Three Sacred Blessings: Sacred Stone, Sacred Frog, and Sacred Water
Behind Yingzhi's hometown is a mountain called Qishan. As a child, I was very curious about what was on the other side of the mountain. Later, after climbing to the summit, I found that the mountains continued endlessly, vast and flat, with an elevation of over a thousand meters. It is a typical high mountain area, equivalent to a "Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau" in the northern Sichuan mountainous region. The mountain originally had villages such as Zaolin, Yonghe, and Motan.
Climbing from Qishan towards Zaolin Township, you ascend the Cramp Slope, passing through Bainiya, Xianrenyan (Immortal Rock), Fotai Ping, Sacred Stone, Diaoma Rock, and finally reaching Cizhuya, forming an east-west trending fault zone with strange peaks, hanging cliffs, beautiful forest mists, and magnificent scenery.
On the ridge between Fotai Ping and Diaoma Rock, there are natural wonders known as the Sacred Stone, Sacred Frog, and Sacred Water, collectively called the Three Sacred Blessings.
In recent years, a man named Zeng Xingan retired and invested in developing the "Three Sacred Blessings" scenic area. A trail was opened along the ridge, with plank roads and suspension bridges built along the way, creating a free tourist attraction.
On February 17, 2026, Yingzhi visited the Three Sacred Blessings. The mountain is high and the road is long, with no signs along the way. Asking for directions and stopping frequently, I finally saw the Sacred Stone and the surrounding scenery.
If time permits, you can park your car at Zaolin Tea House, walk along the road to the Three Sacred Blessings scenic area, then return along the ridge trail towards Diaoma Rock back to the tea house, forming a perfect loop.
At the entrance, there is a stone half-buried in the ground, with the exposed part resembling a frog sitting alone looking at the sky, known as the Sacred Frog.
On a nearby stone, the words "Three Sacred Blessings" are inscribed, with the Sacred Frog welcoming visitors.
Below the nearby cliff is a well where water seeps from the rock crevices, never drying up throughout the year, called the Sacred Water. It is said that drinking this sacred water brings health and safety, so villagers often come to drink it seeking protection. However, with fewer people in the mountains now, the well is covered with fallen leaves and no longer holds the old legends.
Among the trees on the ridge stands a solitary stone with a majestic aura, surrounded by local mystical legends, known as the Sacred Stone. The top of the stone is flat, and there used to be a wooden ladder to climb and play on top, offering a panoramic view of the endless mountain mists.
Unfortunately, the wooden ladder has rotted and is no longer climbable; only drones can capture the flat top of the stone.
The Sacred Stone holds a sacred place in the hearts of locals, many of whom support the rock with firewood. It is said that this way, both ends rely on the mountain, called "leaning on the mountain," also known as standing tall and firm.
There is also a folk legend that people with back pain can relieve it by supporting the rock with firewood or stones, a magical hope and spiritual comfort.
The east-west ridge line undulates endlessly. From the Three Sacred Blessings towards Diaoma Rock, you can enjoy the scenery along the trail, a great place for leisure and fitness.
Yingzhi’s trip also included a visit to Xianrenyan. On the northern ridge of Bainiya, between red hanging cliffs and sheer walls, there is a natural horizontal crack forming a unique aerial corridor resembling an eagle’s path. Carvings of Guanyin (the Goddess of Mercy) are on the cliff walls, so it is called Xianrenyan or Guanyin Rock.
When Yingzhi was in fourth grade at Guihua Primary School, the school organized a spring outing to Xianrenyan, making it Yingzhi’s first travel destination. Returning to this place brought mixed emotions.
To the north of the Three Sacred Blessings ridge is a cliff, with Yangjiapo and Sujiapo villages below. Across the valley are Moujiapo and Yangjiapo, offering a broad view.
To the south of the ridge is a gently rolling vast hilly forest landscape. The original Zaolin Township of Wangcang County is located here, with people living high in the mountains.
When Yingzhi was in ninth grade at Zhanghua, a classmate named Jiang Yongyuan was from Zaolin Township. Yingzhi once visited his home but now does not know the exact location. Back then, walking from Zhanghua School, passing Jiutai Village and crossing Zhangkoushi, though the road was long and difficult, the journey was joyful with company.
Jiang Yongyuan’s older brother was the first university graduate from Zaolin Township, working at the Sichuan Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and he had a beautiful younger sister in middle school. After graduating from middle school, they never met again, and their current situation is unknown.
Nearby Leyuan Reservoir is a typical high mountain reservoir, with valleys crisscrossing the mountains and winding waterways that seem endless. From a high altitude, it looks like tree branches with many forks. It is located at the junction of Longwang Town in Cangxi County, Motan Town in Zhaohua District, and Zhanghua and Baishui Towns in Wangcang County. Walking around the reservoir would take several days without stopping.
The mountaintop reservoir, with its lake and mountain scenery, sits high on the mountain like a heavenly pool and could be developed into a tourist scenic area.
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