永安桃源洞

三、永安桃源洞

永安是福建省三明市下辖的一个县级市，位于福建中部偏西，距离省会福州大约290公里。永安自然资源丰富，森林覆盖率高达85%，是福建省的新兴工业城市以及重要的能源和原材料生产基地。同时永安也是闽西北的一个重要交通枢纽。我们将要游览的是永安著名的桃源洞和石林。

1.桃源洞

国家重点风景名胜区桃源洞位于福建省永安市城北9公里处。景区占地面积29平方公里，分别由桃源洞、百丈岩、修竹湾、葛里、栟榈潭五大景区组成，分布在沙溪河的两岸。古时桃源洞一带山上有许多栟榈树，所以历史上又称为栟榈山。据有关记载，唐代就有头陀结庐于葛里，五代后晋时期建有栟榈寺。明代万历年间，当地两郡司马陈源湛捐资建有亭台楼阁十余处，取“世外桃源”之意改名为桃源洞，并在入口120米高的峭壁上36米高处刻有“桃源洞口”四个大字。

桃源一词来自陶渊明写于公元421年的《桃花源记》，文中写到有人偶然发现一个与世隔绝，未曾遭到祸乱的乌托邦式的美好地方，田园式的环境十分适合隐居。这里的人们过着与自然和谐共处的生活，对外界的变迁浑然不觉。永安的桃源洞正是这样一个所在，这也是此处得名桃源洞的原因。南宋宰相李纲曾在此隐居、读书。明代大旅行家徐霞客也曾游览此地，并留有诗句。

今天我们要游览的桃源洞景区，面积为0.74平方公里，是五大景区中的主要部分，也是目前开发较为完善的游览区。这里的丹霞地貌和丰富的植被形成奇峰峭壁、绿海林涛和碧水丹山。

各位游客，我们现在来到了桃源洞正门，大门右侧的这个雕塑由厦门大学艺术学院蒋志强教授设计制作，于2000年5月开始施工至7月完工，宽4米，高3米，厚2米，重达30吨。两块石头的中央，上部两块石头的夹缝像“一线天”，下部空间像“桃源洞口”，体现了桃源洞独特的自然风景。作品正面是国家风景名胜区的标志“桃源洞”三个大字，背面镌刻着桃源洞的简介，进洞参观之前大家可以在雕塑前拍照留念。

桃源洞本没有“洞”，但它的入口给人一种洞的感觉。

我们的游览路线将沿着桃花涧向内延伸。桃花涧是高山峡谷的缝隙之中的一弯细流，两边悬崖对峙。右壁的悬崖高达120米，“桃源洞口”四个大字刻在36米高处，是明万历年间，辞官回永安的名士陈源湛所题，四个大字的下面是陈源湛写的一首七律诗，描写了桃源洞的优美风光。这种景观是在砾砂岩重力崩塌、风化作用，以及流水的长期侵蚀作用下所形成的。

桃花涧流经桃花洞，百丈岩风景区内，流程3公里，河曲有21处，跌水、急滩也达20多处，两岸峭壁夹峙;涧水清澈，时缓时急，沿涧而行，随着峰回路转的变换，让人仿佛置身世外桃源。

这座横跨桃花涧的石拱桥叫锁洞桥。原桥系明朝万历年间陈源湛所建，早已损毁，后于1988年重建。过了锁洞桥，就是射击场，如有兴致，不妨露上一手，试试自己的眼力如何。大家也不妨在此一坐，可以一边品茗一边观赏美景。

这是观音大士殿。清丁亥年间，因战乱遭破坏，于2000年重建。观音是观世音的简称，从字面解释就是“观察世间民众的声音”。根据佛经记载，观音已经证悟空性，本可进入西方极乐世界，但她听到尘世间众生绝望的呼喊，便立刻返回，发愿留在娑婆世界，也就是尘世间，救度一切受苦众生，直到人人都达到与她同样的证悟境界，进入涅盘之境。

通天亭又名桂花亭，是通往桃源洞主要景点一线天的一个亭子。大家不妨深深吸口气，有没有闻到桂花香?此亭因古时亭子四周长满了桂花而得名。路旁这棵“金桂”，花奇香无比，已有300－400年的历史。

