Chaoyang Phoenix Mountain 朝阳凤凰山 英文导游词

Chaoyang Phoenix Mountain

The phoenix mountain scenery resort is located 4km away in the east of chaoyang city. It was named dragon mountain, in the early Qing dynasty, it was renamed phoenix mountain, it covers an area of 55skm, it streaches from southeast to northwest, 660 in height, it is made up of sedimentary limestone. In 1992 it was rated as the national forest park, in 1997 it was qualified as one of the top 50 scenery in liaoning, in 2003 it was titled the top 10 forest park in liaoning. More than 1,600years ago, emperor of yan migrated the captain to chaoyang and founded 龙翔temple here, this temple is the first temple here. From then on, some people came here for their wishes and visit the temple. Till the Liao dynasty, this mountain has become an quite influcial mountain for Buddha. In the middle of Qing, 3 towers and 4 temples were founded here. Now, it has developed into a tourist resort with one niche, two cave, 3 towers, and 4temples. The niche is a script of Buddha which was found in northwei dynasty, the two cave is the guanyin cave and the lying Buddha cave, the 3 towers are the 凌霄，摩云，大宝. The 4 temples are the 华严云接延寿天庆. Apart from that, there are other spots whose number reaches more than 80. the wood here is quite luxuriant, more than 600 plants grows here, the rate of coverage by the forest reaches 85%. It is just like a tourist pearl in north China. This script was carved in northwei, it is the remotest relics of the mountain, there are 72 scripts here, the arhat sculptures were laid inside. When the first rim of the light fall here, here is quite solemn.

This gate is known as the first gate in northeast of China, founded in 1995, 12.6m high and 38m wide, the constructure area is 1636sm. The style is quite simple and sprightly, with a model of feng’s sketch; present the mountain’s cultural relics. The flying dragon and phoenix on both sides, it may appears a sense of modern combined with classical. The pavilions on both sides of the gate named dragon and phoenix pavilion respectively.

Behind the gate, there is a structure, it is 4.5m high and 20m long, the front one is the Chinese cultural and history wall, the behind one is the 9 phoenix wall. The front one was caved the head portrait of 76people, they are the elite in politics, culture, science, phnoserphy and some other fields. In the middle it carved the diagram of the universe, symbolize everthing is in change, the wheels shows the mark of the development of history. The wall behind was carved with 9 pheonixes, with varied clouds around it, it not only shows the beautiful legend of the phoenix but also shows the the desire for develop of chaoyang people.

This is the 9 dragons wall, founded in 1995, 4.7m high and 21.2m long. The nine dragons are in different posture and with different backgrounds. This design break the traditional concept and added modern idea, it connected with the development of human being and shows a explore for the life and universe, so it is also called the myth of nature. In front of this wall, this is the best place to look the script of Buddha.

The hills and stones here are quite interesting, it formed 27spots in total, this is the camel looking the noon. This is a slope strech out, it looks just like a camel, the head of it is quite lifelike, if you take a close look at it you can see its lip, nose, eyes, and ears. The grass on the top is just like the hair of it. The stone is in brownish-black, with moss on it, when the moon is hang in the sky in the night, it is just like a camel walking down a slope, it may also remind you of the desert.

The hills over there is just like boobies, then are 500m high, it were called the boobies peak.

This is the lying Buddha, 219m long, with his head on the green mountain, he faced the sky, the outline of his head, neck, breast is quite clear. This spot is discovered by a retired leader in 1993.

This cave is the guanyin cave, it is located above 20m off the road. The cave is 2.3m high and 1.7m deep. Once here has a stone sculpture of guanyin which was made in liao dynasty, but this guanyin is built in 1993, she faced the south which is quite different compared with other guanyin who faced north, as for the reason, a couplet once said because people do not correct their false some times. It shows her kindness to people. The hill over there is called the stone people hill, on the hill there is a spot named the huatuo ask for the way, this spot is combined with two stones, the upper one is just like an old man sit quietly there, the lower one

is just like huatuo with his basket on his back. It is said that once caocao once lived in chaoyang during his fight of the east, his headache broke out, the doctor went into the mountain looking for the herb but get lost in the rain, he came across an old man and he asked him the way out. After caocao covered, he come to here for visit, the old man was left but there are two stones here. Caocao thought maybe he has been helped by the god, so he kowtow at it 3times.

This grave tower is made by bricks, it buried the master of 严华temple in the early qing dynasty, it is made up of the base, the body and the tasha. 2.7m high, spread green bricks on it and filled with white ash. The base is in square, in the south there is a slabstone caved with lotus, peals and even some Tibetan charactors. This is the newly built platform and the gateway. This 18twist is the main road people would go though to the Buddha, it is also the shortcut between 华严and 云接temple, it is 1.5km long, spread with slabstone. Inside the pavilion there carved the story about running after a deer and found this cave in color, when walking through this road, you can not only overlook the beautiful scenery here but also enjoy the happy of climbing. 延寿temple used to be named 报恩temple, in 1712, the monk 海沧accept his brother 海明here, he give this flat area to haiming and haiming build this temple here. This temple is the biggest one on phenix mountain, covers an area of 10,000sm, the architecture area reaches more than 1000sm, the bell tower and the drum tower are built on the waist of the mountain.

