Minyuan

The Minyuan Scenic Area is located within the Mount Jiuhua Scenic Area, at the western foot of Tiantai Peak. It borders Diaoqiao Peak to the east, Huayan Ridge to the west, connects to the Tiantai Scenic Area to the south, and adjoins Jiuhua Street to the north. It serves as the gateway to the high mountain sightseeing area of Mount Jiuhua. The name "Minyuan" originates from the local legend of "Elder Min Offering the Land". According to the legend, during the Tang Dynasty, there lived an elder named Min Ranghe in the Jiuhua area. His family had resided there for generations and was known for its generosity and charity. When the Silla monk Jin Qiaojue came to Mount Jiuhua to practice Buddhism, he asked Elder Min for a piece of land that could be covered by his kasaya (monk's robe). Elder Min agreed. Jin Qiaojue then unfolded his kasaya, which miraculously covered all ninety-nine peaks. Thereupon, Elder Min offered the entire Mount Jiuhua to him. His son, Daoming, also followed Jin Qiaojue into monastic life. Later, the father and son were venerated as the attendant bodhisattvas of Kṣitigarbha — in the statues of Kṣitigarbha, Elder Min is placed on the left and Daoming on the right. Although this story is a folk tale, the place name "Minyuan" has been handed down to this day.

Minyuan is renowned for its beautiful natural scenery, with the "Phoenix Pine" being the most famous. The Phoenix Pine is located at Huilong Bridge in Minyuan. It stands 7.8 meters tall, with a diameter at breast height of 1 meter, and is estimated to be about 1,400 years old, said to have been planted during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. The trunk is slightly flattened, and from it branch off two limbs—one long and one short. The long limb droops low and spreads out like a phoenix tail, while the short limb slightly curls upward like a phoenix crest. The overall shape resembles a phoenix spreading its wings for flight, earning it the title "the finest pine under heaven". The Phoenix Pine is one of the iconic landscapes of Mount Jiuhua. In 1986, the forestry department of Anhui Province measured its age and erected a stone tablet for its protection. Visitors invariably stop to admire it and take photos. Other scenic attractions in the area include the Minyuan Bamboo Sea, where vast expanses of moso bamboo remain evergreen throughout the year, complementing the ancient pines and murmuring streams.

The cultural landscape of Minyuan is centered around the "Minyuan Nunnery Cluster". Along the approximately 2-kilometer mountain path from the Phoenix Pine to Huayan Ridge, there are more than twenty nunneries, including Shengman Jingshe, Xiangshan Maopeng, Lianzong Jingshe, Dabei Lianshe, Jieyin An, Chaoyin Jingshe, Pudu Temple, Xinyuan An, Cixiu An, Jiulian Jingshe, Daci An, Guangming Maopeng, Huayan Dong, Fuxing An, Jingxiu Maopeng, Yongxing Maopeng, Jingang Temple, Tianchi An, Dayuan An, Zhuanshen Dong, and Ersheng Hall. Most of these nunneries were first built from the late Qing Dynasty to the Republican period. Their architectural style is simple and unadorned, mostly featuring the white walls and black tiles typical of southern Anhui folk houses, blending harmoniously with the surrounding natural environment. The nunnery cluster is predominantly characterized by "Maopeng" (simple monastic dwellings, originally thatched huts), which are small in scale and compact in layout, embodying the Buddhist tradition of "equal emphasis on farming and Zen practice". They vividly illustrate the "humanized" aspect of Mount Jiuhua’s Buddhist culture. In 1990, the Minyuan Nunnery Cluster was designated as a key protected area of Mount Jiuhua.

Situated in the hinterland of Mount Jiuhua, Minyuan is a transportation hub connecting Jiuhua Street and the Tiantai Scenic Area. Visitors can take a shuttle bus from Jiuhua Street to the Phoenix Pine, from where they can either take a cable car or follow the mountain hiking trail to the Tiantai Scenic Area. The scenic area is equipped with sightseeing bus stops, dining service points, and tourist souvenir shops, offering comprehensive facilities. Minyuan is renowned for its "three wonders": pines, bamboo, and nunneries, and is one of the premier scenic areas of Mount Jiuhua, integrating natural beauty with Buddhist culture.