The name of Mount Yuyang originates from the story of "Presenting a Mount of Gratitude". It is said that in the Spring and Autumn Period, WU Zixu was insulted and humiliated. When the Chu State offered a reward for his arrest, an old fisherman ventured to help him cross the river to reach the Wu State. After WU Zixu defeated the Wu by revenge, he looked for the old fisherman who had been kind to him, but the fisherman had passed away already. WU Zixu then took his descendants to the Wu State, properly resettled them by the prosperous land just like that of the palace of the WU State, and named it Yuyang (literaliy, the fishing ocean)to demonstrate that the fisherman's life-saving grace was as deep as the ocean. Witnessed by the green mountain and water, the Mount Yuyang shows WU Zixu's gratitude to the old fisherman.

　　This is the hometown of calligraphy and painting with great reputation across the whole nation. Over the years, I have made several friends and became confidants. Bamboo shoots and Biluochun tea in Spring; honey and waxberry and loquat in Summer; chestnuts, kumquat and osmanthus fragrans in Autumn, and cakes, bacon and lake fish in Winter; this place presents constant fruits and vegetables amongst the four seasons. The friends here all have strong capacity in writing, painting, poetry and lyrics. Invite some confidants to the Tanhua Temple to listen to Yongle, the Great Nun to talk about her greatest treasure of the temple---the origin of the Fishing Basket Guanyin Monument with delicate design presented by the Empress Suzhen of the Ming Dynasty, and taste the fungus and mushrooms and assorted vegetarian food. In the quiet mountain atmosphere, it is filled with sound of wind, rain, trees, birds and chanting. At this time, it is so pleasing to let the unique silence and tranquility soothe the inspiring souls.

　　This year in Spring with "faded flowers and green apricots", I, with some leisure mind, returned to the top of Mount Yuyang with forests and flowers, waters and steep slopes. By the Taihu Lake, Mount Yuyang, stretching to the foothills, forms a peninsula of the Lake. Stretching straight into the waters of the three sides of the lake, Mount Yuyang looks like the head of a turtle, standing in the blue waves.

　　At the Yuyang Pavilion on the top of Mount Yuyang, looking south through the window, I got a bird's-eye-view of Taihu Lake with the vast expanse of smoke, the blue mountains far or near, as if it is holding the mountains; above the lake, people sail with shadows of the gulls; the Taihu Lake bridge is like a jade belt and a graceful girl extending her light and comfortable long sleeves. Looking north, the mountains are surrounded by waters, the islands expand vertically and horizontally, the water is vast and faint, and the outline of the mountains is faintly visible. It is like a piece of beautiful and elegant three-dimensional landscapes blooming in front of your eyes. At this time, I also seemed to be integrated into the scrolls. My mind crossed over the past and the present as if the vastness of the lake wiped out the earth of the present world. The lake that has seen thousands of sails must have witnessed the fighting smoke between the states of Wu and Yue in the Spring and Autumn Period; the clear spring water of the green forest has also engraved so many affairs of literati.

　　The graceful Mount Yuyang has been favored by many literati, especially DONG Qichang, the great master of Wanli Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. As an epochal painter with superb talent in calligraphy, painting, Zen and poetry, he and his fellowmen gathered by the Mount, drinking wines while sailing across the Taihu Lake, climbing to the summit while chanting poems, which have accumulated his deep connection with the mountain and helped him make the wish of burieal at Yuyang. It can be seen that this cultural master who has traveled all over the mountains and rivers with unmatched capacity in books, paintings, poems and essays, the four musts, loved Mount Yuyang. The story has passed down to this day, and it is even more popular among local literati.

　　In the early Qing Dynasty, WANG Shizhen, the leader of the literary circle stayed at the Shengen Temple on the shore of Taihu Lake in his youth, admiring the lake from a distance at dawn, the light of the morning sun stretching between the water and sky. The turtle-head-shaped peninsula extended into the Lake with green forests and white wind, creating a fascinating fairyland, a similar land in dreams which can't be described through any words. Local people told him the mountain was called Yuyang. Since then, this burly Shandong man was deeply impressed by the hills of Taihu Lake in Suzhou, which is full of charm and tranquility. He then selfproclaimed himself "Man of Mount Yuyang". Since then, Mount Yuyang has been closely associated with the literary celebrity poet WANG Shizhen. When his poems resounded through China, Mount Yuyang became famous and legendary.

　　Against the lakeside wind, a local song, the sweet and melodious "Suzhou Scenery" interrupted my thoughts. I looked up at the blue sky and the white clouds leisurely, taking a panoramic view of the Taihu Lake with the Dongting mountains just like green snails on a silver plate, looming yet visible What a wonderful picture of Suzhou. When the ripples of light faded, the last singing fishing boats reminded me to go back. Some people say: "It is so satisfying to own the blue sky and clear water, wandering along the grass and springs and taking a clear breeze and white clouds." Therefore, I initially wanted to buy a house since retirement, admiring the Taihu Lake at dawn and sunset, fishing with local fishermen. Unexpectedly, many years ago, this place was planned as a five-star national resort, and now most of the houses in the mountains have been demolished, and friends have long been scattered. With the widening of the mountain roads, it features so many tourists and cars during every festival season, the past plain mountain roads are gone. With less wild interest, but more laughters; less birds' humming, but more children running after each other, however, the breeze and the moonlight are still there. There is always something new to experience each time here, just like seeing it at first glance.

　　Seeing off the sunset and welcoming the rising moon, I hovered down the mountain road. Looking back at Mount Yuyang , the great natural scenery showcased vivid vitality and steepness. Suddenly, the great poem of LI Bai came up into my mind: "Admiring each other, we never grow tired, the Mountain and I". But in my mouth, I chanted "I see the charming mountains, hoping the mountains see me in the same way".

　　In the twilight, the singing birds went home from the running spring and the moonlit pines, and so did a thin and long figure slowly going down...