Jiayin Guanyin Mountain

Jiayin Guanyin Mountain

Guanyin Mountain is located southeast of Jiayin County and can be reached by boat in 50 kilometers. The mountain range starts from the edge of the Shili River Valley to the south. Along the river, several peaks stand tall with steep cliffs and jagged rocks, surrounded by ancient trees. The main peak is 319.6 meters high. At the eastern end, there is a pyramid-shaped mountain, and the sister peaks resemble a chair—on which it seems Guanyin Bodhisattva is seated. The Heilongjiang River flows from the west, bending southeast at its feet. In the past, when boats passed here, fishermen would tie red cloth to their masts to pray for safety, and some would even disembark to worship the distant image of Guanyin.

Starting from the foot of the eastern hill and following the winding ancient stone-and-willow path, after climbing around two hundred meters, you will reach the Guanyin Temple. The original temple consisted of a main hall and side halls, all built with blue bricks and round tiles, featuring upturned eaves and carved rafters. It faced the river and backed onto the hills, nestled among lush pines, oaks, and willows. The main hall housed a massive stone statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva, while monks resided in the side halls. A large bronze bell hung from a tree outside the temple. Legend has it that the temple was first built in 1874 by Buddhists from the Guanyin Mountain gold mine. By the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican era, the number of worshippers had reached several thousand. Daily incense offerings continued nonstop, accompanied by the morning bell and evening drum. However, during the “Gengzi Russian Disturbance” of 1900, all structures were destroyed. Today, only broken walls, scattered bricks and tiles, and the clearly visible tiger-head carvings on the door lintel remain. On the northeastern slope of the mountain, ancient battlefield trenches can still be found, marking a fierce battle between Qing troops and invading Russian forces during the looting by the Eight-Nation Alliance.

Guanyin Mountain has many beautiful legends: One tells that when Tsarist Russia destroyed the Sixty-Four Villages East of the River, the Qing government sent General Bai Ke—also known as General Bai—with a fleet of one hundred warships to fight the “Rus.” When the fleet reached this area, horses ran out of fodder and soldiers had no food. At that moment, the Bodhisattva Guanyin of the South Sea compassionately provided fine-scaled fish, saving both men and horses, and thus these fish were named “Dahama” (literally “big horse fish”). Another legend says that during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty, a gold vein known as a “burst head” was discovered in one of the mining ditches in Taipinggou. Viceroy Li Hongzhang presented this find to Empress Dowager Cixi, who then bestowed the name “Yanzhi Gou” (Lipstick Ditch) upon the area and ordered an imperial envoy to build the Guanyin Temple there, assigning worshippers to guard it and ensure daily incense offerings. The third legend dates back to around 1874 during the Daoguang reign. At that time, gold mining at Taipinggou on the left bank of the Jiayin River was booming, with over ten thousand workers, leading to an influx of many local religious followers who worshipped the “Great Saint Guanyin Bodhisattva of the South Sea” and devoutly believed in Buddhism. They chose this spiritually rich and beautiful mountain to build the Guanyin Temple, appointing worshippers as caretakers. Eventually, the mountain came to be known as “Guanyin Mountain.”

In addition, on the northern riverside slope, there is a cave of unfathomable depth. It is said that a silver fox often appears there, with the spirit of the fox fairy appearing to save people in distress—hence the name “Fox Fairy Cave.” In recent years, the cave’s upper part collapsed and became blocked, leaving only a few dozen meters deep, now only serving as shelter for fishermen from wind and rain. For nearly a century, Guanyin Mountain has been renowned for its “scenic beauty and spiritual aura,” and the original name of Jiayin County—“Buddha Mountain”—was derived from this very mountain.

Scenic Area Address: Baoping Township, Jiayin County, Yichun City, Heilongjiang Province

Transportation by Bus: Take a bus from Yichun to Jiayin, then transfer to a minibus or taxi to Baoping Township.

Driving Route: From Yichun, take S204 for 123.5 km, go straight onto Y036 for 68.0 km, turn right onto S312 and drive 6.0 km. After passing Qingfeng (240m), turn left and drive 3.8 km to reach the destination.