Shangzhi Wanfo Mountain

Shangzhi Wanfo Mountain

Heilongjiang’s Wanfo Mountain is located 24 kilometers east of Shangzhi City and 16 kilometers from Yimianpo Town. It is a renowned Buddhist site in Heilongjiang Province. The mountain features majestic and steep peaks, with peculiar trees standing atop cliffs and rosy clouds and mist swirling in the valleys. The scenery constantly changes as you walk, giving the illusion of entering a fairyland.

Inside the mountain, there are 13 uniquely shaped caves including Wanfo Cave, Doushu Cave, Tolong Cave, Dizang Cave, Erlang Cave, Wenshu Cave, Chuanliang Cave, Qingchan Cave, Fajing Cave, and Yanshou Cave. Among them, Wanfo Cave is the largest and enjoys a warm winter and cool summer, making it an ideal place to escape both heat and cold. A local folk song goes: “The moon palace is in heaven, Wanfo Cave is on earth; stay here twenty days, and even an old man turns into a playful child.” This is the best praise for it. In short, Wanfo Mountain is a paradise that combines pine trees, peaks, rocks, springs, and caves, embodying the beauty of the wild, the majestic, the elegant, the serene, and the mysterious. Covering an area of about 20 square kilometers, it is divided into six sightseeing areas—the Buddhist Temple Area, Wanfo Cave, Tenglong Gorge, Reclining Buddha Mountain, Tolong Peak, and Arhat Peak—as well as a dining and service area.

Its long history and relics of revolutionary struggles make Wanfo Mountain rich in cultural attractions. In addition to the "Qiaojue Cave" where the founder of Jiuhua Buddhism once rested and the "Zhufo Temple" located atop Laofo Peak, there is also the site of a Red Army hospital in the Badou Forest Area, as well as the graves of nine martyrs who sacrificed their lives during the Anti-Japanese War and the Pingtian Martyrs' Cemetery. The moving stories of revolutionary struggles, the mysterious religious culture, and the enchanting myths and legends all add profound depth to the tourism experience at Wanfo Mountain.

At the same time, Wanfo Mountain is also an ideal destination for recuperation and summer retreat. While the heat blazes outside the mountain, it remains cool and pleasant inside, with a temperature difference of no less than five degrees Celsius. The vast expanse of green forests serves as a natural oxygen bar, offering the health benefits of forest bathing. Zizhu Pavilion and Wanfo Summer Resort provide excellent facilities for dining, accommodation, shopping, and entertainment.

Shangzhi City is located in the southern part of Heilongjiang Province, on the western foothills of the Zhangguangcai Mountains. It lies between 127°17′ and 129°12′ east longitude and 44°29′ and 45°34′ north latitude. To the east, it borders Hailin City; to the west, Acheng City; to the south, Wuchang City; and to the north, Yanshou, Fangzheng, and Binxian counties. It stretches about 153 kilometers from east to west and approximately 90 kilometers from north to south, covering an administrative area of 8,910 square kilometers. The municipal Party committee and government offices are located in Shangzhi Town. The city administers 10 towns and 7 townships. The Binzhou-Suifenhe Railway and National Highway 301 run east-west through the entire territory. It is 177 kilometers east of Mudanjiang City and 124 kilometers west of Harbin City. As of 2004, the city had a total of 184,094 households and a population of 616,141. Of this, 316,207 were male and 299,934 were female. The non-agricultural population was 246,646, and the agricultural population was 369,495. Shangzhi City has higher terrain in the east and lower in the west. The eastern part is mountainous, with altitudes ranging from 1,000 to 1,600 meters, and the highest peak is Santutouzi Mountain, which reaches 1,367.6 meters. The western part consists of hills, with altitudes between 300 and 500 meters. The Ant River Basin is an alluvial plain and the lowest point in the city, with an altitude of 116 meters.