“The First Blessed Land, the Eighth Celestial Grotto” – Jin Tan's Maoshan, south of one of the “Five Ancient Lakes,” the Changdang Lake, boasts a breathtaking landscape where mountains and water gaze at each other, inviting lingering glances. As Ouyang Xiu of the Song Dynasty said, “The purpose of the Drunken Scholar is not in wine but in the beauty of nature.”
Nestled among these mountains stands a tranquil courtyard known as the Baopu Mountain Retreat, a mountain inn that integrates the unique characteristics of Daoist health preservation, embodying the concept of “returning to the natural simplicity, as pure as an infant.” Surrounded by dense woods, the cottages are scattered according to the Five Elements of Daoism, blending seamlessly with the new Chinese-style furnishings and the rustic courtyard. Amidst serenity, there is peace; amidst simplicity, luxury; amidst nobility, elegance—it feels like a celestial abode on earth.
Upon entering the retreat, you can sit down to bask in the sun, brew a pot of tea, taste the Daoist health-preserving dishes, or wander through the ancient temples in the mountain, Tao Hongjing's Traditional Chinese Medicine clinic, wooden cabins, and courtyards, listening to music, reading scriptures, playing chess, letting the gentle mountain breeze and green waters wash away your inner fatigue.
(Maoshan Administrative Committee, Jintan Daoist Association)