Crooked Peach Mountain

Crooked Peach Mountain

Crooked Peach Mountain is located in Gangyao Ling Town, with an elevation of 574 meters and covering an area of 50 square kilometers. It is the highest, largest, most densely vegetated, and most species-diverse mountain in the town. Four villages—Songyan Village, Liujia Wopu Village, Xindian Village, and Piantai Yingzi—are scattered at the foot of Crooked Peach Mountain. The area boasts abundant tourism resources, with attractions including:

1. Peach Stone, standing atop Crooked Peach Mountain, is relatively large and shaped like a peach, hence the name of the mountain.

2. Ancient Ruins: There are two military outpost sites from the Liao and Jin dynasties, with abundant remaining pottery fragments, as well as stone mortars and leeks still visible.

3. Red Stone Turtle: Weighing hundreds of tons, the Red Stone Turtle features naturally formed eyes, head, back, body, and other parts, all strikingly lifelike.

4. Stone Inkstone: This red inkstone weighs tens of thousands of tons, stands over 20 meters high, and spans more than 20 meters in length and 30 meters in width. It lies at the foot of the mountain, presenting a surprising sight.

5. Stone Sky Brush: Also red, this brush-shaped rock weighs thousands of tons, rises over 10 meters high, and stands within a mountain hollow. Its majestic presence is truly breathtaking.

6. Goryeo Well: Located midway up the mountain, after consecutive rainy days, white mist sprays from the well and wafts through Crooked Peach Mountain. The mist sometimes envelops the entire mountain range or forms a dense belt around the mid-slopes, creating a sea of fog. Occasionally, a rainbow after rain seems to anchor here, offering a stunning view. On clear days, wisps of mist may also rise, creating a magical scene against the blue sky and white clouds.

7. Rock Paintings: Resembling geometric patterns, these carvings are found on a ridge stone covering an area of 4 square meters. The designs include ancient tombs, chessboards, and more. Their age is unknown, leaving behind unsolved mysteries.

8. Thunder Sound Valley: Outside the valley, concave rocks stand at the entrance, rising over 30 meters high and stretching more than 20 meters long, forming a gourd-like shape with the western and northern cliffs inside the valley. Regardless of wind conditions, strong gusts whistle into the valley year-round, sounding like thunder. During rainy days, the concave rocks create the spectacle of a waterfall cave.

9. Eagle Gully Grand Canyon: Located in the central part of Crooked Peach Mountain, this long canyon is flanked by towering peaks, with white rocks rising over a thousand meters high, making the mountaintops invisible from the valley floor. The winding canyon stretches all the way to Shaohugou Village in Xindian, with two-finger-thick, one-meter-high thorny bushes lining the bottom. During rainy days, numerous waterfalls appear on both sides of the canyon.

10. Sound-Splitting Ridge: Located near the Grand Canyon, when two people stand just one meter apart and call to each other, neither can hear the other—a truly astonishing phenomenon. Other notable rock formations include a sea lion, Three Pure Ones Taoist figure, Buddha and Bodhisattva, Yingwo Cliff, beehive cliff, monkey-guarded cliff, and horse mane cliff.

11. Millennium Ancient Mine: Situated about 200 meters southwest of Crooked Peach Mountain, this was a gemstone mine where prospectors from the Liao and Jin dynasties extracted many green gems. The site was guarded by soldiers.

12. Geological Wonder – Ice Cave: Located midway up the northern slope of Crooked Peach Mountain, the cave remains icy in summer. Locals used it as a cool retreat and for storing off-season vegetables and fruits. A 4-meter-long, 2-meter-wide ice cellar was built here. Sitting inside for 1–2 minutes brings a refreshing sensation, as if free of illness or pain. The cooling effect extends across 30 hectares. It is estimated that a massive, millennia-old glacier lies hidden within the mountain. In 2015, Zhou Jianjun from Songyan Village drilled a well at the Stone Inkstone site. When the drill reached 80 meters, it hit an immovable obstruction, and a powerful upward force ejected the drill while emitting a whistling sound.

13. Millennium Ancient Maple Tree: The main trunk is 2 meters tall with a girth of 4 meters, and the tree canopy covers an area of 354.6 square meters. The tree is estimated to be 900–1000 years old.

14. Rich Plant Resources: The dominant trees are black pines, mostly over 50 years old and artificially planted. In early May, pine pollen drifts with the wind, filling the air with a fragrant scent. Highland barley covers valleys and hillsides, with light blue flowers blooming across the mountains in summer, releasing a strong floral aroma. The area also boasts abundant medicinal herbs such as pyrrosia, anemarrhena, polygonatum, and polygala, while scorpions and centipedes hide in crevices. Lucky visitors might spot various unnamed mountain birds, pheasants, rabbits, deer, and eagles. 15. Purple Clay Resources: With reserves of hundreds of millions of tons, purple clay crafts are now produced locally. 16. Fruit Picking Garden: Spanning over 500 acres, the garden grows many traditional fruit varieties such as pears, plums, apricots, jujubes, and apples, all ready for picking.

Gangyao Ling Town: Gangyao Ling Town is located in the western part of Nanpiao District, approximately 55 kilometers from Huludao City. Its northwest borders Chaoyang, and its southwest neighbors Lianshan District of Huludao City.

Gangyao Ling Town has a profound historical and cultural background, with numerous ancient relics. The Liao Dynasty ancient tomb site in Dawopu Village and Qing Dynasty temples distributed across six villages are notable, especially the Mingxing Temple complex in Gangyao Ling Village, renowned both within and beyond the region.

The town is rich in mineral resources, including coal, limestone, clay, bentonite, and purple clay. Recent expert research confirms the presence of purple clay resources… Detailed information about Gangyao Ling Town++