In China, when it comes to places where wishing is most effective, Mount Putuo in Zhejiang, Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou, Mount Emei in Sichuan...these well-known Buddhist holy places are always overcrowded during festivals.
In Mangshi, Dehong Prefecture, Yunnan Province, there are century-old miracle trees covering pagodas, peacock-shaped wishing trees... Few people have noticed the uniqueness of this city.
It is said that there is a magical seed hidden in Mangshi. If you make a wish here, the seed watered by the wish will take root and germinate and emit a powerful magic power to help you achieve your wish. Some tourists come here to pray for blessings, and their wish will come true soon.
1. The tower of steadfast love | tree bag tower
Shubao Pagoda is located in the middle of Mangshi Pedestrian Street. The tower is more than 10 meters high, and the tree is tens of meters high.
Legend has it that after the tower was built, a bird playing on the top of the tower took the seeds of the bodhi tree and dropped them in the gap of the tower body. Because the bodhi tree is a Buddhist sacred tree, after a long period of waiting, it gradually germinated and grew into emerald green. branches and leaves.
Although the roots cannot touch the ground, they are firmly attached to the pagoda. The top of the pagoda is surrounded by trees, and the trees are wrapped around the pagoda.
The Shubao Tower is also known as the Love Tower.
According to legend, during the Qing Dynasty, Hanlun, a girl from Jielie Village, met and fell in love with her lover Yantun. When Hanlun learned that he was going to become a concubine in the palace, he quickly wrote a letter with a banyan leaf and asked the parrot to send it to Yantun who was fighting at the border. Yan Tun returned to his hometown, but he was already separated from Han Lun. Yan Tun was so sad that he drew his knife and killed himself beside the coffin.
Their stories moved the villagers, who buried them together in a tomb, and built a love tower on the tomb. The parrot that lost its owner stayed with it day and night, and turned into banyan tree seeds with the help of gods, forming today's miracle legend.
I heard from the locals that if you make a wish under the tree and turn clockwise three times around the Shubao Pagoda, you will get peace and happiness. The tree can't draw nutrients from the pagoda, but it still grows luxuriantly. Perhaps those devout wishers used wishes instead of nutrients to water it to grow. Over time, the tree also produced aura.
2. The wonderful "peacock" figure | wishing tree
The wishing tree grows in the quiet and beautiful Peacock Valley. The uncanny craftsmanship of nature makes it look like a peacock spreading its tail. It has a unique posture and needs four people to hug it.
There is also a beautiful story hidden behind the beautiful tree.
Legend has it that the Buddha traveled to the Peacock Valley and sat under a tree to rest. He saw that the feathers of the birds in the valley were almost all the same color, which was not beautiful at all.
The peacock came to make a wish under the tree, wishing to become more beautiful. The Buddha overheard it and decided to help the peacock realize her wish and teach her the graceful peacock dance.
Knowing this, the nearby birds all flew to the tree to make a wish. Miraculously, the wishes came true in the end, and even the tree gradually grew into the shape of a peacock as time went by.
Before the arrival of the new year, the wishing tree is full of people who come to make wishes. It is said that all the wishes made come true! You might as well try to take a red strip and make a wish and hang it on a stake.
3. God-blessed divine water | Songkran Festival
One of the major national festivals in Mangshi is the Water-Splashing Festival. It has developed to the present, and it seems to be a big day for the whole people to carnival.
The Dai nationality is a nation that has a relationship with water, and is called "the nation of water". On this day, God hid all the good blessings in the world in the water of life that gave birth to thousands of people in Mangshi. He watched them splash water on each other and celebrate with joy. This grand occasion also attracted thousands of people to visit.
The young man pours water on the girl he likes, and at the moment when the girl shows her face, there is a wave of happy patterns, and love is born here. The old people will also pour clear water on the children, chanting auspicious words in their mouths, and use clear water to eliminate disasters.
They believe that clear water can purify the soul, give each other good luck, and bring happiness to each other.
4. The bright heart lamp leading to the gods and Buddhas | Bodhi Temple
Not far from Shubao Pagoda, there is a Buddhist holy place. Because there is a lush bodhi tree in front of the temple, it is named Bodhi Temple. It is called "Zangtong" in Dai language, which means gem temple.
All the plants and trees in the temple have spirits. Most of the time, there are few tourists, but it does not look cold and lonely. There are often monks chanting scriptures in the temple, and believers worship in front of the Buddha. They are all solemn and pious.
The Dai people have many traditional festivals, and the Lantern Festival is one of them.
November 15th of the Dai calendar is the Dai people's "Oh Wa Cun Duo" (i.e. Out of the Wa Festival, Opening the Door Festival). Tied with various fruits, it means the unity and strength of the village. The specific time of the Lantern Festival starts from the night after "Li Banan" and lasts for 3 consecutive days.
According to Buddhist legend, the Buddha Sakyamuni once preached scriptures to the gods the day before Chuwa Festival. During this period, all monks should live in peace and tranquility, and believers should also avoid relocation and marriage.
When the moon was full, Sakyamuni came to the world surrounded by gods, and believers lit various lanterns and thousands of candles to welcome him. The Lantern Festival is also known as the Jiexia Festival, and this day is also the day when monks release the Xia Anju.
Every year, there is an endless stream of tourists rushing to the Bodhi Temple during the Lantern Festival, where they light lanterns, make wishes, and pray for blessings.
5. Sacred and Beautiful Holy Land | Menghuan Shwedagon Pagoda
The Menghuan Great Golden Pagoda is located on the top of Leiyarang Mountain in the urban area of Mangshi. It can be called the first golden pagoda in China and the first hollow pagoda in Asia. It is recognized as one of the holy places of Buddhism.
The tour guide said that offering incense and making a wish here is particularly effective. Those who come to make a wish must enter from the east gate of the pagoda and exit from the south gate. Only by turning around the Shwedagon Pagoda three times in this way can it be considered complete.
There is a corridor in the tower, and the walls are covered with blessing cards, which is very beautiful from a distance.
The wooden sign is connected in series by a red rope, and a "Fu" wind chime hangs on the lower end. When there is wind, the friction sound of the wooden sign and the sound of the bell are intertwined, making a moving sound. The locals say that wind chimes can bring good luck to people, why not take this opportunity to hang a bunch of them too!
Mangshi, a "City of Dawn" full of mythology, has a mysterious veil for him as a place of wishing. Tourists who come to Mangshi always look at every piece of land here curiously. Enthusiasm unabated. When you are free, invite family or friends to check in here! The charm of Mangshi starts from here, and it is not only that...