Sichuan: Huajiao Mountain

Located not far west from Pingle Ancient Town, Huajiao Mountain is surrounded by a vast bamboo-sea. At the mountain top, there is a tea garden which was presented by Emperor Kangxi in Qing Dynasty as “the No.1 Garden in the world”. Driving through the luxuriantly green bamboo sea, you can hear the stream gurgling and see some Shanxi residences scattering among the bamboo forest, which outlines a idyllic life picture scroll. The quiet and simple life persuaded me that it was the arcadia described in the prose of Tao Yuanming, a famous poet in Eastern Jin Dynasty(316-420).

It was April 5, Chinese Qingming Festival(Tomb-sweeping Day), cloudy. The mountain was overcast by morning fog and the damp air lingered on everything. When taking a gulf of breath, you would feel your body got humid. A small piece of rape flower jumped into my view from the gaps of the bamboo forest.