Top Ten Scenic Spots of Jiuhuashan

Top Ten Scenic Spots of Jiuhuashan

Distribution Map of the Top Ten Scenic Spots of Jiuhuashan

A. Evening Bell of Huacheng Temple

Huacheng Temple is located in the center of Jiuhua Street and is the founding temple. It faces Furong Peak to the south, Dongya to the east, Shengguang Mountain to the west, and leans against Baiyun Mountain to the north, surrounded by mountains like a city wall.

The temple has a bronze bell weighing 1,000 kg and about 2 meters high, cast during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty; it is exquisitely made with a loud and melodious sound. Whenever the red sun sets in the west and white clouds return to the peaks, the bell of Huacheng Temple rings, resonating through the valley with a lingering echo. All the monks and nuns in the temples across the mountain begin chanting sutras along with the bell, offering a rich "Buddhist land" charm.

Evening Bell of Huacheng Temple

B. Snow on Pinggang

Located in the Minyuan scenic area, at the top of a high mountain nearly a thousand meters above sea level, there is a flat ridge several thousand meters long. Walking slowly on it and looking far into the distance, you can take in the rolling mountains within a radius of a hundred miles. Every severe winter, when snow fills the sky, the pines and bamboos all over the mountain are clad in silvery white, and the blooming snow crystals look like jade pavilions, offering a spectacular view.

Snow on Pinggang

C. Sound of Jiuzi Stream

Located in the Jiuziyan scenic area, it is named because nine giant stones stand upright on the top of the mountain, looking like nine children playing together. Below the peaks, there is a mountain spring cascading down like a waterfall with a drop of nearly seventy meters. The sound shakes the surroundings for miles and is pleasant to the ear. The combination of these two scenes gives it the name "Sound of Jiuzi Stream".

Sound of Jiuzi Stream

D. Moon Reflection in Shu Pool

Below Shizi Peak, located in Guangsheng Valley, there is one spring and three pools. The pool is named Shugu Pool; legend has it that a girl named Shu was good at singing, which could make flying birds land, butterflies dance, and swimming fish emerge.

Over the pool are dense ancient trees, and the pool water is crystal clear. On clear nights with a bright moon and sparse stars, one moon reflects in the water, making all three pools white; the clear light is tranquil, and the inverted reflection of the overlapping peaks is picturesque, quiet, and charming.

Moon Reflection in Shu Pool

E. Sea of clouds in Lotus Peak

It starts from the head of Jiuhuashan in the north, where the upper, middle, and lower Lotus Peaks rise continuously. The slab stones of these three peaks stand steeply, cyan-purple in color, and shaped like lotus flowers. Whenever clouds surge, looking up, you can see new lotuses gracefully floating and standing alone in the clouds with their petals unfolding. They are remarkably true to life, as if appearing in the heavenly court, making people marvel.

Sea of clouds in Lotus Peak

F. Fairy Traces of Tianzhu Peak

This refers to the scenery around Tianzhu Peak. The Qing Dynasty "Jiuhuashan Chronicle" records: "Tianzhu Peak towers thousands of feet, leaning against the sky like a pillar; this is the first peak in the southeast."

         Its peak is like the head of a giant sea turtle growing a horn, soaring straight into the sky; its majesty and uniqueness are unmatched in the world. Whenever clouds and mist permeate, because it is next to Wulao Peak, it looks like five immortals wandering around Tianzhu Peak on the billowing clouds, with auspicious clouds lingering at their feet, appearing and disappearing, hence the name "Fairy Traces of Tianzhu Peak".

Fairy Traces of Tianzhu Peak

G. Dawn at Tiantai

Tiantai is 1,306 meters above sea level and is the second highest main peak of Jiuhuashan. There are two excellent spots for sunrise viewing on the top of Tiantai: Pengri Pavilion and Yunxia.

Sunrise viewers stay overnight at Tiantai Temple or Baijingtai, and rush here before the first light of dawn. They see that before the morning stars fade, the eastern horizon glows with a white light that gradually brightens. In a moment, golden rays emerge, the clouds in the sky become colorful, and a red sun slowly rises, radiating rosy clouds with brilliant colors and majestic momentum.

Dawn at Tiantai

H. Sitting in Meditation at Dongyan

Dongyan is located on the cliff top north of Huixiang Pavilion and east of the Bell Pavilion. At the top of the eastern peak, there is a giant granite protrusion 10 meters high, over 20 meters long, and over 10 meters wide, shaped like an ancient boat. Legend has it that when Kim Gyo-gak first came to Jiuhuashan, he sat in meditation on this rock. Later, Wang Yangming imitated the Bodhisattva, leading his disciples to study Buddhism and practice Zen, sitting on the rock all day long, watching the mountains and listening to the springs, hence the legend of "Sitting in Meditation at Dongyan".

Sitting in Meditation at Dongyan

I. Spring Colors of Huatai

"Huatai" is north of Tiantai Peak and is named for its abundance of mountain flowers. Huatai has flourishing mountain flowers and lush fine trees. In the warm and sunny spring, clusters of mountain flowers bloom in red and white, embroidering the mountains. Orchids in the empty valleys exude a delicate fragrance, and azaleas all over the fields compete in beauty. There are also continuous ridges and peaks; famous peaks include Liantai Peak, Tianmen Peak, Huixian Peak, Dujuan Wu, and Stone Great Wall, all of which are natural beauties of wonderful workmanship.

Spring Colors of Huatai

J. Ancient Phoenix Pine

The Ancient Phoenix Pine is 7.68 meters high and 1.3 meters in diameter at breast height. It has a peculiar shape, just like a phoenix spreading its wings, hence the name. The main trunk is flat and looks up like a phoenix crown, while the two branches, one high and one low, look like a phoenix tail. The grass around the roots is green, and under the pine tail is a large round stone known as the "Phoenix Egg". This Ancient Phoenix Pine has a history of 1,400 years and is still tall, leafy, and verdant today. It has become the protagonist in poems and beautiful paintings by many poets, painters, and photographers in ancient and modern times, and was praised by the master of painting and calligraphy Li Keran as "the number one pine in the world".

Ancient Phoenix Pine