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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.
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