Where is Qing Shan and what are the fun things to do there?

When I’m at home on weekends, I always want to go out, especially in the mountains. The mountains always hold so many unknown attractions for me. My love for the mountains is like a person’s love for something they cherish—no matter how much I explore it, I never get tired of it. And today, I’m going to Qing Shan.

Thinking back on the scenery I’ve seen over the years, I can only recall those hazy mountains and waters. In fact, what I see most are those verdant, bare, blurry, and endless mountains.

The mountains in the south are always delicate, with the graceful curves of a woman’s waistline. They always maintain a hazy distance from you, a sight to behold but not to be played with. The mountains in the north are majestic. They are mountains, plain and simple, mountains from left to right, mountains even when you look up or down. These mountains carry the spirit and bloodline of ancient times, stirring the hearts of their people. Walking among them, you feel like a mere traveler in the vastness of the world.

As a southerner, I can’t escape the southern mountains. I once saw a red house on a mountain through the window of a bus. It was a small house the color of sunset, with the mountains as its backdrop. It instantly caught my eye, wiping away the dust and fatigue of the journey, leaving only the surprise of a single red dot amidst a sea of green.

I often fantasize about who would build a red house on the mountain. I imagine it must be a young and loving couple. The husband is probably a simple and honest carpenter, and the wife is a sweet and delicate painter. They work together to cultivate the land in front of their house, planting easy-to-grow vegetables. The wife loves to place vibrant flowers on the windowsill. If they have a cute child, would they take him with them to pick mushrooms in the mountains after the rain?

A mountain can inspire so many emotions, especially for the Chinese people. Qing Shan represents integrity and attitude, acting as a mediator between the spirit of heaven and earth. That’s why Taoist temples and Buddhist monasteries throughout history have preferred to build on mountains, some even deliberately choosing secluded mountains to escape the hustle and bustle of the world, seeking only the peaceful life of waking with the sun and resting with the moon.

The Chinese people have expressed this tranquil state of mind in a unique way, through the art of ink painting. They use dark ink to layer upon layer, creating a world with the harmonious interplay of black and white. White represents the sky and the river, while black represents the mountains and the trees. Ink painting truly understands the soul of distant mountains, not focusing on form but on conveying meaning, a hazy sense of reality and illusion. The outline of a temple is drawn with the subtle strokes of thick and thin ink. Just a hint is enough, no more is needed. The essence of the distant mountain is captured in this small space.

I never had the taste for worldly affairs, by nature I love mountains and hills. The grandeur of Qing Shan nourishes the human spirit.

I always have a special fondness for cities with mountains. Compared to places without mountains, mountains give a city a sense of history and a sense of belonging.

There are countless Qing Shans in this world. I don’t know when I will be chosen by one. I long to build a red house on a mountain, to cultivate a small piece of land, to sow seeds in spring, plant in summer, harvest in autumn, and store in winter, watching the seasons change without haste.