Record of Bu'er Gate
These are two natural stone walls created by divine craftsmanship. The ingenious part is that the tops of the two stones are joined together, while the bottoms are separated on both sides, thus forming a natural stone gate. The two stone walls are dozens of meters high, with smooth surfaces as if cut. The inward-facing stone wall is close to Baota Mountain, and the outward-facing stone wall overlooks Mengdong River. The stone gate in the middle is very wide, allowing cars to pass through. Along the stone gate, there is a stone corridor about 100 meters long, with towering stone walls on both sides, looking majestic and spectacular…
These are two natural stone walls created by divine craftsmanship. The ingenious part is that the tops of the two stones are joined together, while the bottoms are separated on both sides, thus forming a natural stone gate. The two stone walls are dozens of meters high, with smooth surfaces as if cut. The inward-facing stone wall is close to Baota Mountain, and the outward-facing stone wall overlooks Mengdong River. The stone gate in the middle is very wide, allowing cars to pass through. Along the stone gate, there is a stone corridor about 100 meters long, with towering stone walls on both sides, looking majestic and spectacular. On those stone walls, there are over a hundred inscriptions of poems and phrases by various literati from different dynasties. Such as "Cave Heaven and Blessed Land", "Vast World", "White Cloud Gate Opens", "All who come here are Buddhas, and I who come too am an immortal", etc. Among them, the "Green Mountains and Sea Coast" inscribed by Jing Yuan, the third-place scholar in the imperial examination in the sixth year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty, in the twentieth year of Guangxu, and "Stone Gate Carved by Heaven" inscribed by Shen Congwen are relatively famous.
The characters "Bu'er Gate" carved on the inward-facing stone wall are said to be inscribed based on the Zen phrase "Bu'er Famen" (the only way). As for whose handwriting it is, it seems untraceable.
Not far above Bu'er Gate, there is a huge rock that naturally resembles Guanyin, so it is called "Guanyin Rock". Around this rock, many halls such as Guanyin Hall, Ksitigarbha Nunnery, Wenchang Pavilion, and Jade Emperor Hall have been built below. These halls are inhabited by monks who perform Buddhist rituals daily. The Bodhisattva enshrined here is mainly Guanyin. Most pilgrims from near and far are women, as it is said that Guanyin is the "Goddess of Childbirth", and burning incense and making wishes to Guanyin Bodhisattva will be effective for having children.
From the road below Guanyin Hall, go a few hundred meters further to reach Bu'er Gate Hot Spring. The water is constant at 40°C, just suitable for bathing. There are special bathhouses at the hot spring. Visitors who come here to bathe can sweep away physical and mental fatigue and feel refreshed. The water is said to contain various trace elements and have multiple therapeutic effects.
Bu'er Gate Scenic Area is only 1.5 kilometers from the south of Yongshun City. On January 26, 2002, the author and friend Luo Zhaoyong visited here together, and this is recorded.