Cultural Classics, Sacred Sites of the Way (Part 1)
Section 1: A Fairyland on Earth, a Haven Beyond the World. A Fairyland on Earth — Peach Blossom Spring. Located southwest of Taoyuan County town, it was famed for its secluded woods and valleys as early as the Han dynasty. Legend holds it is the setting of Eastern Jin poet Tao Yuanming's "Peach Blossom Spring," hailed as a "fairyland on earth" and "a haven beyond the world." It was once one of China's four great Taoist holy sites and is now a national forest park.
This article has been compiled from historical materials in the "Zhangjiajie Tour Guide Network" (33519.com · City Overview section). Some administrative divisions, population, socioeconomic data, and policy information may be outdated and are for reference only; for the latest situation, please refer to official releases by the local government and scenic areas.
Section One
A Fairyland on Earth, a Paradise Beyond the World
A Fairyland on Earth — Taohuayuan (Peach Blossom Spring)
Taohuayuan is located southwest of Taoyuan County town. As early as the Han dynasty it was famous for its secluded forests and valleys. It is also said to be the place where the Eastern Jin poet Tao Yuanming wrote 'The Record of Peach Blossom Spring,' and is praised as a 'fairyland on earth' and a 'paradise beyond the world.' Taohuayuan was once one of the four great Taoist sacred sites of ancient China, and is now a national forest park, a provincial key cultural relic protection unit, and a provincial key tourist scenic area. For thousands of years, Taohuayuan's rich cultural landscape and tranquil pastoral scenery have attracted countless men of letters and refined scholars to visit. The annual 'China Hunan Changde Taohuayuan Garden Fair' has made Taohuayuan even more famous throughout the world.
A Paradise Beyond the World — Qinren Village
The Qinren Village scenic area is located in the southern part of the Taohuayuan scenic area, adjacent to the Taohua Mountain scenic area. Taohuayuan is said to be the otherworldly fairyland where the people of Qin sought refuge from turmoil. Qinren Village became famous because of Tao Yuanming's poem and was built according to old Qin dynasty customs, mostly completed in 1992. The main attractions in the area include: the Qinren Ancient Path, Qinren Ancient Cave, Huoran Terrace, Qinren Residence, Bamboo Corridor, Public Assembly Hall, Fengxian Shrine, Yuyin Hall, Qinren Workshop, Qinren Street, Baile Bridge, Kuazong Hall, Yanzhi Hall, and the Nuo Altar, all built close to the style of the Qin period, giving you the feeling of being there in person.
China's No. 1 Archway — the Taohua Mountain Archway
The Taohua Mountain Archway is the mountain gate leading into the Taoyuan fairyland. Its lintel bears the three large characters 'Taohuayuan,' and on both sides are stone carvings of the couplet 'Red trees and green mountains, slanting sun on the ancient path; peach blossoms and flowing water, a blessed land and a cave heaven.' The Taohuayuan Archway is an antique-style structure, 17 meters high and 27 meters wide, with a clear central span of 12 meters. It is currently China's largest archway spanning a national highway, and is honored as 'China's No. 1 Archway.'
A Natural Bonsai — Taohua Lake
Taohua Lake, located 35 kilometers south of Taojiang County town, is a reservoir with a storage capacity of 70 million cubic meters. From late March to early April each year, peach blossoms bloom along the shores, and the water reflects the colors of the flowers, just like a natural bonsai. On the Ziliang Rock above the dam, legend says that during the Northern and Southern Dynasties a man named Pan Ziliang attained the Dao and became an immortal here. Carved on the cliff face are eight large characters: 'Rocks split and heaven startled, the first immortal mountain.' Many small islands float on the surface of Taohua Lake; boating among them brings great joy. In 1992, with the approval of the provincial people's government, the Taohua Lake scenic area was designated a provincial forest park.
The World-Famous Beauty Spot — Taohua River
Taohua River became famous throughout China as early as the 1930s, thanks to the wide singing of the song 'Taohua River Is a Beauty Spot,' composed by Mr. Li Jinhui, a famous early Chinese composer of children's song-and-dance music. A Singapore record company recorded the song onto records, and the Nanyang Brothers Tobacco Company used the song title as a trademark, specially producing a Taohua River cigarette. Thus the fame of Taohua River spread throughout China and the South Seas.
The Abode of Immortals — Yuanming Shrine
Yuanming Shrine is located in Taoyuan County, Hunan, and was built during the Zhengde era of the Ming dynasty (1506–1521 AD). It was first called the Abode of Immortals, later changed to Yanzhi Hall, and then to Yuanming Shrine. In 1980 it was rebuilt into a Jiangnan-style architectural complex covering an area of 2,995.2 square meters. Inside there is a chrysanthemum garden, divided into front and rear sections. The front section is in the style of a court gate, built of Taoyuan stone, with a pair of rock lions and a pair of stone drums standing before the gate. On both sides inside the gate are rectangular fish ponds, their waters rippling with green waves. On the left, right, and directly in front of the main hall, covered corridors connect with the enclosing wall as one, and the corridor walls are inlaid with several stone inscriptions of famous poems and prose for visitors to appreciate. In front of the hall is the chrysanthemum garden. Every Double Ninth Festival, visitors gather in crowds, vying to savor the delight of 'picking chrysanthemums by the eastern hedge, leisurely gazing at the southern mountains.'