Returning to the 82 Mountain Village: An Encounter with the Journey to the West Film Crew at the Beg

At the guesthouse in G County, boxes of props were unloaded from trucks.

Yang Jie was standing aside discussing the filming plan with Wu Guiling, who plays Zhenyuan Daxian, and several other core actors.

Seeing Li Chengru sweating profusely as he directed the moving of goods, she raised her hand and called out to him.

"Cheng Ru." Yang Jie spoke quickly and clearly.

"Once Hongchang has finalized the specific filming area and duration with the venue, we'll have to go up there first."

"According to the previously agreed-upon list, arrange for the first group of people to go up the mountain, and prioritize the preparation of important equipment and supplies."

"Understood, Director Yang, don't worry. I've prepared the list of names and equipment, and we're ready to go at any time," Li Chengru replied immediately.

The creative concept behind the 86 TV series Journey to the West was to treat each episode as an independent film.

Therefore, for major productions like "Wuzhuang Temple", the production was meticulous, with the location being carefully considered repeatedly, and the ancient Changdao Temple in Qingcheng Mountain was finally chosen.

A small group of people traveled in jeeps, heading into the mountains along the winding road.

The car was bumpy, and Zhou Fangyuan and Zhang Jinlai squeezed into the middle of the back seat. The conversation naturally turned to monkey shows.

Zhang Jinlai gestured with famous hand gestures, explaining how to convey the brilliance of Sun Wukong through one's eyes.

Zhou Fangyuan, combining his own observations and Qian Lao's guidance, talked about how "spiritual light" and "majesty" can be transformed in an instant.

Wu Guiling, sitting next to him, listened intently, nodding from time to time.

The car swayed and bumped along for over an hour before the car in front stopped.

The driver shouted, "The road ahead is too narrow, the bus can't go any further! Everyone get off!"

The group had no choice but to get off the vehicle; the rest of the journey would have to be done by manpower.

Everyone unloaded the cameras, lighting equipment, and most importantly, the prop boxes from the vehicle.

Using prepared carrying poles and baskets, they made trip after trip up the mountain to transport goods.

Qingcheng Mountain truly lives up to its reputation as the birthplace of Taoism, with its secluded mountain paths and lush forests.

As he walked, Zhou Fangyuan noticed some inconspicuous places by the roadside.

Occasionally, a small handful of grains or a few crumbs of bread would be placed on a tree stump or a large rock.

"These were placed there by the monks at the Taoist temple."

A local guide who knew a little about the situation explained: "Feeding birds, feeding squirrels, feeding the small creatures that pass through the mountains."

Here, the principle of following the natural way is emphasized.

Without profound philosophical discussions, this simple kindness that allows all life to find food in peace is perhaps the gentlest interpretation of "Tao follows nature."

This discovery brought a unique tranquility to the weary climb.

After walking for nearly two more hours, the ancient Changdao Temple finally came into view.

Everyone was stunned.

The Taoist temple is built along the mountainside, with its halls and pavilions stacked one on top of the other. It has both a magnificent momentum as if it is about to take flight, and a quiet and simple charm due to its age.

The mountain mist had not yet dissipated, its wisps swirling around, making the entire Taoist temple appear hazy and mysterious.

Mount Qingcheng in October is famous for its misty mountain fog, and the film crew specially chose this time of year to come here for this very reason.

"We've come at the perfect time." Yang Jie looked at the Taoist temple in the mist, his eyes shining.

"This fog, this scenery, the photos will definitely turn out great!"

Just as everyone was awestruck by the sight, a young Taoist priest, about fifteen or sixteen years old, carrying a broom, appeared.

Upon seeing this large group of strangers carrying a lot of luggage, they were clearly taken aback and stopped what they were doing.

Director Yang stepped forward and explained his purpose.

The young Taoist listened attentively, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the crowd and the sealed boxes, lingering for a moment longer on a long box labeled "Ginseng Fruit."

The young Taoist priest bowed in return, speaking respectfully, and asked them to wait a moment before turning to go inside to report.

Before long, an elderly Taoist priest with white hair and a slightly thin face slowly walked out. He looked to be eighty years old.

He smiled and bowed to everyone, displaying composure.

Director Yang Jie stepped forward and handed over the letter of introduction, which was stamped with the official seals of CCTV and relevant departments, with both hands.