我们现在马上就要进入桃源洞最佳景点“一线天”了。你看，这一道大山裂缝，就像用刀劈出一样，绝壁裂处，直透崖端，高90米、全长120米、共206个台阶。著名旅行家徐霞客写道:“余见‘一线天’数处，未曾见若此之大而逼，远而整者。清空丽日，阳光直射，翘首仰望，只见天光一线，壮丽无比。”从地质学角度分析，一线天的形成是由于地壳运动，岩石逐渐上升，经挤压形成一条缝隙，这条缝隙称为地质节理。岩层表面这一节理缝隙最容易受流水侵蚀，形成了与节理走向完全一致的平直狭窄的深沟，即“一线天”这一奇特的丹霞地貌景观。桃源洞风景区“一线天”达6条之多，是桃源洞佳绝的景观之一。

有游客曾言:“当我走在一线天中，仰望高高的天空，觉得大自然是多么的伟大，自己又是多么的渺小。而当我一步一台阶，战胜一线天到达山顶时，我又觉得人生最伟大的，是不可战胜的。”说的多好啊!

各位来宾，在桃源洞还有很多美丽的景点，如古井、亭台楼阁、狮子峰、民俗演艺馆等等，大家可以慢慢欣赏，好好品味。

Yong’an Taoyuan Cave

Yong’an is a county－level city in west－central Sanming city，approximately 290 kilometers west of Fuzhou，the provincial capital.The city is known for its rich natural resources and high forest coverage of85%.It is a rising industrial city and an important energy and raw materials production base in the Province.It is also an important transportation hub and distribution center.The two tourist attractions we are going to cover are Taoyuan Cave and Stone Forest.

1.Taoyuan Cave

Located nine kilometers north of Yong’an city，state－level Scenic Area Taoyuan Cave covers a total area of about29 square kilometers.It consists of five parts，namely，the Taoyuan Cave，the Baizhang Cliff，the Xiuzhu Bay，Geli，and Binglv Lake，all of which are along Shaxi River.In ancient times，there grew a forest of palm trees，earning it the name of Mount Binglv，which means the mountain of palmtrees in Chinese.It is said that in as early as the Tang Dynasty，there were Buddhist monks settling down in Geliand a temple was built here during the late Jin Dynasty，one of the Five Dynastiesmore than a thousand years ago.During the reign of Emperor Wanliof the Ming Dynasty，a local official named Chen Yuanzhan builta dozen pavilions in the area and renamed it Taoyuan Cave，meaning the land of peace and happiness，a retreat from the turmoil of the world.The four Chinese characters engraved on this 120－meter－high cliffmean“the entrance to the Taoyuan Cave”.

The word Taoyuan，which means peach blossomland，comes from The Story of Peach Blossom Land written by Tao Yuanming in 421 about a chance discovery of an ethereal utopia at peach blossomland where the people led an ideal existence in harmony with nature，unaware of the outside world for centuries.The peach blossom land was an idyllic spot pefect for a reclusive life.As this place in Yong’an is exactly a beautiful and out of the way spot like that，people named it after the mysterious peach blossomland as depicted in the story.LiGang，one of the premiers of the Southern Song Dynasty，once lived and studied here.Xu Xiake，a 17^thcenturay great travel writer and geographer also set foot in Taoyuan Cave and wrote poems about it.

Taoyuan Cave covers an area of some 740 square meters，the highlight and best－developed part among the five scenic spots.Here you can enjoy the unique Danxia Landscape，magnificent cliffs，dense natural forests and fantastic rocks.

Ladies and gentlemen，we are now at the front gate of Taoyuan Cave.The statue on the right side of the gate was sculpted in 2000.Its designer，Professor Jiang Zhiqiang of Xiamen University，incorporated two main themes in this four－meter－wide and three－meter－high statue.The narrow gap between the upper parts of the two rocks reminds visitors of Yixiantian Valley，a site in Taoyuan Cave.Walking through Yixiantian，a narrow mountain rift，you can only see a very thin strip of the sky.The lower but wider gap between the two rocks resembles the entrance to Taoyuan Cave.Doesn’t the triangular form look like the opening of a cave?The three Chinese characters read“Tao Yuan Dong”，meaning Taoyuan cave.You can also find a brief introduction to the scenic spot on the back of the statue.Now you may take photos in front of the statue before you go in.

