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Lanzhou Tour of
Five Springs Mountain Park
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Five Springs Park lies in the northwest part of Gaolan Mountain,
which stands in the south part of the downtown area in
Lanzhou City,
Gansu Province. The park, the largest in Lanzhou, occupies 266,400
square meters (2,867,599.56 square feet) on Five Springs 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 Five Springs 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 Five Springs Mountain, the highest point in
the park, reaches 1,600 meters (5,294 feet). 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. Today the flow is less.
The five springs are not the only tourist magnet. This park is 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 Five Springs
Mountain. Corridors and stone steps, which add artistic atmosphere
to the park, 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 not only offers visitors a place to relax, but also
provides a place to learn about Buddhism.
Tour Lanzhou
with Great Wall Adventure Club, the best
Lanzhou
tour agent to help
you with your hotel booking and transfers.
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