Mt. Luofu

Mt. Luofu, situated on the banks of the Dongjiang River to the northwest of Boluo County, Guangdong Province, covers 250 kilometers. Among Daoist Grotto Heavens( 洞天 Dongtian ) and Blissful Realms ( 福地 Fudi ), it is the seventh Grotto Heaventhe Grotto Heaven of Vermillion Brightness and Shining Perfection ( 朱明耀真洞天 Zhuming Yaozhen Dongtian ) and the 34th Blissful Realmthe Blissful Realms of Spring Origin ( 泉源福地 Quanyuan Fudi ). According to Records of Mt. Luofu, the mountain is the combined name for both Mt. Luo and Mt. Fu. It is said that Mt. Luofu is a subsidiary island of the Island Penglai, which floats from the Eastern Sea to the Southern Sea with wind and waves and connects with Mt. Luo, so it is called Mt. Luofu. Mt. Luofu was regarded as a grotto of spirits since antiquity. Many magical legends about "Penglai" in the Southern Sea have been passed down through the ages, attracting scholars in different dynasties to come for tourism or for a secluded life. In the Eastern Jin dynasty, the renowned Daoist Ge Hong once refined elixirs here. During Ge Hong's stay on Mt. Luofu, four huts were built, and subsequently enlarged into temples, namely the southern Temple of Great Emptiness ( 都虛觀 Duxu Guan ) (which was changed into the Temple of Emptiness ( 沖虛觀 Chongxu Guan ) afterwards), the western Temple of the Yellow Dragon ( 黃龍觀 Huanglong Guan ), the eastern Temple of the Nine Heavens ( 九天觀 Hiutian Guan ), and the northern Temple of Junkets ( 酥醪觀 Sulao Guan ). Later in the Sui and Tang dynasties, some celebrated Daoists, such as Su Yuanlang and Xuanyuan Ji, lived here successively in seclusion. Daoism of Mt. Luofu was thus fairly developed. In the Song and Yuan dynasties, famous Daoists such as Chen Nan, Bai Yuchan and Zou Baoguang led secluded lives and cultivated Dao on the mountain. Daoism of Mt. Luofu remained prosperous till the Ming and Qing dynasties. In the Qing dynasty, a branch of the Dragon Gate Sect ( 龍門派 Longmen Pai ) propagated its teachings at the Temple of Junkets. During the reign of Emperor Guangxu, the abbot of the temple, Chen Jiaoyou, wrote Evolution of the Daoism of Changchun's Lineage ( 長春道教源流 Changchun Daojiao Yuanliu ), an important work on the history of transmission and inheritance of the Dragon Gate Sect.

It was said that there were nine guan (temple), 18 si (temple) and 22 an (temple) on Mt. Luofu, but after the Ming and Qing dynasties, many of them collapsed and only five guan and five si remain nowadays. The five Daoist temples are the Temple of Emptiness, the Temple of Junkets, the Temple of the Nine Heavens, the Temple of the White Crane ( 白鶴觀 Baihe Guan ), and the Temple of the Yellow Dragon. The Temple of Emptiness is one of the national key temples acknowledged by the State Council.

There are many relics of Ge Hong on Mt. Luofu, such as the "Well of Longevity" from which he obtained water, the alchemical kitchen for refining elixirs, and the pond for washing elixirs. The Grotto of Vermillion Brightness on the mountain is said to be the place where Ge Hong cultivated Dao and attained immortality. It is situated in the forest in the deep valley below Mt. Luofu, where everything is in deep stillness, except for gurgling streams. This refined and quiet place is just like a fairyland.

Besides, there is a "Boots-Losing House", which is said to be the place where Ge Hong and his teacher Bo Jing used to discuss scriptures. One day, after talking until daybreak, two swallows flew toward them. However, they turned out to be a pair of boots instead of swallows, after being entangled. It is said that immortals lost their boots here, and so the house was named like this. There is a stone tablet above the house. It is about five-chi long, half-chi wide and one-chi high. It lies against a huge stone like a bed and is completely in the shade. They say in ancient times, an immortal once lay on it quietly, so it is called "Immortal's Bed".

Fully enjoying the wonderful view of the Grotto Heaven of Mt. Luofu makes one feel aloof from the vulgar indeed.

Contact
Address: Boluo County, Guangdong Province Traveling route: Go to Guangdong and then go to Mt. Luofu by bus Tele: 86-752-6660661, 6660235 or 86-13902663519 羅浮山