CHINESE SUPERSTITIONS - University of Oregon

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Kiu-hwa-shan % ^ [Jj (1) is one of a high range
situated on the Southern bank of the Yangtze River,
of mountains
a little West
of Cli'i-cltow-fu ftj} ')]] jff, in Nganhwei province. Lu Chung-mu,
said of it : "of all the
a scholar who lived in the fifteenth century,
hills of Kia.ng-na.ri fx. fl)> none is more beautiful than Kiu-ltwa %
gjl".
It may be easily reached from the port of Ta-t'ung ^ jj|.
Several Buddhist temples and notable ancestral halls greet
the travel-
ler on the way. The tea-plant flourishes in many valleys. The
monks themselves cultivate a special kind of tea, which, according to
tradition, was brought from Sin-lo 3Pr ^ by Kin Ti-tsang ^ H
jfc (2). As the pilgrim ascends the mountain slope facing the
Yangtze, various monasteries and hermitages
are met with on the
way. Principal among these are the "Monastery of Sweet Dew",
the shrine to the "Spirit of the Mountain", the "temple
embalmed monk" (3), the "holy palace of Ti-tsang",
of the
the "Tower of
Heaven", and the hermitage of the "Ten-thousand Buddhas", built
on a lofty peak, and commanding a fine view of the Yangtze. The
Southern slope of the mountain has also a few temples, but they are
smaller and less attractive than those on the Northern side. All
ancient buildings on the mountain were destroyed by the T'ai-ping
rebels during their devasting march through central China, 1850-
1864. Nearly all present-day temples have been built or restored
since 1865 (4).
(1) Kiu-hwa-shan ^L ^ ill- Its original name was Kiu-tze-shan A ^ UJ
(Mountain of the Nine Philosophers). The alteration to the present name is
ascribed to Li T'ai-peh $s ^ £j, who, having caught sight of its peaks from
his boat on the Yangtze River, likened them to the upturned petals of the
lotus. Johnston. Buddhist China, p. 210-217.
(2) It is prepared in rectangular tin canisters, and sold to pilgrims, who
take it home as a highly-prized trophy of their visit to the holy mountain.
Johnston. Buddhist China, p. 221.
(3) The body is lacquered, a practice which Johnston suspects to have
been borrowed from Tibet. The corpses of Buddhist monks are generally
mated. Johnston. Buddhist China, p. 231 (Monks and Monasteries of
Kiu-hwa-shan).
(4) Johnston. Buddhist China, p. 220-223; p. 236-244.