Tianwang palace is the first palace, it has been rebuilt in 1995, with 3rooms outside and 3 inside, it covers an area of 96sm, inside the palace there is the sculpture of maitreya, with the 4 emperor one both sides. This is the second palace, the structure is similar with the first one, it covers an area of 107sm, rebuild in 1996, it present the dizangwang emperor, with 道明and 闵公’s status on both side, it is made up of marble, 2.2m high.

This is the third palace, 大雄宝殿rebuild in 1992, the structure area is 180sm, the statue in it is made of mud. On both sides there stand the status of the 18 arhat, on the wall, part of the painting in qing dynasty is still exist today.

The forth palace is made up of 关帝and 药王palace, rebuild in 1994, covers an area of 33.5sm.

The fifth palace is the guanyin palace, rebuild in 1997, covers an area of 16sm, there are side halls on both side of it. In side the palace, there are 3 statues made of Burma jade.

The sixth palace is used for deposit the Buddhist classical. 11m high, the constructure area is 332sm, the plaque is write by he president of bodhi association in Hong Kong, this floor is 5.2m high, the statue is made of burma jade. With his right hand under his head, he slept on the right side.

天庆temple is founded in 1099, preserved in Qing, in 1993 it was rebuild again. The 5 cypresses in front of the temple has a history of more than 1000years, the diameter reaches 40centimeter, 10m high, behind the temple there also plant some cypresses.

In this temple, there are guanyin palace, side halls, gate, wall, and poetry tablet. The guanyin palace covers an area of 40m, the guanyin inside it is 2m high, it is made of marble, duplicated in 1993. in front of the palace, it’s a tablet, there are 26poet and something about the discovering and carving process of guanyin statue. The original one has been ruined, what we see now is the duplication which was made in 1997.

云接temple, the location here is 550 high, including 8 palace, cover an area of 742sm, founded in 1735. the main building here is the 大悲palace, cover an area of 64m, the guanyin statue is 3.15 high, rebuild in 1991, the statue of 韦驮was rebuild in 1993. the goddess palace covers an area of 56sm, repaired in 1994, with several goddess’s statues inside. Guandi palace cover an area of 45sm, rebuild in 1996, 关帝，关平，周仓’s statues were carved inside. The Buddhist palace is the rear palace of this temple, covers an area of 51sm. With 4 buddha ‘s statues inside, such as 文殊，地藏，普贤and guanyin, this is the best preserved temple on the mountain.

This is the well know tower named 摩云，it is just like a sword pointed to the sky, it is build in liao dynasty,

37m high, the doors on each side of it were just the model, and each side carved a Buddha on it, 4kind of animals were carved above it, such as elephant, horse, peacock, and bird. The eaves were in 13 layers, with 104mirror insert in it, on the corner of the eaves, there hang 52 small bells, but now some have been lost. This is the lying Buddha cave, the entry faced the southwest, in the cave, there lied a stone Buddha, this is all made by nature. In 1651, some people went here hunting, they run after a white deer and were lead to here, when they come in, they see the lying Buddha, the white deer however was disappeared, then, then went back and decided to build a temple here. In the following years, this place becomes more and more popular. They also build a small attic at the entry of the cave, at the side of the cave, there hang a bell, this bell was made in 1672. the door of the cave was build later, the stone Buddha was destroyed during the culture revolution. The head of it now was display in the chaoyang museum, and this Buddha was rebuild in 1992, it is 3.2m long, head on the west and feet on the east.

华严temple is located at a height of 660m, founded in liao dynasty and rebuild in Qing, this temple was build according to the hill. In Qing dynasty, there are a lot of buildings from the lying Buddha cave to here, such as the gate, the rear room, the attics, the bell, the second gate, the goddess palace, and the last is the 凌霄tower, it is 15m high, just as the symbol of the gulong city, though the 华严temple is no longer existed, you can see a weather radar tower.

The 大宝tower is 17m high, carved some paintings on the it, such as the lotus, the musician and so on, there used to be 24 sets of image, but it now only exist 14 now. in the south of the tower, there is a door, there are 4 column on the 4 corners of the tower, on each side of the tower, there is a painting of the Buddha, below them are the lotus and above them are the animals, such as the eagles, elephants, horses, and rocs, on both side of the Buddha, there are small towers, although this tower is small in size, it is quite exquisite, the Sanskrit around it is quite rare in the liao building.

Near the tower, there is a spring, when the weather is fine, the shadow of the tower can be seen from the pool.