If there is a place to put away all worries, enjoy a moment of relaxation and fun of life, you sure be willing to head there. Maoshan (the Mao Mountain) is not only a tourist resort famous for Taoism, but also a perfect spot for healthy lifestyle. The nearby Maoshan Lake Tourist Resort is a good place to relax as well.
Perfect spot for healthy lifestyle — Maoshan
Maoshan is located in the southwest of Jiangsu province, stretches for ten kilometers in length with beautiful scenery along its reach. Regarded as the cradle of Taoism’s Qing School, Maoshan is also called “Shang Qing Zong Tan (the prime altar of Qing School)”. With the high reputation of “the number one fortune spot, the number eight fairyland”, “nine peaks, nineteen springs, twenty-six caves and twenty-eight ponds”create Maoshan’s mysterious atmosphere. Peaks and valleys, trees and bushes, various animal species as well as its 91.6% coverage of plantation attract visitors from all over the world ever since the past. Believers would also come to Maoshan to hang fortune plates and pray for their family.
Chongxi Wanshou Palace is a modern-style Taoist temple. Combining the function of monastery, health keeping and preaching, this Palace is a perfect place for those who expect to experience Taoist culture. Wandering the main hall and the Dharma Hall, listening to a lecture and watching a performance in the hall of knowledge, picking up a scroll of scripture in the hall of scripture copying, you can always gain concentration here no matter what you choose to do. When the night falls, you can also spend a night in the health valley, Lusheng building or lu courtyard.
Departing from here the next day, stepping up the stairs, you can reach the Xike Spring, Jiuxiao Wanfu Palace on the peak of the mountain. Breathe the oxygen along the way, clear your mind in the journey, feel the healthy lifestyle of Maoshan.
Local’s eco-fields — Tirsa Stone-grinded Tofu Village
Situated at the northern foot of Maoshan, Tirsa Stone-grinded Tofu Village is surrounded by green hills and waters, far away from the bustling city. Tirsa means “beautiful” in Hebrew, as this village is. The reason for Stone-grinded Tofu is that villagers insist on using stone mills instead of mechanizing tofu production.
The courtyard gate of Tirsa Stone-grinded Tofu Village is composed of one gate and two side gates. Like the buildings in the village, the construction style of black bricks and tiles shows the authentic style of Jiangnan. The lintel of the side door is “return” and “turn-re”, the meaning of which is simple but profound, and varies according to people’s understanding. Happiness lies in the return to simplicity, and this village is both rustic and creative. The abandoned stone, wood, cracked ceramics, windows and doors form the pedestrian’s walk and resident houses surrounded by ancient simplicity. The buildings such as arcade building and horsehead wall show the characteristics of resident houses in Jiangnan region. There are basically three small courtyards in the village, which are divided into different functional areas such as handcraft workshop area, museum and leisure tea house area. The layout is compact and flexible. B&B inn, tofu workshop, snack street, tailor shops… Nature is scattered among these “dwellings”. For visitors from the city, the unair-conditioned hostels, the traditional stone mills and the wood-fired cooking restaurants are a return to the pastoral life.
A primal village where you forget to leave — Maoshan Lake
Located to the west of Maoshan Tourist Resort, Maoshan Lake, which covers up to 330 hectares of green water and is composed of reed and lotus ponds, is a primal wetland offering well-conditioned habitats for a variety of animals and plants. The green reeds rippling on the lake are set off against the Maoshan Mountain in the distance. Fishermen row their oars and head home. This is the picturesque scene of sunsets at Maoshan Lake.
With superior forest, water, fields, villas, mountains, tea and medicine resources and the long-established health culture of Maoshan, Maoshan Lake health town is under construction, and Hantian Holiday Village is one of the best works. The winding wooden boardwalk in the countryside connects the scenery of the original lake shore. You can enjoy the Maoshan Lake by boat, and have a panoramic view of the lake shore. The open-air hot springs hidden in the forest are warm and soothing. There is no congested traffic, no gray haze, no disturbing noise, only the real pleasure.
Taoism always adheres to the concept of “those who make noises are doing nothing; returning to simplicity is the truth”. It keeps a serene mind and does not pursue too much, and returns to the original pure state of human beings. Maoshan is the best ecological original town to breathe out old and learn new.
