If you are someone who loves adventure and challenges, then you will surely be interested in the story of me and my two friends, Reginald Felton and David Dorothy, as we went hunting in the Shixian Ridge of Chenzhou, China last month. We used an advanced night vision binoculars, the Wildguarder owler1, to explore a place full of magical legends and cultural heritage. We not only enjoyed the thrill of hunting, but also visited local attractions and tasted local cuisine. In this article, I will share our experiences and feelings with you, taking you into a mysterious and beautiful world.
The Shixian Ridge is a famous scenic spot in Chenzhou, located in the northeast part of the city with an altitude of 526 meters. It is named after the legend of Sudan ascending to immortality, and is also well-known for its historical and cultural background. Sudan was a Taoist during the Western Han Dynasty, and it is said that he ascended to immortality on the Shixian Ridge, leaving behind “immortal” traces such as the Bailu Cave, the Ascending Immortal Stone, and the Wishing Mother Pine. The Bailu Cave is where Sudian was born, and it is said that a crane flew to keep him warm while a white deer came to nurse him. The Ascending Immortal Stone is where Sudian ascended to heaven, and it is said that he turned into a golden light and flew upwards. The Wishing Mother Pine is a pine tree planted by Sudian’s mother to look for her son, and it is said to tilt towards the northeast every year, just like Sudian’s mother looking for her son.
The Shixian Ridge not only has magical legends, but also cultural treasures. The most famous of these is the Three Wonders Stele, which is a stele composed of the poem “Chenzhou Inn” by the Northern Song poet Qin Guan, the postscript by Su Dongpo, and the calligraphy by Mi Fu. Qin Guan was once exiled to Chenzhou and wrote this poem describing the scenery of Chenzhou and his own feelings. Su Dongpo was Qin Guan’s teacher and friend, and after Qin Guan’s death, he wrote the postscript “Few have traveled this far, though ten thousand would have redeemed him?” expressing his regret and respect for Qin Guan. Mi Fu was a famous calligrapher, and he wrote Qin Guan’s poem and Su Dongpo’s postscript in a style and was later engraved on the Shixian Ridge, forming the Three Wonders Stele.
The Shixian Ridge also has a special historical corner, which is the place where Zhang Xueliang was imprisoned. Zhang Xueliang was a warlord and patriot during the Republic of China era. He participated in the Xi’an Incident and facilitated the cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party to resist Japan. However, he was also detained by Chiang Kai-shek for nearly 50 years because of this. From January to March 1938, Zhang Xueliang was imprisoned in a small building on the Shixian Ridge. Here, he wrote the famous line “I hate the low sky, the great Peng bird has wings but cannot fly” expressing his longing for freedom and his motherland.
This is where we went hunting – the Shixian Ridge. It not only has beautiful natural scenery, but also a deep history and cultural heritage. We were full of curiosity and awe for this place.
Hunting is a thrilling and dangerous activity, especially at night. To ensure our safety and success, we chose a professional night vision binoculars, the Wildguarder owler1. This night vision binoculars has the following features and advantages:
It supports 20x optical zoom and 4x digital zoom, allowing us to clearly see distant targets.
It can work in complete darkness, and can observe up to 1640 feet/500 meters away.
It has multiple functions such as taking pictures, recording videos, and playback, allowing us to record our hunting process and harvest.
It has a large capacity battery that can work for more than 8 hours, enough to support us for a whole night of hunting.
It has a sturdy housing that can resist water, dust, and vibration, suitable for various harsh environments.
Using this night vision binoculars for night hunting is simple, just follow these steps:
First, adjust the focus and brightness of the night vision binoculars to suit our vision and environment.
Second, select the appropriate mode, such as taking pictures or recording videos, and set parameters such as resolution and timestamp.
Third, use the night vision binoculars to observe the animals around us, find suitable prey, and use the zoom function to enlarge or reduce the image.
Fourth, aim at the prey with firearms or archery, and fire or shoot after confirming that it is safe and accurate.
Fifth, use the night vision binoculars to confirm whether the prey has been hit, and take pictures or record videos as needed to commemorate.
This is how to use the Wildguarder owler1 night vision binoculars for night hunting. This night vision binoculars allowed us to have a wonderful hunting trip in the dark.