Taoyuan Cave is actually a valley，not a cave，but its entrance gives you all the look of a cave’s entrance.

Our trip today will go along this Taohua ravine，a deep narrow steep－sided valley formed by running water.The cliff to our right is 120 meters high.The four characters engraved on the cliff，“Tao Yuan Dong Kou”，meaning“Entrance to Peach Blossom Cave”，are about 36 meters above the ground.They were inscribed by Chen Yuanzhan，the official of the Ming Dynasty who developed the scenic spot.The poemunderneath the four big characters is also Chen’s work，singing his praise of the scenery in Taoyuan Cave.The indention on the surface of the cliff is caused by thousands of years’of gravity erosion，such as slide and collapse，together with other natural factors like weathering and water erosion.

The ravine runs three kilometers within Baizhang cliff scenic area.There are 21 twists and more than 20 rapids along the mountain rifts.The dense forest，clear water and so many twists and turns offer an unexpected idyllic paradise for its visitors.

The stone arch bridge spanning the ravine is Suodong Bridge.It was rebuilt in 1988，for the original one built by Chen Yuanzhan in the Ming Dynasty was destroyed.If you like shooting，you can try your hands at the shooting range across the arch bridge.Or you can have a cup of tea and enjoy the beautiful scenery around.

This is Guanyin Temple.The temple was destroyed in a war during the Qing Dynasty and rebuilt in 2000.Guanyin is commonly known in English as the Goddess of Mercy.The name Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin，which means observing the sounds or cries of the world.According to Buddhist scriptures，Guanyin has achieved enlightenment and the right to enter Buddhist Heaven or Nirvana，but at Heaven’s gates Guanyin heard the despairing cries of those back on earth.She quickly returned to the earthly world，and vowed to stay there to help all the suffering people achieve the same level of enlightenment that she had，so that they too could enter Nirvana.

We are now in Tongtian Pavilion，also known as Guihua Pavilion.It stands on the path to Yixiantian Valley.Take a deep breath!Did you smell the sweetosmanthus?The name of the pavilion，Guihua，means osmanthus in English.There used to be scrubs of osmanthus grown here in the past.That’s how the pavilion was named Guihua.Even now there still remains a three or four hundred years old osmanthus bush.

We are now in Yixiantian Valley，the highlight of this trip.Look，the rift looks as though the mountain is being cut open by a giant knife.The cliff on both sides is more than 90 meters high，with a 120－meter－long path of 206 steps running through the rift.Xu Xiake，the great travel writer and geographer of the Ming dynasty，believed it was the most imposing and magnificent mountain rifts in China.Looking up，one can only see a thin strip of the sky.This is formed by crustal movement.During the upward movement，fractures might appear on the surface of the rock.These fractures are called joints.The joints are the most vulnerable part of the rock mass to water erosion and water gradually cuta rift in between the rocks.There are altogether six similar valley rifts in Taoyuan Cave.

One visitor once said，“When I walk through Yixiantian，I am awed by nature，feeling that human beings are so insignificant.But when I reach the mountain top，looking down at the steps，I believe that nature is not unconquerable，and human beings are smart enough to make the best of nature.”It is so true.

Ladies and gentlemen，there are still a lot of interesting spots ahead，including an ancient well，pavilions，Mount Shizi and folk performances.Please take your time and enjoy the rest of the trip.Thank you.

