"The peach blossoms follow the flowing water all day long, where is the hole in the clear stream?" This poem by Zhang Xu, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, expresses the doubts that have lingered in the minds of the world for thousands of years: Tao Yuanming's Peach Blossom Spring Where exactly? This place that countless people yearn for is just the author’s ideal “Utopia” and is it divorced from reality? Or is there a prototype of creation in reality?
The world of "Peach Blossom Spring" tempts us who are entangled in troubles and worldly affairs, and brings light and hope to countless people in trouble. As a result, the notes he wrote for "Poems of Peach Blossom Spring" became famous throughout the ages, became famous far and wide, and attracted numerous praises. So, what kind of ideal world is the Peach Blossom Land we are diligently pursuing?
Many people believe that the Peach Blossom Spring is a fairyland with Taoist overtones. There is probably a sentence in "Peach Blossom Spring Poems" that "Five hundred strange traces are hidden, and the world of gods is once opened." Therefore, poets all think that Peach Blossom Spring is a fairyland. For example, Han Yu's "Peach Blossom Spring Picture" has "It is unclear whether there are gods or not. "It's sincere and ridiculous" poem; Liu Yuxi's "Peach Blossom Journey" has the poem "As soon as the immortal family left, there is no trace, and there are so many flowing water and mountains to this day"; Wang Wei's "Peach Blossom Journey" has the poem "I went to the human world to avoid the place at first, but when I became an immortal, I didn't return." And the poem "Spring is full of peach blossoms and water, I don't know where to find the source of immortality".
Throughout the ages, people have never stopped seeking the Peach Blossom Spring. People followed Tao Yuanming's description, looked at the pictures, or conducted field research. In recent years, China's tourism industry has developed rapidly, and many places have taken advantage of the opportunity to hype it up. With the cooperation of some scholars seeking hidden documents, they have made far-fetched claims to be the "real" Peach Blossom Land. As a result, "real" peach blossoms sprouted like bamboo shoots after the rain, popping up all over the country overnight.
So, where is the Peach Blossom Spring in the real world? Nowadays, the following seven places are more recognized and are most likely to be "real" peach blossom lands. They can also be said to be the seven most beautiful "paradise" in contemporary China: