What are the tourist attractions and temples in Shangrao?

Tomorrow is June 7th, the start of the National College Entrance Examination. On such an important day, some people will go to temples to burn incense and pray for blessings, even though they know the exam has nothing to do with it. But it’s for peace of mind. If you are at Mount Ge Xian in Shangrao now, please pray for all the candidates tomorrow and bless them to be admitted to the university of their choice.

I specifically chose to travel to Jiangxi after the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, and the most impressive part of Jiangxi was Wuyuan in Shangrao, with its white walls, black tiles, and horse head walls. The scenery of the ancient Huizhou style is even more stunning in spring and autumn. So, in the midst of summer, I carried a backpack and climbed a mountain alone. Mount Ge Xian is a famous Taoist holy place in Jiangxi, but I don’t know much about Taoism, and I’ve rarely been to Taoist temples.

My initial reason for climbing this mountain was simply to have a panoramic view, and upon hearing that there was an ancient architectural complex on top of the mountain, I didn’t hesitate to start climbing.

But this mountain was truly the most challenging one I’ve ever climbed (excluding plateaus). The steep and continuously upward-extending stairs reminded me of a section of the Eighteen Bends on Mount Tai, so steep that my legs were shaking as I descended. But what I didn’t expect was that the entire stone steps of Mount Ge Xian were like the Eighteen Bends of Mount Tai. This made the climb particularly difficult for me.

However, surprisingly, while climbing Mount Ge Xian, I was almost completely absorbed in the climb, constantly looking down and persevering with my strength upwards. Along the way, there wasn’t much scenery, and the camera I carried remained in my backpack, as I only wanted to capture the breathtaking views from the peak.

I don’t know if it’s because Mount Ge Xian is a Taoist holy place, but as I climbed halfway up the mountain, a sudden mist rose in the mountains, resembling a fairyland. Villagers living on the mountain said that Mount Ge Xian is always shrouded in mist like this. But strangely, there were many statues of gods and goddesses placed by the roadside, each with a small basket in front of them, containing a stone.

Is this a custom on Mount Ge Xian? Many tourists would throw coins inside. This sight was almost different from all the famous mountains and rivers, unique to Mount Ge Xian. This made me very curious. The mist in the mountains became even heavier, making it difficult to see the road ahead, and it seemed endless.

When I reached the Niang Niang Dian (Empress’s Hall), I thought it was the summit. But as I went around the Niang Niang Dian, there was another winding and upward-going path ahead. At this point, a porter suddenly appeared in front of me, followed by a man, seemingly coming specifically for the Taoist temple on the top of the mountain.

Through a few casual conversations, I found out it was indeed true. He came specifically to fulfill a vow, and had bought many incense sticks and firecrackers, which the porter in front of him carried on his shoulders, weighing dozens of pounds. It is said that Mount Ge Xian is especially efficacious, and every year many tourists and devotees come here to make wishes.

But I’m not actually interested in making wishes. I just want to reach the summit as soon as possible.

The winding stone steps are a test and hardship for devotees, but Mount Ge Xian will have a cable car open in August this year. Construction is currently underway. But for sincere people, cable cars aren’t very appealing.

On the way, I heard a woman, sweating profusely, say to her child, “The cable car is about to open, but it’s still more sincere to climb up yourself.” This is the inner world of devotees, but for me, why can’t the cable car open sooner?

This mountain is truly exhausting to climb. Especially when descending, it’s almost painful. My knees and soles are under immense pressure, but those devotees who go up and down don’t seem to mind. Some even go up the mountain to pray at four or five in the morning.

Is Mount Ge Xian really that efficacious?

When I finally reached the summit and arrived in front of the Ge Xian Temple, I had to admire the status this Taoist temple holds in the hearts of devotees. What I couldn’t understand was that after they burned incense and worshipped, they would set off firecrackers on the left side of the door.

This made that area bare, with only the red remnants of firecrackers left. The entire area around the Ge Xian Temple was filled with smoke, making it hard to distinguish whether it was from incense or firecrackers. It must be a combination of both. I couldn’t stand the smell, but the devotees seemed completely natural. Especially inside the main hall, a group of young people knelt on the ground, earnestly, even obsessively, seeking fortunes.

But I was curious about what they kept throwing, so I walked over and realized it was something I had played with as a child.

Yes, it was for play, when I passed by the Land God and Land Goddess temples after school, I would go inside and take a pair of objects that looked like crescent moons and throw them on the ground. At that time, I didn’t know they were called “sheng fan” (sacred divination). One positive and one negative is the best, representing yin and yang. In Taoism, this is called “bu you bei” (divination cup).

Two positives, both facing outward, are called “xiao bei” (smiling cups), meaning that the outcome of the fortune-telling is a mixture of good and bad. But if both are negative, it means that the wish will not be fulfilled.

“Sheng fan” can be thrown three times, which is why the young people kneeling there are so earnest and persistent. A loud rumbling sound can be heard in the quiet hall. But besides young people, there are also many middle-aged men and women who come to seek fortunes and worship.

Some even buy a particularly long and thick incense stick and light it sincerely in front of the candle flame of the Ge Xuan image. Surprisingly, there is an ancient well in the main hall, said to be built by Ge Xuan.

But the well no longer has water. Its depth is unknown. It is piled high with coins, so many that it’s hard to believe. And coins are still constantly being thrown into this well by devotees.

After seeking fortunes, devotees will go to the left side of the main hall, where there are Taoist priests who specifically interpret fortunes for tourists. Among them, there are many parents who have come for their children who are about to take the college entrance examination. They climb Mount Ge Xian to seek a good fortune.

But Mount Ge Xian seems to be particularly efficacious for people who wish for children. A mother came here to pray for a child last year (second child) and came to fulfill her vow this year. She also prayed for her elder daughter’s college entrance examination. The Taoist priest analyzes their fortunes with an authoritative air, and the tourists listen attentively. Some are beaming with joy, while others are gloomy.

How efficacious are the fortunes of Mount Ge Xian? It is unknown. But the fact that people come in droves is enough to show their respect for it.

Standing on the summit of Mount Ge Xian, there is no outstanding natural scenery. The reputation of this mountain comes entirely from this Taoist temple. But behind this Taoist temple, there is actually a Ci Yun Temple, located north of the Jade Emperor Pavilion. The temple is small in scale and no monks can be seen. It’s like the Ge Xian Temple, where there is no sense of Taoist seclusion, but there is abundant incense and offerings.

The temple was built in the Ming Dynasty. Legend has it that the Great Ge Xian Hall was packed with tens of thousands of devotees. Fearing overcrowding and possible disturbances, a Taoist priest from the temple invited monks from the Ehu Peak Temple to establish a branch here to manage the temple fair. The monk later built the current Ci Yun Temple, forming a religious and cultural feature of “two religions on one mountain” and “Taoism and Buddhism coexisting” on Mount Ge Xian.

But compared to the Ge Xian Temple, Ci Yun Temple seems quiet.

After devotees make wishes and burn incense, they usually go down the mountain after eating a vegetarian meal.

Although Mount Ge Xian is known for its Taoist temple, the overall scenery is still shrouded in mist, befitting a mountain of immortals. In the near future, there will be a Ge Xian Town at the foot of the mountain, integrating Ge Xuan and Taoist culture. But what I’m most looking forward to is whether this Ge Xian Town will be purely Taoist in style or incorporate Huizhou architecture?