Tracing upstream along Yu Creek, one can admire the scenery depicted by Liu Zongyuan in his writings

Yongzhou Prefecture's Lingling is a place greatly favored by classical literature, and it was in Lingling that Liu Zongyuan wrote his most brilliant essays and poems, collectively known as the 'Eight Records of Yongzhou'. Stepping out of the profound courtyard of the Liu Zi Temple and strolling up and down along Yu Creek, with Cobalt Blue Pool on one side and Little Stone Pool at the head, one after another familiar literary allusion unfolds before your eyes, and the image of Liu Zongyuan, a literary master who was deeply concerned for his country and its people and possessed extraordinary talent, gradually looms larger. Crossing the Lingling East Wind Bridge that spans the Xiao River, the ancient city of Lingling, which has been built with great effort, is now complete. Like any other ancient town tourist area, it is full of snack shops and travel photography costume stores, and there is even a far-fetched 'Former Residence of Xing Daorong' marked on the map. Passing through the newly built part of Lingling Ancient City, you reach Liu Zi Street, which still retains its traditional appearance on both sides of Yu Creek, and Liu Zi Temple is located here. Life on this street is now mundane, but once it was the official road of the Xiang-Gui corridor. The misty river next to Liu Zi Street is Yu Creek. Under the arch bridge in front of Liu Zi Temple, dense artificial smoke is sometimes released, which looks quite interesting from a distance. Going deeper, among the residential houses, there is a small abandoned dam. Behind the dam, Yu Creek truly takes on a quiet and secluded atmosphere, with Cobalt Blue Pool, West Little Hill, and Little Stone Pool unfolding one after another along the creek bank. Among the famous mountains and rivers, the small Yu Creek may seem ordinary, but it embodies the essential strength of Liu Zongyuan in his adversity, and can be said to be an allegorical explanation of the saying 'A person can enhance the way, but the way does not enhance the person'. It is the power of literature that enriches this creek with an everlasting scholarly status. The end of this Yu Creek journey is the Jie Xiao Pavilion, which once provided rest for travelers on the Xiang-Gui official road. Starting from Liu Zi Temple, even with a leisurely stroll, it takes only about half an hour to complete. From the jumping rocks at Little Stone Pool, one can cross to the other side of Yu Creek, truly embodying the sense of 'becoming islets and rocks, crags and boulders'. Liu Zongyuan's attitude of 'walking leisurely and wandering aimlessly' in his 'First Experience of Banqueting in the Western Hills' has also deeply entered the hearts of the people of Lingling. Even the three-wheeled pedicabs that roam the streets and alleys are called 'slow tours'. The charm of Lingling lies in its slowness and simplicity, in the cold river and evening rain, in the pursuit of a broad and open heart amidst the melancholy of the mountains and waters. Every traveler in Lingling will find themselves suddenly enlightened by an unexpected sigh. Xiao Xiang is not just a simple cultural symbol.