A Zen journey through the ages.

In the cool morning light of autumn, I walked into the ancient Huiji Temple at the foot of Mufu Mountain in Nanjing. This thousand-year-old temple exudes a sense of tranquility in the morning mist, like an ink painting slowly unfolding. The temple is not large, but it is exquisitely laid out. As I stepped through the mountain gate, the majestic Hall of Heavenly Kings came into view. In front of the hall, two thousand-year-old ginkgo trees stand tall and straight, with dappled sunlight filtering through their branches and leaves, as if guarding this pure land of Buddhism. The buildings in the temple are built according to the mountain's terrain, with blue bricks and black tiles, flying eaves and upturned corners, all exuding an ancient charm. The three ginkgo trees in the ancient Huiji Temple are one of the most iconic landscapes of the temple, known as "living history." They are tall and straight, with thick trunks, exuding a vigorous and ancient aura. It is said that these three ginkgo trees are over a thousand years old and have witnessed the rise and fall of the ancient Huiji Temple. Among them, two ginkgo trees stand symmetrically in front of the Hall of Heavenly Kings, like loyal guardians, with intertwined branches and leaves that block out the sun. The surface of their trunks is covered with deep and shallow lines, like the rings of time written by the years. Every late autumn, the ginkgo leaves turn golden, and when the sunlight shines down, the leaves seem to be gilded with a layer of gold, shining with warm colors. The fallen leaves cover the ground like a golden carpet, adding a touch of fantasy to the ancient temple. The third ginkgo tree is a little further away, standing in a corner of the temple, said to be the "watcher" planted when the temple was founded. This ginkgo tree has more lush branches and leaves, with a wide canopy like a giant umbrella, providing shade and shelter from the rain. There are often pilgrims sitting around it, with a few stone benches under the tree, becoming a place for people to rest and communicate. This tree also seems to be particularly spiritual, and it is said that its leaves can bless peace, so in autumn, people often pick up the fallen ginkgo leaves and treasure them in books. These three ginkgo trees are not only natural wonders but also witnesses to the thousand-year history of the ancient Huiji Temple. They silently guard this pure land of Buddhism, complementing the blue bricks and black tiles of the ancient temple, together composing a song of tranquil and distant time. This trip to the ancient Huiji Temple is not only a cultural exploration but also a cleansing of the soul. In this pure land of Buddhism that has endured for thousands of years, I felt a rare sense of tranquility and composure, as if time had stopped here.