Sixteen kilometers away from Yingtan City to the southwest, Mountain Longhu (Mountain Dragon & Tiger) Resort is a nationally famous scenic spot known as a mountain of Deity and Earthy Paradise, which covers around 200 square kilometers with semitropical humid monsoon climate and an annual mean temperature of 18.1 ℃ . The main scenic spots include Shangqing Palace, Mountain Yingtian, Mazu Cliff, Hongwu Lake, Fairy Water Cliff, and Mountain Longhu. The Taoism culture experiencing a very long history, beautiful and unique green hills with wandering streams and springs among them, and the mysterious cliff tombs that can not be explained by modern science are the three most amazing and attractive points among the natural and cultural sceneries in the Resort.
Taoism of China originated in this place, Mountain Longhu.
Mountain Longhu was formerly named Mountain Yunjin. In the middle of Eastern Han Dynasty (25 A.D.-220 A.D.), Zhang Daoling, the first Heavenly Master (title used by Taoists for the Head of Taoism) settled down here and began to make Nine-sky Pills of Immortality. “ A dragon and a tiger appeared when the pills are made, so the mountain was renamed as Mountain Longhu 〔Chinese Characters “龙(Long)”“虎(Hu)” means dragon and tiger in English” 〕. The Title of Heavenly Master Zhang passed on for 63 generations, witnessing a Taoism sect which experienced the longest history of more than 1,900 years among all single-name sects of this religion. So there is an old saying in China, “Confucius represents the North while Heavenly Master Zhang the South.” The untouched Shangqing Heavenly Master Residence dating back to Han Dynasty, which was named as “Great True Man's (a Taoist title) Residence”, currently covers over 30 thousand meters and remains under good protection. Established in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Great Shangqing Palace was considered as a divine place where deity received their duties and Heavenly Master Zhang Daoling cultivated himself for immortality. In the period when Taoism was quite prosperous, there were 91 palaces, 80 temples, 50 residences, 24 halls, and 36 compounds in all. The Subjugating Evil Well in the Vanquishing Demon Hall is where the 108 warriors came from in the Outlaws of the Marsh, a Chinese classical masterpiece by Shi Nai'an, and remains undamaged.
Mountain Longhu can be classified as typical Danxia Landform in China. There are 99 peaks, 24 cliffs, 108 natural and cultural scenic spots, and over 20 legendary wells and pools, among which springs and falls are scattered, adding enchanting beauty to the Resort. Like a jade ribbon, Luxi River stretches itself from south to north, linking Shangqing Palace, Heavenly Master's Residence, Mountain Longhu, Fairy Water Cliff and other spots. Surrounded by scenic hills and springs, the ten major beauties in the core area indeed seem more refreshing and exciting.
Built in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the Cliff Tombs here can date back to 2,600 years ago. Known as a natural archeological museum which is very rare in China even in the world, the Tombs have attained a worldwide fame for their long history, large scale, rich antiques, and unique shapes. |