Malingshan

Malingshan

Malingshan is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a cultural tourism site.

Malingshan is a famous natural and cultural landscape in China, spanning across Linshu and Tancheng counties in Shandong Province, as well as Xinyi City in Jiangsu Province. It is a low mountain and hilly range stretching over 60 kilometers from north to south, starting from Caozhuang in Linshu County and extending all the way to Jiangsu. The name comes from its horse-like shape. It is a provincial scenic area, a provincial nature reserve, a national geopark, and a national AAAA-level scenic area.

Malingshan, also known in ancient times as Ling Mountain or Ma Ling Mountain, is located in northern Jiangsu and southern Shandong, extending through Tancheng County, Donghai County, and Xinyi City, and ending at Luoma Lake in Suqian to the south. The mountain range stretches over a hundred kilometers, featuring undulating terrain. The overall topography of Malingshan is higher in the north and lower in the south, with the main elevated areas located in Tancheng County, Shandong Province, where the highest peak stands at 184.2 meters above sea level. In Xinyi City, the main peak of Malingshan is 91.8 meters high. In April 1995, it was designated as a provincial scenic area and a provincial nature reserve by the provincial government, and it has since been upgraded to a national AAAA-level scenic area. Map of the Malingshan Scenic Area

Malingshan stretches approximately 200 kilometers from north to south, from Yiyuan County in Shandong Province to Suqian City, and was historically referred to as the "Eight Hundred Li of Malingshan." The section within Xinyi spans about 35 kilometers across the entire city. The Malingshan Scenic Area mainly refers to the mountain range centered around Wuhuading, commonly known as the "Southern Malingshan," while the section in the northeastern part of Xinyi City, bordering Tancheng County in Shandong, is commonly referred to as the "Northern Malingshan." According to the "Tancheng County Annals," “This mountain range features rolling ridges resembling a galloping horse, hence the name Malingshan.” The Southern Malingshan in Xinyi consists of five peaks: Fengshan, Doushan, Hushan, Huashan, and Wuhuading, collectively known as the “Five Sisters Mountains.”

The planned area of the scenic zone is 28.9 square kilometers, with a protected area of 56 square kilometers. The overall layout is divided into three major scenic areas. Among them, the Sānxiāndòng (Three Immortals Cave) Scenic Area is the core zone and the essence of the Malingshan Scenic Area, covering an area of 11.8 square kilometers. The Huángcháo Lake Scenic Area is characterized by natural wilderness and water activities, spanning 11 square kilometers. The Huātīng Scenic Area focuses on the rich historical and cultural heritage of the “Huātīng Ancient Cultural Site,” with educational and sightseeing functions, and covers an area of 6.82 square kilometers.

The Malingshan within Xinyi, historically known as Sīwú Mountain, Sīzhèn Mountain, or Wú Mountain, consists of five peaks: Fengshan, Doushan, Hushan, Nǎinai Mountain, and Huāhuācài Ridge, collectively referred to as the “Five Sisters Mountains.” Located between longitude 118.18–24 and latitude 34.84–02, it is about 20 kilometers south of the city center, covering an area of approximately 60 square kilometers. Though not particularly high, the mountain features overlapping ridges, serene beauty, and is praised as a “scenic marvel of northern Huai” and “a place of outstanding beauty renowned across Jianghuai.” The bedrock of the mountain mainly consists of terrestrial sedimentary deposits from the Cretaceous Wangshi Formation (K2W), including purplish-red sandstone, mudstone, shale, conglomerate, and pebbly rocks. At a depth of 80 centimeters below the surface on the eastern slope in Shandong, a fossilized ancient tree trunk was discovered, measuring 3.6 meters in length and 35–45 centimeters in diameter. Experts from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences identified this as a conifer fossil dating back to the Upper Cretaceous Wangshi Group, approximately 70 million years ago, making it the largest ancient tree fossil discovered in East China. The area boasts beautiful mountains, clear waters, fragrant flowers, singing birds, and ever-changing scenery, with abundant natural and cultural landscapes. Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty visited the region three times during his five southern tours and composed numerous poems in praise of its beauty. The human sacrifice tombs unearthed at the ancient Huātīng Cultural Site have drawn attention from archaeologists worldwide. The area is dotted with historic sites, including Sānxiāndòng (Three Immortals Cave), Sānzhēnyán Cave, Lóngtái (Dragon Terrace), Quáncháo Lǜyuàn, Chántáng (Meditation Hall), Sīwú Qīngxiǎo, Lóngquán Yèyǔ, Hànlín Tomb, Qíanlóng Temporary Palace, and the ruins of the ancient Sīwú Kingdom, among many others. Historically, it has been a strategic military location, playing a significant role in both ancient and modern warfare. Legends such as the story of Sun Bin and Pang Juan’s battle in Malingshan Pass, the Huang Chao Rebellion, and the tales of Han Shizhong resisting the Jin invaders are widely circulated. In December 1946, during the Battle of North Su, Commander-in-Chief Chen Yi set up his command post in Sānxiāndòng within the scenic area. After the liberation, Marshal Chen Yi personally inscribed the names of two local parks in the Malingshan Scenic Area: Fēngshān Park and Suiběi Youth Leapforward Forest. The area enjoys excellent environmental quality and rich biodiversity, with 521 plant species across 316 genera and 107 families, and 152 bird species from 37 families under 15 orders.

Address: Malingshan Town, Xinyi City, Xuzhou

Type: Mountain

Rating: AAAA

Recommended visiting time: 4–5 hours

Phone: 0516-88721358; 0516-88723299

Official website: http://www.malingshan.net/

Opening hours:

8:00-18:00