"Looking at it from the side, it forms a ridge and the side forms a peak, with different heights from far and near" means: from the front and side, the mountains of Lushan are undulating and the peaks are towering; from far, near, high and low, Looking at Lushan Mountain, Lushan Mountain shows various different appearances. This sentence comes from "Inscribed on the West Forest Wall" by Su Shi of the Song Dynasty.
"Inscription on the West Forest Wall"
The author is Su Shi? Song Dynasty
Viewed horizontally, it is a ridge and peaks on the side, with different heights near and far.
I don’t know the true face of Mount Lu, just because I am in this mountain.
Vernacular Translation
Looking at the rolling hills and towering peaks of Mount Lu from the front and side, looking at Mount Lu from a distance, near, high, and low, you will see that Mount Lu presents a variety of different look.
The reason why I cannot recognize the true face of Lushan Mountain is because I am in Lushan Mountain.
Extended information
"Inscribed on the Wall of the Western Forest" is a landscape poem with paintings in the poem, and it is also a philosophical poem. The philosophy is contained in the description of the scenery of Mount Lu. The first two sentences describe the different morphological changes of Mount Lu. From the side, Lushan Mountain stretches and winds, with lush mountains and ridges connected endlessly; from the side, the peaks are undulating, with strange peaks protruding into the clouds.
Looking at Lushan Mountain from different directions from far away and from near, the color and momentum of the mountain are different. The last two sentences express the author's deep thoughts: The reason why you will have different impressions when looking at Mount Lu from different directions is because you are "in this mountain".
In other words, only by staying away from Mount Lushan and jumping out of the shelter of Mount Lushan can we fully grasp the true demeanor of Mount Lushan. The whole poem closely focuses on the trip to the mountains and talks about one's own unique feelings. With the help of the image of Mount Lu, it uses popular language to express the philosophy in a simple and profound way, so it is cordial, natural and thought-provoking.