Vocabulary

ethereal　　　adj.天上的;轻的;像空气的

utopia　　　n.乌托邦(理想中最美好的社会);理想国

idyllic　　　adj.牧歌的，田园诗的

osmanthus　　　n.桂花

crustal　　　adj.壳的;地壳的

2.鳞隐石林

鳞隐石林位于福建省永安市区西北13公里处的大湖镇境内，是由密集林立的锥柱状、塔状石灰岩体组合成的美丽景观。林立的石笋、石锥拔地而起，彷佛石头构成的森林，故称石林。景区总面积1.21平方公里，由鳞隐石林、洪云山石林、十八洞等景区组成。鳞隐石林为国家4A级景区，全国第二大石林。

400多座耸立的石芽、石锥、石柱、石笋拟人拟物，千姿百态，宛若迷宫。地质专家称，这是一处典型的喀斯特地貌，形成于古生代的石炭纪。这里原是一片汪洋大海，频繁的地壳运动使得石灰岩山峰隆起，海水退去。鳞隐石林始建于清雍正年间，因石芽表面呈鱼鳞片状，故而得名。另外，我们今天还将游览景区内的鳞隐书院。

十八洞

这座山叫黄狮岩，这尊弥勒佛巨大的袖口就是十八洞的进口。十八洞主洞长217米，洞中有流石、石钟乳、石笋、鹅管、石柱，是典型的喀斯特溶洞景观。

八戒照镜

这是石林外景的最佳景点，叫八戒照镜，洞顶倒垂的石钟乳和下面长上去的石笋相映成趣。猪八戒，西游记中护送唐玄奘前往西天取经的三位神仙之一。他半猪半人，懒惰、贪吃、好色、经常惹麻烦。这块悬垂的钟乳石和下面的石笋，活像两个猪脑袋，好像猪八戒在照镜子。

其实，每一个钟乳石都是从一滴载有矿物的水滴开始的，水滴落下时，会留下很薄的一点方解石圈。水滴不断落下，新的方解石圈不停累积。最终，这些方解石圈形成非常细的中空的管子，俗称“鹅管”。鹅管可以长得很长，但是非常脆弱。如果它们因为碎片被堵住，水将从外面流过，沉淀出更多的方解石，形成锥形的钟乳石。同样，落下的水滴在到达地面后沉淀出更多的方解石，最终形成圆形或圆锥形石笋。与钟乳石不同的是，石笋形成的过程中没有中空的“鹅管”这一过程。如果时间足够长，钟乳石和石笋将融合在一起，成为石柱。这种双向靠近的速度是非常缓慢的，这条“滴水柱”虽历经千万年，但仍未接上，相信总有一天，这两只猪嘴会接吻在一起的，有恒为成功之本，至今滴水柱还在耐心地向下滴水。

剑丛岩

大家请看，这块岩石是典型的喀斯特地貌，表面沟纹斑驳，布满了二三寸长的剑锋，所以叫做剑丛岩。据专家考证，数千万年前，这里是一个地下溶洞，地下水使溶洞内的石灰石不断朝着水流作用的方向溶蚀，形成了深深的沟痕，地质学中叫“溶沟”。后来由于溶洞崩塌，里表呈现在外部就形成了剑丛岩这一独特的自然景观。

接笋峰

这一石芽高达36米，形状如笋。相传这个笋状石芽是上天感其赤子之心，赐予孝子孟宗的。孟宗的母亲病重想吃竹笋，时值冬天本无竹笋，但他仍然四处寻找，可惜一无所获。孟宗想起了病中的母亲，不禁泪如泉涌。他的孝心感动了上苍，地上突然长出了一个笋。孟宗连忙把笋挖回去，据说孟宗母亲吃了笋后病就好了。后来人们发现在孟宗挖笋的地方又冒出了笋芽，而且越长越高。中国是礼仪之邦，在中国文化中，百善孝为先，关于孝顺的故事很多，这接笋峰便是“二十四孝”中所说的孝笋。

观览台

凭栏眺望，石林的众峰尽皆收入眼底。其中有一石柱造型奇特，就像一尊观音手抱婴儿，亭亭玉立，叫做“观音送子”。

接吻石

各位应该听说过云南路南石林阿诗玛的故事。美丽善良的阿诗玛与勇敢憨厚的牧羊人阿黑相爱。头人的儿子阿支软硬兼施追求阿诗玛并将她关进牢笼逼婚，阿诗玛坚决不从。阿黑赶来相救，妒火燃烧的阿支，放出洪水吞噬了这对恋人。最后，阿诗玛变成了一座美丽的石像，永驻石林。这是一个悲剧故事，但鳞隐石林的接吻石则是一个喜剧。眼前两块岩石一高一低，像是一对热恋情人旁若无人地在接吻。

