Dalian Houshi Mountain Scenic Area

Dalian Houshi Mountain Scenic Area

The Houshi Mountain Scenic Area is located in the western part of Lushunkou, about 2 kilometers from the city center, covering an area of over 1,500 square meters. The scenic area features attractions such as the Chair Mountain Fortress, 203 Highland, and the Soviet Martyrs' Cemetery. Houshi (or Hou) Mountain is situated 3 kilometers west of Lushun’s new urban area and is called 203 Highland due to its elevation of 203 meters. During the Russo-Japanese War, it was the commanding high ground on the western front, close to the city and the port fortress, making it a key strategic position contested by both Japanese and Russian forces.

The Chair Mountain Fort is located southwest of Sigou Village in Shuishiying Town within the scenic area, featuring three artillery emplacements. To its southeast and southwest are the Xia’anzishan Fort and Da’anzishan Fort, respectively, which were key defensive points for the Qing army along Lushun’s western line. Constructed in 1889 by the Qing forces defending Lushun, it was later expanded by the Russians after their occupation of Lushun. Together with the Dongjiguan Mountain Fortress on the eastern line, it formed a comprehensive defensive system.

The Soviet Martyrs' Cemetery is situated at Sanliqiao in the northwestern part of Lushun, covering an area of 48,000 square meters. It is the resting place of some Soviet Red Army soldiers and officers who sacrificed their lives liberating China’s northeast during the anti-fascist war in 1945, as well as Soviet troops stationed in Lushun for ten years, including deceased servicemen and their families. It also houses the remains of some Soviet air force pilots who died during the Korean War, totaling 2,030 individuals. At the center of the cemetery stands a 15-meter-high martyrs' memorial tower made of white marble, with a large bronze soldier statue, bronze wreaths, and torches placed on the base.

The western part of the cemetery is a burial ground built during the period when Tsarist Russia forcibly occupied Lüshun and Dalian after the First Sino-Japanese War. Nearly 20,000 Russian soldiers who died during the Battle of Lushun in the Russo-Japanese War are also buried here. The Lushun Soviet Martyrs' Cemetery is the largest foreign martyrs' cemetery built on Chinese soil.

Southwest of Jiamusi, there is a large mountain with a piece of fairy-like stone resembling a standing monkey, hence the name Houshi Mountain (Monkey Stone Mountain). It is said that it was not originally called Houshi Mountain but “Nan Gaofeng” (South Peak), as it was the highest peak in the Jiamusi area. Long, long ago, an old man surnamed Hou used the stones on Nan Gaofeng to help righteousness triumph over evil. To commemorate Old Man Hou, the locals renamed Nan Gaofeng to Houshi Mountain.

There is another legend that Houshi Mountain was originally called “Qingsong Peak” (Green Pine Peak) because the area was densely covered with pine trees and thick underbrush. One night, thunder roared and lightning flashed over Qingsong Peak, with torrential rain pouring down. After the storm, a loud noise was heard, and a monkey emerged from nowhere. This monkey had three eyes that emitted a blinding white light, and wherever it walked, rocks flew and cold winds blew. From then on, this monkey took over the mountain peak... Eventually, people began to call Qingsong Peak Houshi Mountain.