The old Taoist priest took it and slowly moved his gaze across the paper.

When the words "Journey to the West" were scanned.

The old Taoist priest's gentle smile faded almost imperceptibly for a moment, and his brows seemed to furrow slightly.

But the change was too fast, so fast it felt like an illusion.

Immediately, the old Taoist priest regained his composure, stepped aside to open the door, and said in a calm tone, "Please come in, everyone."

The young Taoist priest led the way.

Zhou Fangyuan carried two relatively light but fragile props on a shoulder pole, walking not far behind the young Taoist priest.

He noticed that although the young Taoist priest kept his eyes straight ahead, his steps were slow, as if he was intentionally or unintentionally matching their pace.

After passing through several courtyards, we arrived at a relatively secluded house.

Ma Dehua looked at the blue bricks and gray tiles, secretly nudged Zhou Fangyuan, and whispered:

"It looks pretty neat and tidy, better than I expected."

The young Taoist priest may have heard him, because he stopped, but his tone revealed embarrassment, and he first expressed his apologies.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the number of rooms available in the temple is extremely limited, and there are not many vacant guest rooms left."

Then he pointed to a side building that looked significantly older and lower.

"Those rooms are the accommodations arranged for you. Please forgive their simplicity. We can only ask that you make do with them."

After saying that, he led everyone directly to the more dilapidated side room, then stopped and turned around, his face showing even deeper apology.

The group felt a little disappointed, but it wasn't a big deal; they had never imagined they could finish filming so comfortably.

Zhou Fangyuan put down the carrying pole and went forward to push open the creaking wooden door of the side room.

A musty smell mixed with a faint musty odor wafted over.

The room was dimly lit, and it took for everyone's eyes to adjust before they could see the situation clearly, and their hearts sank.

The floor was in disrepair for many years, with many places rotten and deformed, and you could even see the algae and soil underneath. There were cobwebs in the corners of the walls, and the window paper was torn in several places.

That's not even the most amazing part.

Just as Zhou Fangyuan was putting the wooden crate against the wall, he heard a rustling sound.

He looked in the direction of the sound and saw a large rat, about a foot long with glossy fur, calmly crawling out of a small hole in a broken wooden board in the corner of the wall.

Those beady eyes glanced at the group of uninvited guests before slowly disappearing into another hole.

The room fell silent instantly.

Ma Dehua opened her mouth, but the comment she had just made, "It's quite neat," got stuck in her throat.

The young Taoist priest heard the commotion outside the door, and a hint of embarrassment flashed across his face.

Zhou Fangyuan put down his luggage and stood up to see the young Taoist priest standing there with a troubled expression.

She stepped forward and thanked him gently:

"Thank you for showing us the way, young Taoist priest. This house is very spacious, perfect for us to sit around and discuss the play."

The young Taoist priest glanced at Zhou Fangyuan, seemingly trying to discern from his face whether his words were sarcastic.

Seeing the calm expression on the person's face, he breathed a sigh of relief and his voice became a little lighter.

"This place is usually used to store miscellaneous items, and there are indeed some rodents and insects here. The nights in the mountains are cold and damp."

He pointed to an inconspicuous old earthenware jar in the corner of the room.

"There's some aged mugwort ash in that jar, which might be useful for repelling insects and preventing moisture."

If you need dry straw for bedding, there is some clean straw behind the woodshed; please feel free to take it.

He spoke these words more fluently and sincerely than before.

After saying that, he quickly added:

"The Master and the Taoist priests are currently conducting their midday prayers. At the evening meal, someone will come to guide you to the dining hall."

Then, as if they had completed their task, or perhaps they were afraid of feeling awkward if they stayed any longer.

He glanced at the prop box one last time, bowed respectfully, then turned and strode away, the hem of his Taoist robe stirring a slight breeze.

Zhou Fangyuan walked to the corner of the wall, lifted the lid of the earthenware jar, and found that it was indeed filled with hardened mugwort ash.

He turned to Ma Dehua and the others who were "confronting" the rats and said:

"Everyone, let's ignore the rats for now. The bugs will be coming soon, so let's take precautions."

Everyone crowded around to take a look and burst out laughing.

"Hey, not bad, not bad, they left us some belongings."