鳞隐书院

鳞隐书院是清朝雍正年间，赖翘千兄弟开发石林，在这里建了鳞隐书院，供当地文人学者交流学问、开展文化活动。由于战乱，书院在清末崩毁，仅保留墙基。1990年当地政府重建书院，辟为旅游景点。

洪云山石林

洪云山石林位于鳞隐石林景区西部湖峰坡麓地带，距鳞隐石林1.5公里。面积约0.56平方公里。我国著名国土整治、资源利用专家南京大学包浩生教授曾多次带领研究生来考察，对洪云山石林评价很高，与云南的石林相比，这里的石林并不十分高大，但更加秀美，地表怪石林立，有似人形头像，亦有若似飞禽走兽。这样的喀斯特地貌中，地表水对可溶性石灰岩、白云岩不断侵蚀，形成越来越多的裂隙，地表水也随着灰岩裂隙下渗。自石林下部的洪云洞流出的清澈泉流终年不断，可灌溉农田400多亩，即25公顷。

今天的游览到此就要结束了，希望怪石嶙峋，千姿百态的石林风光，让您回味无穷。

2.Linyin Stone Forest

Linyin Stone Forest is a beautiful set of limestone formations located in Dahu Town，approximately 13 kilometers northwest of Yong’an city.Cylinders of limestone project upward from the ground，with many looking like petrified trees thereby creating the illusion of a forest made of stone.Stretching over an area of roughly 1.21 square kilometers，The whole scenic area includes Linyin Stone Forest，Hongyunshan Stone Forest and other interesting scenic spots like underground caves filled with stalactites.Linyin stone forest enjoys a reputation of the second best Shilin landscape and is ranked as AAAA－level national tourist site.

In Linyin Stone Forest，over 400 monoliths in the shape of pagodas，animals and human figures formed a great maze in which you could easily get lost.It is typical Karst topography formed during the carboniferous period of the Paleozoic era.The area was then a large expanse of the sea.The constant crustal movement caused the limestone cliffs to rise and allow the water to recede.Linyin Stone Forest was first explored in the Qing Dynasty.The word“lin”means scales and“yin”means hiding.The name Linyin comes fromthe scale－like appearance of its stones.Except for the petrified forest，we are also going to visit Linyin Academy，an ancient institution of learning.

Eighteen Cave

The entrance to Eighteen Cave is in the sleeve of that Maitreya Buddha on Mount Huanshiyan.This is a typical limestone cave，with its largest chamber stretching 217 meters.It is a fantastic world of various calcium carbonate formations，including flow stones，stalactites，stalagmites，soda straws and columns.

Bajie Zhaojing(Pigsy Looking into the Mirror)

We are now looking at one of the most interesting stone landscapes.The stalactite hanging from the ceiling and the corresponding formation of stalagmite are called Bajie Zhaojing，meaning Bajie looking at himself in the Mirror.In the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West，Bajie is one of the three celestial beings who helped the reverent monk Xuanzang with his treck to India for Buddhist scriptures.He is a funny half man and half pig character who often gets himself and his companions into trouble because of his laziness，gluttony and sensuality.The stalactite and stalagmite look like two pig heads，vividly presenting a scene of a pig looking at himself in the mirror.

In fact，every stalactite begins with a single mineral－laden drop of water.When the drop falls，it deposits the thinnest ring of calcite.Each subsequent drop that forms and falls deposits another calcite ring.Eventually，these rings forma very narrow hollow tube commonly known as soda straw stalactite.Soda straws can grow quite long，but are very fragile.If they become plugged by debris，water begins flowing over the outside，depositing more calcite and creating the more familiar cone－shaped stalactite.The same water drops that fall fromthe tip of a stalactite depositmore calcite on the floor below，eventually results in a rounded or cone－shaped stalagmite.Given enough time，these formations can meet and fuse to create columns of calcium carbonate.Although it might take millions of years，there will definitely be a day when the two“Bajie”will meet and kiss each other.

