张家界武陵源风景名胜区山高林密，气候温暖，盛产各类名贵药材。在十里画廊景区，乘坐观光电车上行，左上方的山峰中间有一座高约80米的石峰，酷似一位“采药老人”。他身材瘦削，头缠丝帕，背着一篓草药，踏山而行。

他是谁呢？有人说像李时珍，有人说像孙思邈。还有人说，他是向王天子起义军中一位技艺精湛的郎中，善识草药、医治受伤的士兵。向王天子兵败在神堂湾跳崖身亡后，郎中悲痛欲绝，化为如今独立在山中的“采药老人”。

当然，这些只是传说。但真正到过十里画廊，见过这位“采药老人”的一定会感慨大自然的鬼斧神工。采药老人，也是当之无愧的十里画廊标志性景点，是张家界市的十大绝景之一。

图/张旅

The Zhangjiajie Wulingyuan famous scenic area has high mountains， thick forests and warm climate， and teems with various rare medicinal herbs. In the Shili Gallery scenic spot， going up by a sightseeing electric car， there is an about 80 meters high stone peak between the upper left peaks， exactly like an Old Herbalist. He looks very thin， wrapping a silk handkerchief round his head， carrying a basket of medicinal herbs on his back， stepping on the mountain.

Who is he？ Somebody says he looks like Li Shizhen， and somebody says he looks like Sun Simiao. Some people said he was a highly skilled doctor in the insurrectionary army of the King Xiang， good at recognizing medicinal herbs and curing the injured soldiers. The King Xiang was defeated in Shentangwan， he jumped off the cliff to end his life， the doctor was filled with deep sorrow， and changed into the Old Herbalist standing alone in the mountains.

Of course， these are merely legends. People who have been to the Shili Gallery and seen the Old Herbalist must highly praise the uncanny workmanship of the nature. The Old Herbalist is worthy of the landmark sight spot of the Shili Gallery， it is one of the Top Ten superb sceneries of Zhangjiajie City.

Pictures/Zhang Lu