Moganshan Shimen Pass

Moganshan Shimen Pass

Shimen Pass is located on the southwestern foothills of Moganshan. Here, a stone gate rises from the edge of the fields at the foot of the mountain, standing majestically opposite each other like a grand doorway. The rocks are striking and the terrain is steep and perilous, with a stream surging out through the "gate." The Shimen Mountain is covered with thousands of green bamboo stalks, forming a vast sea of green. Walking along the stream upstream, there is a stone beam across the creek on the opposite side, stretching across the air, commonly known as the "Fairy Bridge." At one end of the bridge, there is a precarious rock that vaguely resembles footprints, known as the "Fairy's Footprint." Beside the bridge stands a temple called Fahua Temple, which features simple and unadorned stonework.

Peak 18 Pagoda is the highest point of Moganshan, with an elevation of 718.9 meters. A pagoda was built here during the second year of the Tianfu era in the Later Jin Dynasty of the Five Dynasties (937 AD), hence the name. The pagoda has long been in ruins. The mountaintop is flat, surrounded by lush greenery on the slopes, making it free from summer heat. From the summit, you can look out in all directions to see peaks lined up as if bowing in salute, while Taihu Lake lies ahead, calm as a mirror, with its islands emerging like green snails on the water’s surface, clearly visible one by one. The canal stretches like a ribbon, Tianmu Mountain stands like a screen, and the Qiantang River winds around its southeastern edge before flowing into the sea. As the highest peak of Moganshan, this is the ideal spot to watch the sunrise.