Wudu
A Brief survey
Wudu is a place of strategic importance in the south-
eastern part of Gansu;it has an area of 4, 700 square kilome-
ters and a population of about 450, 000. There are e!even
ethnic groups, including Han, Hui, Tibetan, Manchu,
Zhuang, etc. It is the "Land of Fish and Rice"; it has a mild,
humid climate, and is rich in natural vegetation (annual aver-
age temperature: 14.5 degress centigrade) ;. therefore, it
bears the name "Lush Land of Southern Gansu". It is also
rich in mineral resources which include iron, aluminum,
zinc, sulphur, phosphorus, marble, and gypsum, among oth-
ers. Since most of the deposits remain untapped, the mvest-
ment potential is large.
Scenic Spots
shuillandong Cave on Wufeng Mountain
Wufeng Mountain, 2.5 kilometers north of the county
seat, is a "Mountain of Flowers and Fruit". In its dense for-
est grow large trees, old rattans, and fruit trees. Local cherry
trees look especially delicate and charming when in blos-
som. when the cherries ripen,they resemble strings of ru-
bies. In addition, a water curtain (shuilian) hangs halfway up
the mountain adding more beauty and vitality to the scene.
Its sparkling silvery spray everywhere gives the whole
mountain a dramatic and mystic atmosphere. It is a fairy
land on earth.
On the cliff surface, carved in bold and vigor6 s
strokes, are four Chinese characters: "Fei Long Pu Bu' (Fl:-
lng Dragon Waterfall). Beolw the waterfall stands the three-
storeyed Hongnu Memorial Temple whose construction ma-
terials are mainly of wood and stone. The architecture of the
temple is unique. Inside it stands a statue of Hongnu, a leg-
endary country girl, famed for her great virtue, riding a
frightening dragon. This type of figure is rarely seen in any
other temple because, in the old feudal societies, women
were generally regarded as inferior to men and a dragon as
the most famous symbol of power would rarely be associated
with a female. Even in fairy tales, a figure of a woman riding
on a dragon is beyond imagination.
Wanxiang Cave
This cave lies 15 kilometers from the county town,
halfway up Hualing Mountain, on the southern bank of the
Bailong River. Above the cave entrance are carved seven
Chinese characters which in translation mean:" The Way
Joining Paradise and Man's World "this aften set people to
pondering". Wanxiang means all-embracing because inside
Wanxiang Cave , which stretches tens of kilometers inside
the mountain,small caves connect to larger ones which, again
~ again connect to larger ones so that each seems to be inside
the other. A pair of antithetical couplets on the cave wall de-
scribes this main aspect of the cave: "Better Landscapes Lie
Amid Other Landscapes" and ' The Great Universe Em-
braces the Smaller Universe". Dedications and poems written
by scholars and poets of the Sung and later Dyansties are
carved on stone tablets or on walls increasing the value of
the cave for literary or historical study. Legend tells that
Zhang Sanfeng, the founder of the Wudan Faction, once lived
in one of these caves. The interior scenery of Wanxiang Cave
is as good as that in Seven-Star Cave in Guilin and that of
Stone Forest near Kunming. The only reason Wanxiang is
not as famous is that, being in a remote area where access is
more difficult, fewer people are able to visit it,
Folk Customs
A Temple Fair
Hongnu, whose statue is enshrined and worshiped in
the aforementioned Hongnu MemorialTemple,was a kind-
hearted, pretty country girl, who, after her parentsf death,
toiled day and night working for her relatives. Although she
herself suffered greatly and was often tortured by these rel-
atives, she still tried her best to help other poor villagers.
Her good deeds finally moved the "Goddess of Mercy"who
took her away to paradise.
This temple is said to be located on the exact spot
where Houngnu entered Nirvana. This beautiful legend actu-
ally describes the local people f s good qualities: simplictity,
honesty, goodheartedness and readiness to lend a hand. Be-
cause thisngoddess" is one of these people herself, this tem-
ple has always had many folk-worshippers for the last sever-
al hundred years. It is said that March 28th of the traditional
Chinese calendar is the day on which Hongnu became an im-
mortal. Every year on this day, villagers, old and young,
make a pilgrimage to the temple praying to Hongnu to bless
and protect this area. On that day, the temple grounds are
full of coiling smoke of incense and crowded by pilgrims,
tourists, and hawkers.
Going Home When the Cherries Are Ripe
Each year, when cherry harvest is about to begin, wom-
en who married and moved to other places have the custom
of returning to their parents~ homes to see their relatives and
to help pick cherries. During this happy time, whole villages
celebrate the festival with jubilation as if Spring Festival had
come again. Everyone is happy and smiling. It is really a la-
bor and harvest festival. If you are fortunate enough to pay a
visit at that time, you will certainly be invited by hospitable
hosts to savor their cherries and share the joys of the har-
vest.
Native Products
Rare Animals
The high mountains and dense forests of Wudu provide
a good natural environment for wild animals. Rare animals
breeds in Wudu make up more than half of the total rare
breeds in Gansu Province. Wudu' s forests abound in golden-
haired monkeys, antelope, sika. otters, and golden pheas-
ants; in its rivers, there are giant salamander and many other
breeds of fish.
Wudu Cherry
Cherry growing has a long history in this area, especial-
ly in the villages near the county seat; one is even called"
Cherry Village". Cherries produced in Wudu are remarkable
for their large size, small pits, juicy pulp, and high sugar eon-
tent. The phosphorus and iron content of the cherry is many
times higher than that of apples. Cherries help promote the
production of body fluid, quench thirst, stimulate appetite,
and slow the aging process of the face.
Weicai (Osmunda japonica)
The Weicai growing in the Wudu, Wenxian, and Kangx-
ian areas is of high quality and very nourishing. It has been
examined and evaluated by several Japanese firms as among
the world' s highest quality. One ton of weicai for export is
worth 20, 000 yuan which is equal in value to about twenty
tons of beans or ten tons of pork.
Other Herbs and Food Plants
Wudu also abounds in many traditional medicinal herbs
such as milk vetch and other mountain delicacies including
edible fungus (Auricalaria auricula), walnuts, and Houtou
mushrooms (Hericium erinaceus).