I am Jason Sherwood, a stage designer from the United States. I have designed stages for well-known TV and music projects such as Rent, the Academy Awards, and Glee. I have always been interested in Chinese culture and scenery, especially those places with a long history and rich culture.
My two colleagues, Aries Adela and Jackie Chan, are also our good friends. Aries is a photographer who likes to capture the beauty of nature and humanity. Jackie is a hunter who loves to explore the habits and ecology of wildlife. The three of us share a common hobby, which is travel and adventure.
This weekend, we decided to go hunting in Jingtingshan, Xuancheng, China. This is a place we have never been to, but we have heard of its beauty. Jingtingshan is a famous historical and cultural mountain in China. Li Bai, a great poet of the Tang Dynasty, once sat alone here and wrote the famous poem: “All birds have flown up high, and lonely clouds drift by. We gaze at each other, and there is nothing more to say, only Jingtingshan remains.” We want to see with our own eyes what makes this mountain so charming that Li Bai praised it so much.
Night vision binoculars are essential equipment for hunting at night. We chose the Wildguarder Owler1 night vision binoculars, which is a professional night vision device that allows us to observe the movements and details of animals clearly in the dark. We are full of expectations and confidence in this night vision binoculars.
This is the reason and preparation for our hunting trip to Jingtingshan, Xuancheng, China. Next, we will introduce in detail our hunting, sightseeing, and food tasting experiences and feelings in Jingtingshan.
Jingtingshan is located on the north bank of Shuiyang River, Zhaoting North Road, Xuancheng City, Anhui Province. It is a famous historical and cultural mountain in China, located in the northern suburbs of Xuancheng City. Jingtingshan Scenic Area has a planned total area of 21.3 square kilometers, including a core scenic area of 13 square kilometers, and has four major scenic areas: Shuangta Scenic Area, Duzuo Tower Scenic Area, Yifeng Scenic Area, and Wanling Lake Scenic Area. Poetry, Buddhism, tea, and wine are the four cultural characteristics.
Jingtingshan belongs to the Yishan Mountain Range of Huangshan Mountain Range, with a southwest-northeast trend. There are more than 60 peaks of different sizes, including three main peaks: Yifeng, Jingfeng, and Cuiyunfeng, with the highest peak (Cuiyunfeng) at an altitude of 324.1 meters; the lower part of Jingtingshan is hills and ridges, with an altitude of 50-100 meters. Jingtingshan Scenic Area has distinct seasons, a mild climate with a large annual temperature difference, moderate rainfall, sufficient sunshine, long frost-free period, and prevailing easterly winds. Its climate conditions such as light, heat, and water are superior, and the area belongs to the type of subtropical northern fringe climate.
The forest coverage of Jingting Mountain Scenic Area is as high as 67.9%, and the afforestation rate of forestry is as high as 97.3%. The forestry land covers an area of 14.02 square kilometers, including 11.48 square kilometers of forest land and 0.0216 square kilometers of shrub land. The area is rich in artificially cultivated plants such as Chinese fir, swamp cypress, sumac, oak, maple, and bamboo. There are also abundant resources of saltbush, mountain pepper, ferns, and Chinese medicinal materials. In addition, there are also economically valuable crops such as tea gardens, pear orchards, peach orchards, plum orchards, and chestnuts.
Jingting Mountain Scenic Area is home to a variety of animal resources, including the national first-class protected animal, the Yangtze alligator, and the Jingting salamander, which is unique to the area.
Many famous historical sites and scenic spots of Jingting Mountain Scenic Area are concentrated in the Shuangta Scenic Area and the Duzuo Tower Scenic Area. The area has also built mountain gates and archways, the ancient Zhaoting Tea House, Lvxue Tea House, Taibai Duzuo Tower, Huaiying Pavilion, Huagong Spring, and other waterside pavilions. The Chan sect of Buddhism, Guangjiaosi, is also located within the scenic area. Legend has it that the great Tang poet Li Bai once visited and composed famous works such as “Duzuo Jingting Mountain”.
