Punch: From third-rate anchor to top chef

Chapter 1776

"Mount Wutai, we are finally here!" Li Xiao looked out the window excitedly. The rolling mountains in the distance were looming in the morning mist, like an ink painting.

Zhang Yuedong nodded slightly, his eyes full of anticipation: "As the first of the four famous Buddhist mountains in China, Mount Wutai carries a profound Buddhist cultural heritage. We must experience it this time."

Lin Yifei kept fiddling with his camera, ready to capture those beautiful moments at any time: "With such beautiful scenery and such a rich cultural atmosphere, the photos I take will definitely amaze my friends."

When they stepped into the Wutai Mountain Scenic Area, a magnificent temple complex came into view. The temple has a unique architectural style, with red walls, black tiles, flying eaves and brackets, which looks particularly solemn and majestic under the sunlight.

They first came to Wuye Temple, originally named Wanfo Pavilion, which is one of the most famous and popular temples in Wutai Mountain. Incense was curling in the temple, and believers held incense sticks and prayed devoutly, their faces full of awe and expectation.

"The Wuye Temple is so popular. It seems that Wuye has a very high status in everyone's hearts!" Li Xiao said with emotion. Looking at the bustling crowd in front of him, a warm feeling surged in his heart.

Zhang Yuedong explained: "Wuye is the honorific title of Guangji Dragon King Manjusri Bodhisattva, and is also the incarnation of Manjusri Bodhisattva at the Five Peaks of Mount Wutai. It is said that Wuye is very effective and can fulfill people's various wishes, so it attracts many believers to come and worship."

At the Wuye Temple, they saw the statue of Wuye, who had a golden face and black beard, and was dressed in a dragon robe, looking majestic yet kind. The surrounding walls were painted with exquisite murals, telling the legendary story of Wuye, with bright colors and lifelike images, making people feel as if they had traveled through time and space and returned to that mythical era.

After leaving Wuye Temple, they came to Tayuan Temple. Tayuan Temple is famous for its iconic white pagoda, which is 75.3 meters high and 83.3 meters in circumference. The tower is as white as snow, towering into the clouds, and shining with sacred light under the sun. The top of the tower is covered with eight copper plates in a circle, arranged according to the eight trigrams of Qian, Kan, Gen, Zhen, Xun, Li, Kun, and Dui. The top of the tower is equipped with a copper top, which is about five meters high and covers more than 21 meters. It is decorated with 36 eaves and more than two meters long; three wind bells are hung at the bottom of each eave. Together with the wind bells on the waist of the tower, there are a total of 252 wind bells in the whole tower. When the breeze blows, the sound of the wind chimes is crisp and pleasant, as if telling the thousand-year-old Buddhist sound.

"Wow, this big white pagoda is so stunning, it's worthy of being the symbol of Mount Wutai!" Lin Yifei looked up at the big white pagoda, his eyes full of amazement, and the camera in his hand kept flashing.

Li Xiao was also impressed by the majesty of the Great White Pagoda: "Standing under the pagoda, I felt so small, and the power of Buddhism was so great."

Zhang Yuedong introduced: "The Big White Pagoda contains a 'Cishou Pagoda', which also contains the relics of Sakyamuni. It is said that this pagoda existed before Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty and has a very long history."

At Tayuan Temple, they also visited buildings such as the Sutra Library and the Main Hall, admired many precious Buddhist relics and classics, and felt the profoundness of Buddhist culture.

Before they knew it, it was already noon, and they came to a vegetarian restaurant in Wutai Mountain, ready to taste the special vegetarian food here. The vegetarian restaurant has a quiet environment, antique style, and a faint sandalwood scent.

"I've heard that the vegetarian food in Wutai Mountain is very famous. Today I can finally enjoy it." Li Xiao looked at the menu with an expectant smile on his face.

They ordered Luohan vegetarian dishes, Golden Millet Tribute Buddha, and Cool Tea Fruit. Soon, all the dishes were served. Luohan vegetarian dishes are made from fried potatoes, vermicelli, fried tofu, cabbage, bean sprouts, fungus, yellow flower, monkey head, etc. They are colorful, fragrant, smooth and delicious; Golden Millet Tribute Buddha is made from golden crispy rice and red dates, sweet and delicious, rich in nutrition, and it is said that eating it all year round can invigorate vitality, and make you healthy and happy; Cool Tea Fruit is a flour food made from refined flour fried in oil, with a crispy taste, sweet and a hint of coolness, which can nourish the body, strengthen the spirit and strengthen the mind.

"Well, this vegetarian food tastes really great. I didn't expect that vegetarian food could be so delicious!" Li Xiao praised it while eating.

