Follow the 'Record of the Old Drunkard's Pavilion' to visit the Old Drunkard's Pavilion

Old Drunkard's Pavilion, located in Langya Mountain, Chuzhou, Anhui, is one of the four famous pavilions in the world, alongside Aiwan Pavilion on Yuelu Mountain, Taoran Pavilion in Beijing, and Huxin Pavilion on West Lake. The 'Record of the Old Drunkard's Pavilion' in our middle school textbooks introduced us to the Old Drunkard's Pavilion, just as Wang Bo's 'Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng' has forever etched the Pavilion of Prince Teng in our memories. Today, let us follow Ouyang Xiu's 'Record of the Old Drunkard's Pavilion' and embark on a journey to the Old Drunkard's Pavilion. Travel from Shanghai to Langya Mountain in Chuzhou is extremely convenient. I chose to stay in Nanjing for this trip, with the goal of visiting Ma'anshan Caishiji and Chuzhou Old Drunkard's Pavilion. The high-speed train from Shanghai to Nanjing South, and I settled in a hotel near the train station. The high-speed train from Nanjing South to Ma'anshan and Chuzhou takes only about ten minutes, arriving in a blink of an eye. The train to Chuzhou generally arrives at Chuzhou North Station, and from there you can take the local bus route 11. Chuzhou, as described at the beginning of the 'Record of the Old Drunkard's Pavilion': 'Surrounded by mountains all around Chuzhou.' After getting off the bus and following the signs, I entered the mountain path. Indeed, as soon as I saw it, I was struck by the beauty of the 'forests and ravines, looking lush and deeply elegant, that is Langya'. Photo 2, inscribed by the former Chairman of the People's Congress, Qiao Shi: Langya Mountain. Photos 3-5, 'After walking six or seven li, gradually hearing the sound of water, babbling and flowing out between two peaks, that is Rang Spring.' Photos 6-18, entering the core area of Langya Mountain scenic spot. 'As the path winds around the mountain, there stands a pavilion, gracefully overlooking the spring, that is the Old Drunkard's Pavilion.' Photo 6, the winding path gatehouse. Passing through the gatehouse, the core area of the Old Drunkard's Pavilion unfolds before our eyes. Ouyang Xiu, after being suppressed by the court and exiled to Chuzhou, would often come to Langya Mountain to play, drink, and sing with like-minded locals after dealing with official business. The monk Zhixian of Langya Mountain, admiring Ouyang Xiu's character, raised funds to build a pavilion to provide Ouyang Xiu with a fixed place for socializing, which Ouyang Xiu named the Old Drunkard's Pavilion. Because 'the governor and guests would come to drink here, and after drinking a little, they would quickly become drunk, and since he was also the oldest, he self-styled as the Old Drunkard.' The architecture of the Old Drunkard's Pavilion is simple but ingeniously designed, with the main structure being the traditional Chinese hip-and-gable style, with mythical creatures crouching on the ridges, and the corners of the pavilion exaggeratedly tilting towards the sky, like an eagle spreading its wings 'gracefully overlooking the spring'. There is a stele inscribed with the 'Record of the Old Drunkard's Pavilion', handwritten by Su Shi, known as the calligraphy of 'Ou and Su', which enhances each other's brilliance. Photos 10-11, Erxian Hall. From photo 7, it can be seen that it is close to the Old Drunkard's Pavilion. It commemorates the two successive governors of Chuzhou, that is, Ouyang Xiu and the former governor, who brought benefits to the people during their tenure. The Old Drunkard's Pavilion to the west has two pavilions, one above and one below, the upper is Gu Mei Pavilion, and the lower is Yi Zai Pavilion. Photo 12, Gu Mei Pavilion, with an ancient plum tree, and a stone tablet inscribed: 'Plum planted by Ouyang Xiu's hand.' In front of the flower bed, there is a stone carving 'Nest of Flowers' inscribed by Li Songyang, the Qing Dynasty governor of Jiangnan during the Shunzhi era. The park's materials introduce that 'Nest of Flowers' refers to the ancient hermits Chao Wen and Xu You, and the ancients used them as a metaphor for noble sentiments of high integrity and reclusion without contention. The 'Nest of Flowers' here has a double meaning: it not only represents the plum blossom's 'beauty without vying for spring' and its detachment from the world, but it also uses flowers to honor Ouyang Xiu's character, as pure and noble as the plum blossom and Chao and Xu. Photo 13, Yi Zai Pavilion. The name implies 'The Old Drunkard's interest is not in the wine, but in the beauty of the mountains and rivers.' Photo 15, encountering a local guqin enthusiast playing in the Ying Xiang Pavilion. He informed me that whenever he has time, he comes here every day to drink tea and play the guqin with friends, isn't it delightful? I think: Wasn't Ouyang Xiu in such an environment, singing and drinking merrily? Just as the 'Record of the Old Drunkard's Pavilion' says: 'Those who carry burdens sing along the way, travelers rest under the trees,' 'The joy of mountains and rivers is found in the heart and expressed through wine.' Photo 17, Qu Shui Liu Shang. Photo 18, buying a folding fan in the scenic area, with 'Record of the Old Drunkard's Pavilion' written by Su Shi. In summary, Langya Mountain scenic area is famous throughout the world because of the Old Drunkard's Pavilion, and Langya Mountain and the Old Drunkard's Pavilion complement each other. The trip to Langya Mountain has left me with beautiful memories.