Ah, I have traveled through countless mountains and rivers, but never have I seen a world like this in dreams!…
Ah, I have traveled through countless mountains and rivers, but never have I seen a world like this in dreams! Visiting today, it surpasses even a fairyland. Thousands of pear trees bloom in full splendor, their petals falling in a riot of color, drifting into the water and flowing away with the current. By the riverside, drunk scholars float wine goblets on the stream, playing guqins as they drink—the aroma of wine fills the wilderness. At dusk, artisans perform the iron flower fireworks: boiling molten iron is tossed into the air, scattering like stars raining down. Crowds of onlookers gather, creating a lively scene. The landscape and customs here almost mirror those of Blissful Retreat, yet with subtle differences. I once lamented that Blissful Retreat was destroyed in war, no longer offering Parting Tears to savor. But today, seeing this dreamworld, I can't help but recite a line from the Banished Immortal (Li Bai): "Peach blossoms and flowing water vanish far away; this is a realm apart, not of the mortal world."