Zhang Yuedong smiled and said: "The vegetarian food in Wutai Mountain is not only delicious, but also contains profound Buddhist cultural connotations. Eating vegetarian food is not only to satisfy the desire for food, but also a kind of practice and respect for Buddhist culture."

After eating vegetarian food, they took a short break and then came to the square of the temple to watch a Buddhist ritual. At this time, many believers and tourists had gathered in the square, and everyone was quietly waiting for the ritual to begin.

After a while, a group of monks in cassocks slowly came over, holding instruments in their hands, chanting something, with piety on their faces. Under the leadership of the monks, the believers put their hands together and followed the monks to chant and pray. The whole square was filled with a solemn atmosphere, which cleansed people's souls.

"This ritual is so shocking. I felt the solemnity and sacredness of Buddhism." Lin Yifei said with emotion, his eyes full of awe.

Li Xiao also nodded in agreement: "Yes, at this moment, it seems that all the troubles have disappeared, and my heart has become extremely calm."

After watching the rituals, they continued to walk in Wutai Mountain. Along the way, they saw many beautiful scenery, with rolling hills, green trees, and blooming wild flowers, just like a paradise. At the same time, they also met some monks who practiced Buddhism. The monks had peaceful faces and elegant manners, which made people feel the tranquility and peace of Buddhism.

At the foot of Mount Wutai, there are many shops selling specialties. They walked into a shop filled with all kinds of Mount Wutai specialties, such as mushrooms, mushroom sauce, Mount Wutai Buddhist beads, and Mount Wutai paper-cuts.

"This mushroom looks very good. I heard that it is a rare wild food ingredient unique to Mount Wutai. It is rich in nutrition and delicious." Li Xiao picked up a box of mushrooms and looked at it carefully. Zhang Yuedong introduced: "Mushrooms are indeed a specialty of Mount Wutai. They are divided into black fragrant mushrooms in the south, silver plates in the north, tiger skin mushrooms in the middle, chicken claw mushrooms and water skin mushrooms in the west, and autumn dew white in the east. Among them, silver plates are the most famous. Mushrooms can not only be cooked directly, but also made into mushroom sauce, which tastes very good."

Finally, they selected some special products such as Tai mushrooms, Tai mushroom sauce and Wutai Mountain Buddhist beads, and prepared to take them back to give to their relatives and friends so that they could also experience the unique charm of Wutai Mountain.

A day in Mount Wutai made Li Xiao, Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei feel the profoundness of Buddhist culture and the magnificent scenery of Mount Wutai. Every blade of grass, every brick and every tile seemed to contain endless wisdom and power, which gave their souls a profound baptism. When the sun set, they left this sacred land with a lot of harvest and reluctance to leave Mount Wutai, and set off for the next destination.

Yungang Grottoes, a treasure of art
In the early morning, the sunlight was like a golden veil, gently sprinkled on the land of Datong, awakening this ancient and charming city. Li Xiao, Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei embarked on a journey to the Yungang Grottoes with awe and expectation for historical art. Along the way, they were extremely excited, and various descriptions of the Yungang Grottoes kept emerging in their minds, imagining the shocking scenes they were about to witness.

"The Yungang Grottoes are a treasure of ancient Chinese sculpture art. I am so lucky to be able to see it with my own eyes this time!" Li Xiao said excitedly, with a gleam in his eyes.

Zhang Yuedong nodded slightly with an expectant smile on his face: "Yes, the Yungang Grottoes have a history of more than 1500 years. It not only witnessed the glory of the Northern Wei Dynasty, but also integrated a variety of cultural elements. It has extremely high artistic value and historical significance."

Lin Yifei kept fiddling with the camera in his hand, eager to try: "This is such a precious cultural heritage, I must take more photos to record these beautiful moments."

When they arrived at the Yungang Grottoes Scenic Area, a magnificent gate came into view. The plaque on the gate read "Yungang Grottoes" in four large characters, which were vigorous and powerful, as if telling the vicissitudes of time. Entering the scenic area, a wide stone road leads to the grottoes. On both sides of the road are lush trees. The sunlight shines through the gaps between the leaves and falls on the ground, forming patches of light, adding a sense of tranquility and mystery to the entire scenic area.

Walking along the stone road, they first came to Tan Yao Square. On the square stood a tall statue of the monk Tan Yao, with a kind face and deep eyes, as if overlooking the land he had devoted his heart and soul to. Surrounding the statue were some reliefs, which vividly showed the excavation process of the Yungang Grottoes and the Buddhist culture of the Northern Wei Dynasty.

"This is the eminent monk Tan Yao. It is because of his efforts that we have the Yungang Grottoes today." Li Xiao said with emotion as he looked at the statue.

