Baodu Village, the back garden of Shijiazhuang, is a scenic spot located near the city. It is a beautiful place with steep cliffs, mountain waterfalls, green trees and high village walls. It took about 20 minutes drive from the city area to Baodu Village. The parking fee was 5 yuan. Working staff there told us that we had two ways of climbing the mountain—on foot or by cable car. If we walk, we would pay a 50 yuan ticket at Nantianmen, a place half way up the mountain. If we went by cable car, a 120 yuan all-inclusive ticket at the mountain gate would help us reach the peak. We chose to take the cable car, feasting our eye on the majestic mountain, and enjoying the surroundings of the waterfalls.

Photo by Liu Xiang.

The panoramic view was magnificent. In the distance there was layer upon layer of mountains. It was amazing to see figures at the foot of the mountains as small as ants. The perforated village walls along the cliffs at the top of the mountain were as grand as the Great Wall. Underground, in the Wanfo Hole laid a Buddhist statue weighing over ten tons and many other splendid statues that looked very real. Walking along the forest road, my eyes were fixed on a pond with clear water. We were totally lost in the Jiangnan Garden scenery that appeared unexpectedly in the steep high mountain. The graceful arch bridge and the vivid green lotus leaves intoxicated us deeply. We didn’t know the origin of Baodu Village until we saw the Er’xiao Arms Calf statue in legends.

On the way going down the mountain, the breeze was light and fresh. We could hear the laughter of visitors echo from the waterfall through the valley. The stream came down in torrents, bringing sprays as well as cool breeze. We all glowed with happiness.