Night hunting is an exciting and fun experience, but it also requires good equipment and skills. We recently purchased a Wildguarder Owler1 night vision binoculars, which made our nighttime hunting easier and more enjoyable.
Wildguarder Owler1 night vision binoculars are a digital night vision device that can be used both during the day and at night. It has many functions such as taking pictures, recording, and playback. It supports 20x optical zoom and 4x digital zoom, allowing us to see objects clearly up to 500 meters away in the dark.
We used it to observe the surrounding environment and discovered some potential prey such as wild boars, deer, and foxes. Its clarity, distance, and stability all impressed us. We can watch the picture through its 3-inch TFT LCD screen, or connect it to a TV or computer for playback.
We chose a suitable location, adjusted its non-light LED lights so as not to startle the prey, and then aimed and fired slowly. We successfully hit a wild boar and recorded this exciting moment with the Wildguarder Owler1 night vision binoculars.
We think that the Wildguarder Owler1 night vision binoculars are a very practical and cost-effective product. It makes our night hunting safer and more fun. We strongly recommend it to friends who like night activities.
During the day, we visited some historical and cultural attractions in Xuan City, experiencing the charm and style of this ancient city.
First, we came to Jingting Lake, an artificial lake located in the Jingting Mountain Scenic Area. The lake is wide and the waves are rippling. There is a Yu Zhen Princess Tomb Island in the lake, which is the tomb of Yu Zhen, the daughter of Emperor Wu of Liang in the Southern Dynasties. We took a boat to the island and visited the cemetery and the Yu Zhen shrine, learning about the legendary story of Yu Zhen Princess.
Then we walked along the Shuiyang River to Xie Jiaolou, an ancient building built in the Northern and Southern Dynasties period. It was originally named Gaozhai Building and was the residence of Xie Jiao, a poet of the Southern Qi Dynasty who served as the governor of Xuan Cheng. Later, the Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai also composed famous works such as “Xuanzhou Xie Tiao’s Farewell to Master Shu Yun”. We climbed to the top of the building, overlooking the beautiful scenery and feeling the poet’s boldness and ambition.
Next, we took a car to Li Bai Temple, a memorial hall dedicated to Li Bai in the Duzuo Tower Scenic Area in the northern suburbs of Xuan Cheng. There is a statue of Li Bai and the Taibai Duzuo Tower, which is where Li Bai composed poetry in Jingting Mountain. We watched Li Bai’s life story and poetry works in the memorial hall, marveling at his talent and charm.
Finally, we visited the Xuan Paper Museum, a museum that showcases the history and production techniques of Xuan paper. It is located in Jing County in the eastern suburbs of Xuan Cheng. Xuan paper is one of the four famous papers in China and is known as the “king of paper”. We saw various types of Xuan paper and calligraphy and painting works in the museum and personally experienced the production process of Xuan paper.
In addition to visiting the scenic spots, we also tasted local specialties and snacks, such as Xuan Cheng chicken soup buns, butter cakes, and sauce duck. Xuan Cheng chicken soup buns are steamed buns made with chicken soup. The skin is thin, the stuffing is large, and the soup is plentiful, with a fragrant aroma. Butter cakes are fried dough cakes with a golden and crispy surface and a soft and sweet inside. Sauce duck is a dish made with marinated duck, which is red and oily, with tender meat.
This trip to Xuan Cheng has brought me many gains. I not only appreciated the beautiful scenery of Jingting Mountain, felt the poetry and painting of Xie Jiaolou and Li Bai Temple, but also learned about the cultural connotation and production techniques of Xuan paper, and tasted local delicacies. I think Xuan Cheng is an ancient city worth visiting, with profound historical and cultural heritage and unique natural landscapes. I hope to have the opportunity to come to Xuan Cheng again and explore more of this charming city.
