Exploring Yuhuang Mountain
Yuhuang Mountain is known as the "Ancestor of All Mountains," and its beautiful name, "Yuhuang Feiyun" (Yuhuang Flying Clouds), is famous. However, I have never seen the clouds fly. This year, in the light drizzle of March, we finally had the chance to visit it.
Walking on the slightly slippery stone path, we entered Yuhuang Mountain. The air was fresh, with a hint of dampness. The branches of the trees and the grass were adorned with tiny "crystal beads," so clear and sparkling. Wildflowers along the path were in full bloom, some purple, some white. Birds chirped happily, singing unknown melodies, their songs as crisp and pleasant as silver bells. The thin mist floating over the mountain added to its beauty.
After about ten minutes of walking, we arrived at the Old Yuhuang Palace. The Old Yuhuang Palace belongs to Taoism, and its design is quite different from that of a typical temple. Two dragons coil on the roof, with the words "Guotai Min'an" (National Prosperity and People's Safety) carved into the building. The Taoists’ clothing was also completely different from monks, and we even saw one Taoist sleeping on a table. We couldn’t help but smile as we walked out the door. As we left the palace, we could hear the sound of bells ringing and see the delicate smoke from incense rising slowly into the air, fading away as we walked further.
We continued up the mountain for a while and reached the Sakura Field, where there were a few thatched cottages. Nearby, a pavilion displayed a couplet: "The vast sea and clear river remain unchanged through the ages; yellow flowers and red leaves mix with autumn and winter." There was an open space surrounding us, and it is said that the Sakura Field was developed in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China. There were supposed to be cherry trees around, but we couldn’t find a single one. Though the trees weren’t there, one could imagine how beautiful it must be when the cherry blossoms bloom, with petals falling everywhere as visitors sip tea and read.
Next, we headed to Zilai Cave. Feeling a bit tired, I walked slowly, stopping every now and then, almost unable to continue. I asked a passerby how much further to Zilai Cave, and to my surprise, he told us we had already arrived at the Zilai Cave scenic area. We were instantly energized. Zilai Cave, formerly known as Feilong Cave, was developed by the Taoist priest Zidong. The stone walls are engraved with the words "Purple Qi East Coming." We took many photos there, but due to the heavy mist, the Bagua Field at the base of the mountain looked quite foggy. We decided to head down. On our way down, we passed by many pilgrims. Seeing their determination despite the fatigue, I thought to myself, "Firm belief is the key to overcoming difficulties."
Walking on the stone path of Yuhuang Mountain, enjoying the beautiful scenery, learning about the history of Hangzhou, and reflecting on life lessons—what’s not to love?
探寻玉皇山
玉皇山有万山之祖之称，“玉皇飞云”是它的美名，但我还没欣赏过它飞云的样子。今年在细雨蒙蒙的三月，我们终于与它见了个面。
踏着有些湿滑的石板路，我们进入了玉皇山。山中空气清新，带着一丝丝湿湿的味道。树枝上、青草上缀着一颗颗“水晶珠”，是那么晶莹剔透。路旁的野花欣然开放，有紫的，也有白的。山中的鸟儿叽叽喳喳地唱着一些不为人知的乐曲,像银铃—样清脆悦耳。加上山中一层一层的薄雾浮在上面，给人一种美感。
大概走了十来分钟，我们就到了老玉皇宫，老玉皇宫是属于道教的，造型跟寺庙不一样，屋顶上盘着两条龙，刻着“国泰民安”四个大字，道士的穿着跟和尚也完全不一样，看到一个道士爬在案桌上睡着了，我们偷笑地走出了大门，离开老玉皇宫时，里面传来阵阵钟声，袅袅香火烟从里面徐徐升起，直到走远才消失了。
往上爬了一段路，我们便到了樱花地，里面有几间茅草屋，旁边的亭子刻着“沧海清江共今古，黄花红叶杂秋冬”的对联，四周一片空地，据说樱花地开辟于清末民初，四周有樱花树，但是我们找遍了也没看到—棵，樱花树虽没，但可以想象，花开之际，落英缤纷，游人在这里品茶阅读，该有多么美。
接下来我们的目标是紫来洞，因为有点累，我于是走走停停，停停走走，觉得快爬不动了，顺便问了一位路人紫来洞还有多远，没想到他告诉我们已经到了紫来洞景区，我们顿时又有了精神，紫来洞旧名为飞龙洞，是紫东道人开拓的，在石壁上刻着“紫气东来”，我们在那儿拍了不少照片，由于云雾太多，山下的八卦田看起来也是雾蒙蒙的，我们便下山了。在下山路上，我们碰见了不少香客，看着他们这么不怕累，觉得真是“坚定的信念是战胜困难的前提”啊!
走在玉皇山的石板路上，欣赏着美景，了解着杭州的历史，学着人生道理，何乐而不为呢?
