Fuyang Mountain Stream Notes: Blue Sky, White Clouds, and the Poem of Rice Fields by the Creek

As I ventured into the mountains of Fuyang, the midday sun was intense, yet softened by the clouds overhead. Following the winding creek, it led me to seek a beautiful scene hidden in the mountain wilderness. After walking along the creek for about fifteen minutes, the view suddenly opened up. A stretch of rice fields unfolded along the mountain slope, extending from the creek’s edge up to halfway up the hill, like a piece of green silk dyed through and gently draped over the mountains. The rice seedlings were thriving, their stalks upright and leaves spread out. When the wind blew, the entire rice field rippled with green waves, layer upon layer pushing into the distance. The air carried a faint fragrance of rice flowers mixed with the earthy scent of soil, a fresh aroma unique to the mountains. Looking up, I was struck by the sky’s incredible blue. Unlike the gray haze of the city, it was a clear, light blue, as if washed clean by the creek water. White clouds drifted slowly, their shapes especially charming—some like fluffy cotton candy clustered together, as if you could reach out and pinch their soft forms; others like wisps of gauze scattered by the wind, hanging in the sky and moving slowly with the breeze. Their shadows fell on the rice fields, casting a gentle shade over the green waves. When the sun began to tilt, sunlight filtered through the clouds, casting mottled light and shadows over the rice fields. Under the blue sky and white clouds, the rice fields still shimmered with green waves, the creek water continued to babble, and the mountain scenery was never a spectacular spectacle but held the purest vitality; it was the clear creek water, the green rice fields, the blue sky and white clouds visible just by looking up, and the peace and comfort that made you not want to leave once you stepped in. This poetic mountain scene hidden by the creek will likely be remembered often and stir the heart many times in the days to come.

Post by ISABEL KLEIN | Sep 12, 2025