Fei Lai Feng (also named Ling Jiu Feng),
stands next to Ling Yin Temple and is a must-see in Hangzhou, Zhejiang
Province. There are many legends about the peak's name. A well-known legend
states that an Indian monk named Huili arrived in the valley 1,600 years
ago and was surprised to see a peak so dissimilar from any other one in
the valley. He believed that the peak had flown over from India because
the shape, although unique in China, was common in India. However, he
did not know why the peak would have flown to this spot so far from his
country. Hence the peak's name was created and has passed down to the
present day.
Fei Lai Feng, 209 meters (about 700 feet) tall, is a pure limestone mountain
that is very distinctive from the sandstone mountains around it. Large
stones scattered along the peak are said to resemble animals like a flying
dragon, a running elephant, a crouching tiger, and a fleeing monkey. On
the other side of the peak, a pavilion named Cui Wei was erected to immortalize
the national hero Yue Fei. This man contributed greatly in the war against
Jin Tribe during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279).The pavilion was
destroyed many times before the large restoration of 1942. The current
pavilion keeps its old face with fresh paint.
The caves of this mountain shelter about 330 stone statues dating from
the 10th to the 14th centuries. The statues appear in a variety of poses
ranging from standing, to sitting, to sleeping. A favorite may be the
Laughing Buddha, sitting on the cliff along the stream with exposed breast
and belly. If you wonder why he has such a big belly, the answer is that
his belly is where the Buddha keeps all of the world's troubles.
The question always comes out "why are there so many Buddha statues
in the cave?" Local legend has it that the peak had destroyed many
villages before it settled down in Hangzhou. In order to prevent the peak
from causing even more damage, over 500 Buddha statues were caved out
of the peak to suppress it. Consequently, the water-eroded caves in the
peak are regarded as the very birthplace of many local legends.
In 1993, a new site by the name of "China Grotto Art Garden"
was set up around the Fei Lai beauty spot. Thousands of professionals
and aficionados in the fields of engraving and grotto research flock to
this place to study the unparalleled Chinese classical rock carvings.
Among all the mountains around West Lake, Fei Lai Feng is the one most
likely to simulate the imagination and make one reluctant to leave. Some
even say that one experience at Fei Lai Feng will leave you with memories
that will last the rest of your life.
Admission Fee: RMB 20
Bus Route: 7,807