Slowly "Reading" Baizhangji

"The cliff crashes into spring day and night, its majestic scene seen even before approaching." This is the praise of Baizhangji by the Song Dynasty poet Fang Zhu. "The steep cliffs astonish people, countless ravines cast crystal waters into the sky. In June, it does not refuse flying frost and snow; in midwinter, there is still fierce thunder." Liu Ji, a founding hero of the Ming Dynasty, described the magnificent scenery of Baizhangji in Wencheng in his poem "Watching the Waterfall." When I observe Baizhangji, its momentum is like a galloping horse, its sound like thunder, with water splashing in the pools and the waterfall sprinkling like a silver curtain. This is my third visit to Baizhangji: once alone in deep autumn in October 2021; once with my family of three in early autumn in September 2023; and this time in midsummer in May 2025 with colleagues. In different seasons, Baizhangji presents different scenery. Even in the same season, different weather conditions reveal different faces of Baizhangji. You need to calm your mind and slowly read it to understand Baizhangji’s tranquility, vitality, and depth. Baizhangji is a fusion of nature and culture. Its "Three Waterfalls" landscape (First Waterfall, Second Waterfall, Third Waterfall) not only showcases natural wonders but also, through Liu Bowen’s poetry and legends, endows it with a profound historical significance, making it an important carrier of Liu Bowen culture.