Yilu Mountain Scenic Area

Yilu Mountain Scenic Area

Yilu Mountain Scenic Area is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

Yilu Mountain is located 15 kilometers south of Lianyungang City and 15 kilometers northeast of Guanyun County. It was where Yi Yin, a founding minister of the Shang Dynasty, built a cottage and retired in his later years. With a cultural history of over 3,000 years, it features numerous tourist attractions such as ancient stone carvings, the Stone of Three Lives, Zhong’an Temple, Stone Buddha Temple, and the Seventy-Two Hidden Military Caves. In addition to the Yilu Mountain Mountain Park, the Yiyin-themed tourist scenic area also includes newly built attractions such as the Yishan Plum Garden, Yilu Mountain Maple Garden, Yiyin Food Street, Yiyin Traditional Chinese Medicine Planting Garden, and Yilu Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic.

Although Yilu Mountain has an elevation of only 212.5 meters, it boasts an ancient historical and cultural heritage that is unparalleled in China.

Formed 2 billion years ago, Yilu Mountain is the easternmost range of Mount Tai. In ancient times, it was an island in the sea, often referred to as the “Little Penglai” or the “Fairy Mountain on the Sea.” Yi Yin, the virtuous minister and founding figure of the Shang Dynasty, revered as the “Father of Culinary Arts” and the “Ancestor of Herbal Medicine,” came here in his later years to live in a thatched cottage and practice seclusion. As a result, the mountain came to be known as “Yilu Mountain.” Whether judged by its geological formation or its cultural history, Yilu Mountain stands shoulder to shoulder with any famous mountain in China.

Zhong Limei, a great general of the Han Dynasty, was born in Yilu. Later generations built Zhong’an Temple in his memory. Since ancient times, Yilu Mountain has also been a strategic military and transportation hub. Xue Rengui stationed troops here during his eastern campaign, and the “Horse-Tying Pine” still stands today. The story of Lu Lingxiao becoming immortal on Yilu Mountain and experiencing a thousand years in a single day has been passed down through generations... For all these reasons, the local people regard Yilu Mountain as a sacred mountain.

Looking southwest from the top of Yilu Mountain, there are two other mountains, one large and one small. The larger one is called Dayi Mountain, and the smaller one is called Xiaoyi Mountain. All three mountains within Guanyun County of Lianyungang are named after Yi Yin.

Yilu Mountain not only offers picturesque landscapes and beautiful natural scenery but also boasts a wealth of historical and cultural attractions: cliff carvings, inscriptions, as well as poetic verses and essays from literati, and folk legends passed down through generations—all of which showcase the profound historical legacy and cultural depth of Yilu Mountain.

Climbing Yilu Mountain allows visitors to enjoy a variety of experiences in one trip: appreciating calligraphy and stone carvings, hiking and sightseeing, and feeling the swift passage of time.

Transportation Advantages

Yilu Mountain Scenic Area is located in Tongxing Town in the northeast of Guanyun County, just 15 kilometers away from both Guanyun County and Lianyungang City. It takes only a 5-minute drive eastbound from the G15 Guanyun North Highway exit, and only a quarter-hour drive to the Huaguoshan International Airport and high-speed railway station, which are set to open in 2019. The transportation is extremely convenient.