spot.
Thousands of professionals and aficionados in the fields of engraving
and grotto research flock to this place to study the unparalleled
Chinese classical rock carvings.
Among all the mountains around West
Lake, Fei Lai Feng is the one most likely to simulate the imagination
and make one reluctant to leave. Some even say that one experience
at Fei Lai Feng will leave you with memories that will last the
rest of your life.
| Admission Fee: |
CNY 35 |
| Bus Route: |
7, 807, Tourist Bus No. 1, 2 and 4 (get off
at Lingyin bus stop) |
|