Mount Bian

Mount Bian

Also known as Bian Mountain, it is located 9 kilometers northwest of Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province, standing majestically on the southern shore of Taihu Lake. Its main peak, Yunfengding, has an elevation of 521.5 meters. Divided by the watershed, the northwest part of Mount Bian belongs to Changxing County.

Mount Bian originates from the eastern Tianmu Mountains, extends northward from Mount Mogan, passes through Sanshan at the junction of Huzhou, Changxing, and Anji counties, and becomes Mount Bian after crossing the Xitiaoxi River. It stretches 18 kilometers from Xiaomeikou in Huzhou in the east to Lushan in Changxing in the west, and 12 kilometers from Zhaojiaqiao in Changxing in the north to Xitiaoxi in Huzhou in the south, covering a total area of about 80 square kilometers. As the main mountain of Huzhou, it has long been hailed as “Among the rich landscapes of Wuxing, Mount Bian reigns supreme among all peaks.” The Tang Dynasty pastoral poet Lu Guimeng wrote: “Even more moved by the beautiful hues of Mount Bian, the morning clouds have just dispersed when it already stands before my gate.” The Jiatai-era Wuxing Annals of the Song Dynasty noted: “Mount Bian is so towering that its summit is invisible except under the clear autumn moon.” The name “Bian Mountain” comes from “the two peaks resembling a ceremonial cap, hence the name.” The Song Dynasty poet Ye Mengde wrote: “The mountain’s shape resembles a ceremonial cap, looking the same from all sides.”

Mount Bian boasts numerous historical sites and scenic spots, among which the most famous are the legends related to Xiang Yu. The Records of the Grand Historian · Biography of Xiang Yu states: “Xiang Liang killed someone and fled with Xiang Yu to take refuge from their enemies in Wu.” During the Qin Dynasty, Wu covered a vast area, including present-day northern Zhejiang and the Huzhou region. When Xiang Yu raised his army in the Jiangdong region, Mount Bian served as one of his military bases. The Stone Pillar Inscription by Yan Zhenqing, who served as Prefect of Huzhou during the Tang Dynasty, mentions the “Temple of King Xiang,” whose ruins still exist today. According to old records, after Xiang Yu’s death, he was revered in the Huzhou and Changxing areas as the “Deity of Mount Cangbian” or the “King of Mount Bian.”

The best view of Mount Bian is from Yunfengding on a clear day. From the summit, one can gaze upon the vast 36,000-square-kilometer expanse of Taihu Lake—majestic, boundless, with sweeping winds and distant sails seemingly within arm’s reach; the seventy-two east-west waterways stretch into the distance, faintly visible. The Song Dynasty poet Su Shi wrote: “Lake Gusu (another name for Taihu) swallows the borders of three prefectures, vast and mighty, embracing a thousand streams. Today I chance to climb the peak of Fahua, and from this vantage, the human world seems narrow.”

According to old records, the northern side of Mount Bian is abundant in peculiar rocks and also produces various medicinal herbs, with remnants of ancient broken steles and stones often unearthed from the soil, as noted in the Wucheng Prefecture Annals. The unique rocks of Mount Bian are none other than the Taihu rocks used to decorate classical gardens. During the Northern Song Dynasty, Emperor Huizong of the Zhenghe era (1111–1117) constructed an artificial hill in the capital and gathered rare flowers and exotic stones from across the land to adorn it for his pleasure. The Taihu rocks from Mount Bian in Huzhou, with their distinctive shapes characterized by wrinkled textures, slender forms, translucent qualities, and porous structures, were selected as “special tributes” and sent to the imperial court. After the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty, these remarkable rocks were scattered far and wide. Among them, the Qingzhixiu rock in the front courtyard of the Leshou Hall in Beijing’s Summer Palace, the Lion Peak atop the grand rockery in Suzhou’s Lion Grove Garden, the Exquisite Jade Peak in Shanghai’s Yu Garden, the Cloud-Adorning Peak and Crowned Cloud Peak in Suzhou’s Humble Administrator’s Garden and Lingering Garden respectively, the Lotus Peak in Huzhou—all are among the finest Taihu rocks, considered rare treasures.

Mount Bian offers many scenic wonders, including Fahua Temple, Golden Well, Jade Stream, Milk Cave, Gypsum Hot Springs, Xiangwang’s Horse-Racing Ground, Horse-Drinking Pond, Horse-Tying Rock, the Shen Family’s Hidden Cave, Yellow Dragon Cave, Green Rock, Graceful Rock, and Dragon Rock. Legend has it that Mount Bian features three rock formations, six caves, nine temples, and thirteen monasteries. Throughout the dynasties, countless poets have written about it, from the Song to the Qing Dynasties, including Su Shi, Ye Mengde, and Zhao Mengfu.

Today, Mount Bian is also the site of the new campus of Huzhou High School in Zhejiang Province, which was put into use in 2004.