Beauty Valley Scenic Area

Beauty Valley Scenic Area

Beauty Valley Scenic Area

"Beauty Valley" is located in the mountains at the junction of Chao Feng Village (belonging to Gaozi Town, Dantu District) and Jurong, within the territory of Gaozi Town, Dantu District, Zhenjiang. It is composed of Chaohuang Mountain, Xiangshan Mountain, Longshan Mountain, Fenghuang Tumor, Beauty Lake, Xiangshan Lake, and hundreds of large and small canyons, covering a total area of about 12,000 mu. The Beauty Valley Forest Park, located in the west of the town, is based on the natural landscape of Chaohuang Mountain, featuring bamboo forests, pine waves, and floral greenery scattered throughout, with tea plantations and chestnut woods swaying in the breeze. There is a lake in the valley, with an area of no more than 10 mu.

Beauty Valley is situated among the mountains at the border of Chao Feng Village (in Gaozi Town, Dantu District) and Jurong, with the mountains being about 70 meters high. The mountains are densely covered with trees that tightly wrap around the peaks, leaving no paths for entry. The vegetation mainly consists of evergreen and deciduous broadleaf trees, including Masson pine, black pine, Chinese fir, pine, bamboo, tea trees, mulberry trees, and some shrubs. It is said that most of these trees were planted after the liberation, and the local residents have never cut them down, preserving them in excellent condition, which is why they remain as they are today.

According to local historical records, this exceptional scenic spot was documented as early as the Song Dynasty. Emperor Qianlong visited this place while traveling incognito in the south of the Yangtze River. For hundreds of years, the locals have adhered to an "iron rule" prohibiting outsiders from entering the mountains. Even local farmers are only allowed access for two or three months each year, with the rest of the time the mountains being completely closed off and guarded voluntarily by the villagers. Due to the continuous stretches of bamboo forests and valleys leading to mountain lakes, it is very difficult for outsiders to find their way out once inside. In "Beauty Valley," visitors are not only amazed by the colorful lakes and mountains and the rare flowers and plants, but are also deeply captivated by the countless legendary and natural attractions, including the majestic General Stone standing proudly halfway up the mountain, said to be the incarnation of a Taiping Rebellion general; the Turtle Stone, with its head facing Chaohuang Mountain and a 1.5-square-meter turtle back, named for the 4-meter-high stone pagoda built on its back; and the "Swan Stone," which stands alone on the mountain ridge, with one-quarter buried underground and three-quarters exposed, having a round diameter of about 6 meters, suspected to be a meteorite.