After visiting Huang Gongwang's Hermitage, how can you still say you're old?

🌟 Huang Gongwang's Hermitage: The Legendary Comeback of a Septuagenarian

📜 The Elegant Origins of "Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains"
Strolling through Miaoshanwu in Fuyang, Hangzhou, the breeze rustles through bamboo groves, as if whispering the verses of that white-haired master from seven centuries ago. This was the hermitage of Huang Gongwang, the grandmaster of Yuan Dynasty painting. At seventy, he built his retreat here, naming it "Little Cave Heaven," where he spent seven years creating "Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains"—a masterpiece hailed as the "Orchid Pavilion of Paintings" and one of China's Ten Great Classical Paintings.

🏞️ Three Vital Aspects of the Hermitage
1️⃣ Huang Gongwang Memorial Hall
Pushing open the timeworn vermilion doors, you'll encounter an immersive digital display of the scroll painting. The brushstrokes flow not just with love for Fuchun's landscapes, but with a septuagenarian's relentless artistic pursuit. Standing before the recreated painting desk, you can almost see the veins on his hands as he wielded his brush.

2️⃣ The Hermit's Path
Follow the stone trail dappled with bamboo shadows—this three-mile route was Huang's daily commute. "Living deep in mountains, I climb South Hill each dawn," he wrote. This mountain path became his natural studio for observing seasonal mists. When your legs grow weary, remember how this elder walked it faithfully for seven years, rain or shine.

3️⃣ South Tower Ruins
Rounding the final ridge, you'll find ancient stone foundations—the birthplace of "Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains." Here, Huang "burned incense, cleansed his inkstone, and sketched from life," capturing Fuchun River's moods. The nearby viewing platform still frames the exact perspective depicted in the painting.

🌿 The Hermit's Legacy
Completing his magnum opus at 79, Huang embodied "great talent matures slowly." Resting by the well he once used, guides share an anecdote: At 80, he still took disciples. When a young painter complained about the journey, Huang laughed: "I learned lute at seventy, teach at eighty—you're in life's prime, why rush?"

Today, Miaoshanwu retains its hermit-worthy tranquility, now with teahouses by the stream where locals brew Longjing with Fuchun's waters. Sipping tea while gazing at the mountains, you might understand Huang's saying: "One day here equals ten years in the mortal world."

Post by aurora_ser | Jul 19, 2025