"In the Nanguo Temple on the top of the mountain, the old trees of the water-flowing spring in the north can be found in the empty courtyard, and the clear canal can be passed down from town to town. The autumn flowers are dangerous at the bottom of the stone, and the evening scene lies beside the clock. I look down and feel sad about my life, and the stream breeze is rustling." This is a poem by the poet Du Fu praising Nanguo Temple in Tianshui. Passing through the busy Tianshui City South Bridge, we soon arrived at the foot of Nanshan Mountain. Looking up, you can see an ancient temple dotted with leafy ancient cypress trees halfway up the mountain. People call the ancient cypress "Millennium Cypress" and the ancient temple "Nanguo Temple".
Nanguo Temple is about 5 miles away from the city, but there is no trace of it in the city. The ancient ancestors' choice of location and shape were very interesting as "ancient temples hidden deep in the mountains". Without a local guide, no one would know that there is such a unique ancient temple not far from the city.
Standing on the gate of Nanguo Temple, you can have a bird's-eye view of the city, with all kinds of spectacular views.
Nanguo Temple was built before the Tang Dynasty and flourished in the Tang Dynasty. It has been repaired for generations. It is opposite the "Yuquan Temple" in Beishan across the city, one in the south and one in the north. It is known as the two scenic spots of forest and spring in Qin. The entire building of Nanguo Temple is surrounded by mountains and rivers. It is surrounded by cypresses in front of the temple and behind the temple. The springs are clean and the mountain birds are singing harmoniously.
There are three sceneries in Nanguo Temple, namely "one cypress, one stone and one well".
Most of the buildings in Nanguo Temple are damaged, but the shape of the ancient temple and the secluded passages of the ancient hall are still vaguely visible. Thousand-year-old cypresses are vigorous and straight, standing majestic and motionless. What's interesting is that an ancient cypress split into three branches, and a big tree with an unnamed name grew out of the middle. Legend has it that during the Zhenguan period of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, generals Qin Qiong and Jingde visited Nanguo Temple together and tied their yellow gelding horses and leopard horses to this cypress tree. The owner forgot to take care of his horse while visiting the temple. The two horses kicked each other and the dust flew up. When the two arrived after hearing the sound, the tree had been pulled into two halves, the north and the south. Later, the tree grew into what it is today. Wonderful legends have been passed down to this day, but no one can name the tree growing among the cypress trees. Some people say it is a black egg tree because it bears sunspots; some people say it is a tea tree because its leaves look like tea; some people say it is a chun tree and call it "ancient cypress Huaichun (chun)".
There are several stone tablets left in the temple, and most of the characters are peeled off. There is only a 6-foot-long six-sided stone pillar, which is well preserved so far. It has Buddhist scriptures engraved on it and is clearly visible. It is called a scene in the temple.
What is even more fascinating is the "Bagua Spring" in the temple. There is abundant water in the well, and the water used to repair the temple today is pumped from the well. The spring water is green and sweet. It is a natural water for drinking, producing beverages and making wine. On weekdays, the water level is only a few feet away from the mouth of the well. Whenever there is heavy rain and stagnant water causes disaster, the water level drops rapidly, and buckets must be tied with three-foot ropes to fetch water. However, when the sun is scorching and the earth is cracked and the rivers dry up, the spring water rises instead, falling down. You can drink it while holding it in your hand. Tourists from ancient times and modern times are all amazed. According to legend, the river water comes from the Tianhe River, so it is named "Tianshui". Du Fu praised the sweet spring of Tianshui and said: "If you offer it to monks from ten directions, the fragrance is better than milk."
When the poet lived in Qinzhou (today's water), he once lived in Nanguo Temple and drank the water from this well. He also wrote the famous "Twenty Miscellaneous Poems of Qinzhou", which is still circulated in the world today. It has been more than a thousand years since the poet left us, but the well water he drank from still exists, which makes people feel nostalgic. Visitors rush to taste the well water Du Fu drank from back then to commemorate his memory.
In order to commemorate the "poetic sage" Du Fu, the people of Qinzhou built a Bodhisattva nunnery next to the well in the temple and a hexagonal pavilion above the well. The wellhead was built with white marble in a hexagonal shape in the shape of a Bagua. The locals commonly called it "Bagua". Spring", and at the same time, a statue of Du Fu was built in the temple to commemorate this eternal celebrity.