In the distant past, there was a barren and boundless mountain peak known as the Bald Mountain, because it had neither lush trees nor any living creatures to inhabit. In this lonely place, there lives a young hunter named Ali, who is brave and kind. One day, Ali went hunting in Beishan and accidentally rescued two fairy maidens from the Heavenly Palace and a magnificent peacock from under the fangs of a fierce tiger. Originally, these two fairies stole from the mortal world just to appreciate the beauty of the world, but unexpectedly encountered danger. Although Ali’s heroic actions saved them from the calamity of the tiger’s mouth, they also angered the Jade Emperor of the Heavenly Court.
In a fit of anger, the Jade Emperor dispatched the respected old birthday star to the mortal world, intending to capture the fairy and bring her back to the Heavenly Palace for questioning. Ali, this righteous hunter, boldly confronted the old birthday star in order to protect the innocent fairy, took away his dragon head crutch, and forced the old birthday star to return without success.
The anger of the Jade Emperor became even more intense as he ordered the Thunder God to descend the Heavenly Fire, intending to burn down all life on Mount Bald and above. Faced with this catastrophic disaster, the two fairies urged Ali to flee, but Ali resolutely chose to stay at the top of Mount Bald. He loudly declared to the Thunder God, “Thunder God, the old birthday star is my expulsion, and the fairy is my rescue. I bear all the blame, please do not harm the innocent!” The Thunder God was enraged by his fearlessness and mercilessly released lightning that destroyed the sky and earth. Ali instantly turned to dust, and Mount Bald was shrouded in raging flames. However, due to the already barren nature of the mountains, the fire extinguished on its own before reaching the mountainside.
Surprisingly, since that day, the bald mountains have miraculously been covered in green, with vibrant flowers, plants, and trees blooming all over the mountains. It is said that these are the embodiment of the flesh and hair of the Great Ali. And the dragon head cane left by the old birthday star has also turned into a towering ancient tree on Alishan, becoming a divine tree, guarding this land.
The two fairies were deeply moved by Ali’s sacrifice. Despite the Jade Emperor’s dissuasion, they resolutely decided to stay in the human world and transform into two green sister pools, always accompanying Ali. The peacock also transformed into a clear stream, surrounding Alishan and adding a touch of vitality and agility to the land.
The bravery and sacrifice of these young people have left behind breathtaking landscape paintings for humanity. In memory of this great young man – Ali, people have renamed this once barren mountain peak Ali Mountain, so that it will forever remember this legend and sacrifice.