Our hunting experience in Suxian Ridge was very exciting and enjoyable. We encountered many different types of animals and used various techniques to experience many types of fun. Here are some details of our hunting:
- We arrived at the foot of Suxian Ridge at night, found a secluded place to set up a tent, prepared some food and water, and some necessary equipment, such as firearms, bows and arrows, knives, etc.
- After resting in the tent for a while, when it was completely dark, we picked up our night vision binoculars, Wildguarder owler1, and began our hunting journey.
- We quietly climbed up the mountain road, observing the surroundings with night vision binoculars, and found some small animals such as rabbits, squirrels, and hedgehogs. We did not shoot them because we wanted to find larger and more challenging prey.
- When we reached halfway up the mountain, we heard a group of wild boars calling. We immediately used our night vision binoculars to find the source of the sound and found a group of wild boars foraging on the hillside. We decided to attack them because wild boar meat is delicious and nutritious.
- We divided into two groups, one responsible for luring the wild boars closer, and the other responsible for ambush shooting. Reginald and I belonged to the lure group, using some food and sound to attract the attention of the wild boars. David belonged to the ambush group, hiding behind a big tree and aiming at the wild boars with a firearm.
- When the wild boars were close enough, David fired. His marksmanship was accurate, and he shot one big wild boar in the head with one shot. The other wild boars were frightened and ran away. We immediately ran over, confirmed that the wild boar was dead, and took some pictures with our night vision binoculars as a souvenir.
- We dragged the wild boar back to the tent, skinned and cut the meat with knives, and roasted some meat slices on a bonfire. That was the most delicious meat I have ever eaten, tender and juicy, with a wild taste. We chatted and shared our hunting experience and feelings while eating.
When we were hunting in Suxian Ridge, we also did not forget to visit local attractions and taste local food. In addition to hunting, we visited some famous historical sites in Suxian Ridge, such as Tao Hua Ju, White Deer Cave, Jingxing Guan, and Nanchan Temple. We also tried some local snacks in Chenzhou, such as sour radish and dried tofu. Here are some details of our sightseeing and tasting:
We saw a place called Tao Hua Ju at the foot of Suxian Ridge. This was the first scenic spot in Suxian Ridge and also a Taoist temple called Xiaoguan. There is a building called Ruxian Palace here, which is said to be the place where Su Dan ascended to heaven after being breastfed by a white deer. There is also a well called Tao Hua Jing, which is said to have been dug by Su Dan’s mother to find her son.
We walked up the mountain road and saw a natural cave called White Deer Cave. This was Su Dan’s birthplace and also one of the most magical places in Suxian Ridge. There are many strange rocks in the cave, secluded and quiet, with a fairy atmosphere. We entered the cave, felt the atmosphere inside, and took some pictures with our night vision binoculars.
We continued to climb up and saw a stone tablet carved on a cliff, which is the treasure of Suxian Ridge called “San Jue Bei”. This is a stone inscription composed of Qin Guan’s poetry, Su Dongpo’s postscript, and Mi Fu’s calligraphy. We carefully appreciated this stone inscription and expressed admiration for the poems and calligraphy.
We climbed to the middle of the mountain and saw a Taoist temple called Jingxing Guan. This was the second scenic spot in Suxian Ridge and also a Taoist temple called Zhongguan. This was where the famous Taoist Liao Fazheng practiced in the Tang Dynasty and where Han Yu wrote “Sending Liao Daoshi Xu”. We visited the buildings and carvings in the temple and expressed respect for Han Yu’s article.
We climbed to the top of the mountain and saw a Buddhist temple called Nanchan Temple. This was the third scenic spot in Suxian Ridge and also a Taoist temple called Shangguan. This was where Su Dan ascended to heaven and also the location of the Taoist “Eighteen Blessed Lands in the World”. There is also a small courtyard where Zhang Xueliang was imprisoned. We went in to see the small building where Zhang Xueliang had lived and expressed sympathy for his experience.
This is the story of me and my two friends Reginald Felton and David Dorothy hunting in Suxian Ridge, Chenzhou, China. We spent an unforgettable time here, not only enjoying the fun of hunting, but also learning about the history and culture of Suxian Ridge, and tasting the local food and scenery. We left a deep impression and beautiful memories of this place. We also have a better understanding and love for China. We hope to have the opportunity to come here again to explore more mysteries and beauty.