Jiancong Limestone

This duster of dagger like clints is a typical karst landform.This place used to be an undergraound cave Underground water had eroded the limestone in the cave which is slightly soluble in water.The corrosive trickle along joints and cracks in the limestone then formed grikes，which were solution fissure that divided the exposed limestone surface into clints.When the cave collapsed，the limestone with clints and grikes was exposed to visitors.

Jiesunfeng

This giant clintis 36 meters high，resembling a huge bamboo shoot.Legend has it that this bamboo－shoot－shaped clint is a gift to Meng Zong as a reward for his filial piety to his mother.Meng’s mother，who was seriously ill，suddenly craved for a taste of bamboo shoot.But how could one find bamboo shoot in the depths of winter?Meng made every effort to find bamboo shoot，but ended up with nothing.Meng Zong cried when he thought of his sick mother.His filial piety moved the gods.Outof nowhere there grew a bamboo shoot，which notonly satisfied the appetite of Meng’smother，but cured her illness as well.And right at the place where Meng dug up the bamboo shoot grows this stone bamboo.Filial piety is highly valued in Chinese philosophy.It is considered the primal virtue in Chinese culture，and there aremany stories featuring the theme of filial piety.One of the most famous collections of such stories is The Twenty－four Filial Exemplars.These stories depict how children exercised their filial piety in the past.And the story of bamboo shoot is one of them.

Observation Deck

Standing at the observation deck，you can have a paramount view of the stone columns and clints.Over there stands a stone figure of Guanyin，or the Goddess of Mercy holding a baby in one of her arms.In Chinese folk belief，Guanyin possess the power of granting children to couples wishing for babies

Kissing Rocks

Ladies and gentlemen，these two rocks are called kission rocks.You might have heard of the legend of Ashima in the Shilin Forest Stone in Yunnan.Ashima and a smart and hardworking lad Ahei fell in love with each other.However Azhi，the son of an evil landlord kidnapped Ashima and forded her to marry him.Ahei managed to release Ashima fromher cell against all odds，but they were chased into the Stone Forest，where the jealous Azhiset flood on themand drown the two lover.Ashima was petrified and became the famouse Ashima rock，amajor attraction in Yunnan’s Stone Forest，This is a sad story，but what we have here，the two rocks that resembles a kissing couple，evidently tells a story with a happy ending.

Linyin Academy

Linyin Academy of classical learning was founded by Lai Qiaoqian and his brother in the Qing Dynasty under the reign of Emperor Yongzheng.The academy has been an important institution of higher learning and center of academic and cultral activities for local people.It witnessed years of wartime chaos and was destroyed during the late Qing Dynasty.In 1990，the local government rebuilt the academy and made it a tourist attraction in Stone Forest Scenic Area.

Hongyunshan Stone Forest

Located 1.5 kilometers west of Linyin Stone Forest，Hongyunshan Stone Forest covers an area of about560 square meters.Professor Bao Haosheng of Nanjing University came here on research trips several times，speaking highly of the place.Compared with the Stone Forest in Yunnan，which ismore grand and magnificent，the one here is delicate and elegant.Stones in various formations such as animals，plants and even human figures can be found here.Karst landscape like this is the result of surface water dissolving soluble bedrocks like limestone or dolostone.More and more fissures are formed and surface water infiltrate under the ground through these fissures.The streamrunning under Hongyunshan Stone Forest from Hongyun Cave irrigates more than 25 hectares of farmland.

We have come to the end of our trip.Hope you enjoyed the stone formations as well as the flourishing trees and flowers all over the park..

Vocabulary:

limestone　　　n.　　　石灰岩

topography　　　n.地势;地形学;地志

carboniferous　　　adj.石炭纪的，石炭系的n.石炭纪，石炭层

paleozoic　　　adj.古生代的

calcium carbonate　　　n.碳酸钙

stalactite　　　n.钟乳石

stalagmite　　　n.石笋;石笋状

gluttony　　　n.暴食，暴饮暴食;贪食，贪吃

calcite　　　n.方解石

filial piety　　　n.孝顺;孝心