Zhang Yuedong introduced: "During the reign of Emperor Wencheng of the Northern Wei Dynasty, the monk Tan Yao presided over the excavation of the first phase of the Yungang Grottoes, which are often referred to as the Tan Yao Five Grottoes. The Buddha statues in these five caves are tall and majestic, and are the essence of the Yungang Grottoes."

After leaving Tan Yao Square, they came to the core area of ​​Yungang Grottoes. Standing in front of the grottoes, Li Xiao and others were shocked by the scene before their eyes and were speechless. The grottoes were carved into the mountain, stretching for one kilometer, with caves of all sizes densely packed like a honeycomb. The Buddha statues in the grottoes are either tall and majestic or small and exquisite, with different postures and lifelike, and each Buddha statue seems to be telling an ancient story.

"It's so spectacular! It's simply a miracle of art!" Li Xiao couldn't help but exclaim, not willing to take his eyes off those exquisite Buddha statues for a moment.

They first visited Cave 20, where the famous open-air Buddha is located. When the 13.7-meter-tall open-air Buddha appeared before their eyes, everyone was impressed by its majestic aura. The Buddha had a high bun, a broad forehead, a full chin, long eyes, a high nose, and a slightly upturned mouth with a mysterious smile, as if he was overlooking the world. He was wearing a heavy right-exposed cassock with raised folds and smooth lines, giving people a solemn and dignified feeling.

"This is the Yungang Giant Buddha. It really lives up to its reputation!" Lin Yifei exclaimed as he took photos. "The carving craftsmanship of this Buddha is so exquisite. Every detail is handled just right. It is simply amazing."

Zhang Yuedong explained: "This open-air Buddha is one of the masterpieces of the Yungang Grottoes. It not only shows the superb carving skills of the Northern Wei Dynasty, but also integrates the style of Gandhara art, and has a unique artistic charm. You can see that the Buddha's face and clothing have both the characteristics of Indian Buddhist art and elements of Chinese traditional culture. This is the embodiment of cultural integration."

Li Xiao looked at the Buddha carefully, nodded and said, "Indeed, from this Buddha, we can feel the sparks produced by the collision of different cultures. It is like a bridge, connecting the exchange and integration of ancient Eastern and Western cultures."

Afterwards, they visited other caves in the Tanyao Grottoes. The main Buddha in Cave 16 is a standing Buddha, with a tall and straight figure, a delicate face, wearing a thousand-Buddha robe, and making the fearless seal with both hands, as if conveying the wisdom and compassion of Buddhism to the world; the main Buddha in Cave 17 is a cross-legged Bodhisattva statue, with a round face, a serene expression, a crown on the head, and a necklace on the body, looking noble and solemn; the main Buddha in Cave 18 is also a standing Buddha, wearing a right-shoulder-exposed robe, with thousands of Buddhas surrounding it, gorgeous and complex, with a vivid facial expression, and firmness and compassion in his eyes; the main Buddha in Cave 19 is a sitting Buddha, 16.8 meters tall, the second largest Buddha statue in the Yungang Grottoes, sitting cross-legged, with his right hand raised to his chest in the fearless seal, and his left hand holding the robe on his knees with the palm facing up, showing the fearlessness and inheritance of Buddhism.

After visiting the Tan Yao Five Grottoes, they visited other caves one by one. Each cave has its own unique charm. Some caves have many Buddha statues and are magnificent; some caves are famous for their exquisite murals and reliefs, which are colorful and lifelike. They shuttled through the caves, as if they traveled through time and space and returned to the Northern Wei Dynasty, and personally felt the wisdom and creativity of ancient craftsmen.

"The Buddha statues and murals in these caves are so exquisite, and each one contains profound cultural connotations." Li Xiao exclaimed, "The ancient craftsmen were really amazing. They created such brilliant artistic achievements with their own hands."

Zhang Yuedong smiled and said: "Yes, these works of art are not only witnesses of history, but also symbols of the spirit of the Chinese nation. They carry our cultural genes and inspire us to continue to inherit and carry forward our excellent traditional culture."

Before they knew it, it was already noon and their stomachs began to growl, so the three of them went to a restaurant near the scenic spot to taste Datong's specialties.

"I've heard that Datong knife-cut noodles are very famous. I must try it today." Li Xiao said impatiently.

Soon, three bowls of steaming hot sliced ​​noodles were served on the table. The noodles were thick in the middle and thin on the sides, shaped like willow leaves, evenly long and smooth on the outside and chewy on the inside. They were soft but not sticky, and the more you chewed, the more delicious they became. The noodles were also topped with a fragrant marinade, which contained tender meat slices, green vegetables, and delicious mushrooms, making people salivate at the sight.