Wuquan mountain lies in the northwest part of Gaolan Mountain,
which stands in the south part of the downtown area in Lanzhou City,
Gansu Province. The wuquan park, the largest in Lanzhou, occupies 266,400
square meters on wuquan Mountain.
There
are always legends and stories behind beautiful scenic spots in China.
Five Springs Park is no exception. In the Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-
24
A.D.), a famous general, Huo Qubing, was dispatched by the Emperor
to go on a punitive expedition to the Hun people, a minority group who
lived in the northwestern part of China at that time. Since the troops
had traveled from Chang'an (now Xian
), General Huo and his soldiers were exhausted when they arrived at the
foot of Gaolan Mountain. They couldn't find any water nearby, so
General Huo forcefully jabbed his horsewhip five times into the ground.
Abruptly five springs spurted water into the air. Thereafter the locals
called the mountain the wuquan Mountain. While this story sounds
surreal, the quality and the quantity of the five springs are true. They
have flowed and served the locals for several thousand years. In 1955,
it was officially opened as a park. Local authorities added a zoo, an
amusement park for adults and another for children.
The Middle
Peak of the Wuquan Mountain, the highest point in the park,
reaches 1,600 meters . It serves as the park axis. Ganlu
Spring, Juyue Spring, and Mozi Spring are distributed over the Middle
Peak area. Meng Spring and Hui Spring are located on either side of
Middle Peak.
When you pass the Tibetan Buddhism Mani Temple, you
will see the first spring, Ganlu Spring, on the top of the mountain.
Ganlu means sweet dew or timely rain in English. Ancient Chinese
emperors and officials often asked the god in charge of agriculture in
heaven to bring rain to assure a harvest in the coming year. They prayed
and offered sacrifices at an altar on the mountaintop. Thus when it
rained, people considered it timely rain or sweet dew.
Juyue
Spring is the most magical one among the five springs because of its
unique location. This spring is in the shape of a well. Ju means to hold
something in two hands, while Yue means the moon. When combined, these
two characters mean this spring could hold the moon in her hands. What a
beautiful picture! Especially around the time of Middle Autumn Day, you
can very clearly see the shadow of the moon reflecting in the spring.
Mozi
Spring means to touch or feel the stone to learn the gender of a fetus.
Because a Buddha in charge of birth is worshiped in the Dizang Temple
near the Mozi Spring, people believe the Mozi Spring can tell whether it
will be a boy or a girl.
The last two springs are located on the
two sides of Middle Peak. The spring on the east side is Meng Spring. It
is said that if people use the water from this spring to make Meng Tea,
which is produced on Mt. Meng, Sichuan Province,
the flavor will be extraordinary. The other spring was named Hui
Spring. Hui means benefiting someone. The quantity of Hui Spring was so
great that it even met local water supply needs, however today the flow is less.
The
five springs are not the only tourist magnet, but also a
famous scenic religious spot. Wenchang Temple, Butterfly Pavilion,
Golden Buddha Temple, Mahavira Hall, Wanyuan Pavilion, Thousand Buddha
Temple, etc., are arranged along a passage on Wuquan Mountain.
Corridors and stone steps, which add artistic atmosphere to the park,
and connect the buildings.
The natural beauty of the five springs is
enhanced by verdant groves while the temples make it a famous religious
destination. Five Springs Park and wuquan mountain not only offer visitors a place to
relax, but also provide a place to learn about Buddhism in china.