More than 20 kilometers southwest of Ganquan County, on the border with Fu County, there is a mountain called Mei Keling, which has attracted many literati and artists to rush to see the scenery.
There are countless large and small peaks in Ganquan, and Meikeling is an ordinary ridge among the many mountains. There is no magnificent scene of flying down and flying beads splashing jade, nor is there a strange mountain and strange stone with dangerous peaks and strange axes, nor is there a blessed place to explore the hidden and strange, and the eyes are not rewarded. But Mei Keling is a different mountain, it is a famous mountain. The air here is full of cultural atmosphere, the mountains and rivers show a heavy cultural heritage, and the grass and trees are inlaid with the same cultural genes. When the literati set foot on this mountain, they would be in awe, and they could not help but recite poems and classics.
All of this stems from the poet Du Fu. It is because there is a record in the Ganquan County Chronicles during the Qianlong period, the poet Du Fu often passed this mountain during his residence in Qiang Village to avoid war, and also traveled to Meikeling to and fro to stay in the "Camel Valley" on this mountain, leaving three famous poems in Qiang Village, so it became a cultural prestige.
Meikeling is not only a famous cultural mountain, but also a watershed mountain of northern Shaanxi culture and Chinese culture. The dividing line between nomadic culture and farming culture, Ling is famous for its poetry, and Du Fu is unique, which is extraordinary.
The ancients said that when you see a tree that is old, you must hug it, and when you see something that is old, you must touch it, it has an aura, and it will bless you, not to mention the famous mountain of Mei Keling, I must go, and touch the aura of the poet. There seems to be a kind of magic force driven, under the encouragement of literary friends, I have been to Lingshang several times, each time I go there is a different feeling, stepping on the footsteps of the poet saint of the year, feeling the charm of poetry and traditional culture, with the inspiration to create and the desire to write, on the other hand, also by the poet's patriotism and the feelings of worrying about the country and the people.
According to the "General Chronicles" compiled by Bi Yuan of the Qing Dynasty, "there are plum trees in Gumei Keling, which are said to have been ......planted by Du Fu." Ask the local villagers, and they say that the legendary plum tree is actually a plum and apricot tree. I think that it is literally a little bit like a plum tree, but it is certainly not a plum tree, and the historical records will not be made out of nothing, and besides, the ancients were rigorous in their studies. There is a village named Meihuagou under the ridge, which also proves that there were plum trees on the ridge in those years.
More than a thousand years have passed. The plum trees of that year may have long since disappeared. However, the plum and apricot trees all over the mountains have become a scene on the mountain, and it is difficult to make the plum trees planted by Du Fu back then the current plum and apricot trees not complete? The literati used various activities to carry out plum planting activities, and held the first "Wind Chasing the Poet Saint, Plum Ridge Fragrance" Poetry Saint Culture and Art Festival, in order to restore the situation of the year and recall the charm of the poet saint.
In early summer, someone sent a video of the ripening of plum apricots in Mei Keling, which attracted literati and artists to rush there. Literary friends also want to see the beautiful scenery, and they want to feast on it, so they go together. When I came to the mountainside of Ling, I saw an ancient apricot tree, and wondered if this tree was planted by the poetry saint back then? Although the tree is old, the old tree has new branches, and the red apricots are all over the branches. I bow deeply to the old apricot tree, this is not superstition, this is not only the awe of a big tree, the awe of Mei Keling, but also the awe of the poet Du Fu. I bowed and hugged it, I couldn't help but climb the tree, shake down the ripe and fragrant apricots, pick up a bag, and take it back to let more literary friends taste it, feel the magic and unusualness of Mei Keling, and let more people pay attention to Mei Keling and promote Mei Keling.
I hope that in the near future, Meikeling will become a cultural business card of Ganquan, and the fragrance of Meiling flowers will float further.
About author:Feng Zhisheng, pen name, Ruoshui, works for Yan'an Laoshan Forestry Bureau, vice chairman of Ganquan County Writers Association, member of Yan'an Writers Association, his works have been published in many magazines and online platforms, and some of his works are included in "Selected Writers' Works".
Editor-in-charge: Zhuo Xiling
Editor: Liu Xin