Jinping Peak

Jinping Peak

Jinping Peak is located on the northwest side of Tianchi (Heavenly Lake), situated between Zhipan Peak and Guanri Peak. It lies in the center of a large horseshoe-shaped inner wall that stretches east from Longmen Peak, west through Guanri Peak and Zhipan Peak, and south to Baiyun Peak. Commonly referred to as the “center of the big winnowing basket,” the peak features two separate summits rising from its northern and southern ends, forming a balanced composition. With steep cliffs both in front and behind, the peak resembles an ornate embroidered screen—hence the name Jinping Peak.

According to *A Brief Record of Mountains and Rivers of Changbai*, Jinping Peak lies between Zhipan Peak and Guanri Peak, “resembling a screen.” Hunters, observing its shape resembling city walls, commonly called it Chengqiang Lazi (City Wall Rock). Furthermore, as noted in *Historical and Modern Highlights of Changbai Mountain*, “The peak has two summits rising from its northern and southern ends, adorned at the summit with colorful jade-like stones. With sheer cliffs towering in front and behind, it looks just like an embroidered silk screen, hence its name.” “Where white clouds reign supreme, amidst a jade-green screen,” is a line from ancient verse praising Jinping Peak.

Legend has it that hunters once saw its shape resembling city walls and thus called it Chengqiang Lazi (City Wall Rock). The summit of Jinping Peak is dotted with colorful jade-like stones, prompting the poetic line, “Where white clouds shine brightest, within a jade-green screen.” On the lower sides of the northern and southern peaks lie long, deep valleys, which form a natural boundary with Guanri Peak and Baiyun Peak. Behind the peak, deep ravines cut into the mountainside, where streams murmur cool and refreshing through the landscape as they rush toward the vast wilderness. Long valleys also slope down from the summits on both the north and south sides, and behind the peak lies a deeply sunken ravine. Another legend says that the king of the Jurchen people heard a thunderous noise of the White Mountain splitting apart in the middle of the night and sent men to investigate. Upon arrival, no signs of disturbance were found on the other mountains—only behind this peak was there a massive hailstone, roughly sixty arm-lengths in circumference. Attempts to break it proved futile, as it was impenetrably hard. The deep sunken ravine is believed to have been caused by the impact of the giant hailstone. Hence, the peak was also named Bao Shan (Hail Mountain).