Guilin trip story: “Boy worshiping the Goddess of Mercy”

By the side of theLi River, there is a high and sharp peak. View from afar, you can see it just like the Goddess of Mercy who is praying with hands joining together, sitting on the futon. So locals call this mountain the Guanyin (the Goddess of Mercy) Mountain. And there is another strange mountain in front of the Guanyin Mountain, which looks like a humble boy kowtowing to the Goddess. These two mountains make the wonderful landscape "Boy worshiping the Goddess of Mercy" which has attracted many tourists in a Guilin trip.
Also, there’s a legend here.
Many years ago, in a small village in the mountains, there was a 10-year-old boy Shuangxi, whose parents owned to a moneybags a lot of money, which made them have no choice but sent Shuangxi to work for the moneybags.
The moneybags sent Shuangxi to pasture cattle up the mountain every day whatever the weather was. And Shuangxi had to bring a big bundle of dry wood with him when he came back. If he finished his job well, he might get some leftovers; if he didn’t, he would be beaten horribly even by whips sometimes. His life was very tough.
One day at noon, Shuangxi was cutting firewood. But unexpectedly, a calf was carried off by a tiger. If the moneybags knew, Shuangxi would definitely be punished seriously even to death. So Shuangxi was extremely scared and cried hard. At this time, a beautiful fairy appeared, and she was just the Goddess of Mercy. Goddess saw Shuangxi crying so hard and asked him: "What is your misfortune? If you tell me, I can help you."
Shuangxi often heard adults talk about Guanyin, so he thought he might actually meet the Goddess. He hoped against hope and told Guanyin everything. Shuangxi had just finished these words, the moneybags already arrived and was about to let Shuangxi pay for his mistake. Shuangxi couldn’t help shivering, and the Goddess comforted him: "here I am, there’s no need to be afraid." Then the moneybags came and cursed him fiercely, asked him to get the calf back or he would be dead.
Guanyin said sternly: "He is still a child; you have no need to be so vicious."
The moneybags looked at Guanyin and said: "Well, it’s easy to forgive him, only if you become my concubine (second wife)."
Guanyin said: "What if I don’t agree?"
The moneybags laughed and said: "Ha ha ha, there’s no one who dare to refuse me. Come! Tie up both of them back!"
Then his two thugs came up. Just at that time, Guanyin waved her sleeve and a strong wind appeared which blew the moneybags and the thugs into the Li River.
And then the Goddess of Mercy said to Shuangxi:”Will you like to become an immortal by my extradition?” Shuangxi agreed cheerfully while kowtowing to the Goddess
In order to alert later generations that they should not be like the moneybags or browbeat puny people, the Goddess of Mercy left her and Shuangxi’s mortal bodies at Guilin and turned them into Rock Hills.

 

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