Luding Mountain

Luding Mountain

“Luding Mountain was originally called ‘Humar Woolji Mountain.’ It earned its current name due to its geographical location and mountainous terrain, which perfectly match the description of the Qing Dynasty’s dragon vein treasure site — Luding Mountain — in Jin Yong’s martial arts novel *The Deer and the Cauldron*. Later, the name was officially endorsed when Jin Yong himself inscribed the three characters ‘Luding Mountain.’ The scenic area is located along the upper reaches of the Huma River in Huma County, Daxing’anling, Heilongjiang Province — the world-renowned Luding Mountain.

Luding Mountain originates from the records in *The Deer and the Cauldron*, a novel by Jin Yong. During the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Kangxi dispatched his personal guard commander Wei Xiaobao to eliminate the Divine Dragon Cult and capture the fake Empress Dowager. Amid the chaos, while fleeing the pursuit of the Cult Leader Hong, Wei rode a deer northward from Vladivostok. In Mudanjiang, he happened upon three Tungusic people who told him the location of “Humar Woolji Mountain.” Wei Xiaobao had Shuang’er consult the treasure map and ask local ginseng hunters for directions. The place matched exactly what was shown on the map. Wei Xiaobao thought: “So Luding Mountain is actually thousands of miles from here.” With nothing else to do, he hired a cart and traveled for over twenty days. The further north they went, the colder it became, with ice and snow covering the land until the cart could no longer move forward. The two then switched to horses and rode for several more days until they reached the confluence of two major rivers. Shuang’er pointed to a mountain path and said, ‘That is Luding Mountain.’

According to local legend, the Qing Dynasty’s treasures are buried here, and both the treasures and those who hid them remain forever entombed beneath. This stone pillar resembles a stalwart man, standing majestically and gazing toward the river town, with tears that formed a pool — hence it is called the “Longing-for-Hometown Stone.” When viewed from afar, the pillar exudes a strong masculine presence, and later generations also call it the “Upward-Standing Stone.”

This mountain features steep terrain and is renowned for its “four wonders”: unique pines, peculiar rocks, divine springs, and farmland. From the viewing platform, one can take in the beautiful surroundings of Huma Town.

Source: Huma County Party Committee and County Government