Wushi Mountain

Wushi Mountain

Introduction? Mother-and-Son Camphor Trees – Ancient Post Road – (Yue Fei’s Horse-Riding Path) – Stone Gate Breeze – Alpine Beach – Fuhui Temple – Tang Dynasty Ginkgo – Giant Rocks Encircling the City (Stone Great Wall) – Golden & Quzhou Panorama (Sunrise · City Lights) – Mountain Temple Sweet Spring.

Visitors: Hello everyone, welcome to explore Wushi Mountain in Quzhou, a city of breathtaking landscapes and wonder. This is a scenic area that integrates natural scenery, cultural heritage, and geological wonders.

Wushi Mountain (formerly known as Wuxi Mountain) stands at an elevation of 521 meters. It is part of the northern foothills of Hushan Mountain (761m), an extension of the Huaiyu Mountain Range, where it meets the southern edge of the Jin-Quzhou Basin. Located at the junction of Jiangshan, Changshan, and Kecheng counties, the area features highly diverse geology and landforms. The Changshan National Geopark lies on the southwestern foothills of Hushan, while Jiangshan’s Paleontological Reserve is situated on the southeastern side. The mountain is surrounded by giant rocks forming a wall-like formation stretching for dozens of kilometers and rising up to 250 ren (approx. 80–100 meters). The mountain still houses Buddhist and Taoist temples such as “Fuhui Chan Temple,” “General’s Hall,” and “Three Pure Ones Taoist Temple.” In the first year of the Jiulong era of the Tang Dynasty (889), Master Tongji built a hut here and named it Fuying Monastery. In the third year of the Kaibao era of the Song Dynasty (970), a temple was constructed, and in the ninth year of the Xiangfu era (1014), an imperial plaque was bestowed. This left behind the thousand-year-old legacy of Fuhui Chan Temple on Wushi Mountain, which is now one of the officially approved Buddhist activity sites by the Religious Affairs Bureau. Two ginkgo trees planted by Master Tongji himself during that time still stand on the mountain, with an age of over 1,100 years. There are also historical structures built during the Song and Yuan dynasties, including the “Ciyun Pagoda,” the “?Qian Ji?λ?薄⑺卧婪商獗凇⒄趴Ｌ獗凇⒚鳌に五プ??芊屐?τ薰????繁?颓濉で?≈卣??峒潜?壤?肺幕?偶！Ｃ磕昱├?咴仑ニ闹疗咴仑ゾ攀俏谑?剿麓?趁砘帷＝焓蓖蛉嗽萍?谑?剑?醋越?健⒊Ｉ健⑨橹葜鼙叱鞘腥褐谙憧统?浇?悖?晌?槟献钣杏跋炝γ砘嶂?/p>

The scenic area spans approximately 20 square kilometers, covered with lush forests and bamboo groves on the mountain, while the foothills present idyllic Jiangnan-style countryside scenery with shimmering lakes, like a painting. Historical records from various dynasties in Quzhou describe Wushi Mountain as extending for ten li, standing 250 ren high, with giant rocks encircling it like a city wall.

Wushi Mountain (Natural Ecological Scenic Area) is a tourist destination that combines natural ecology with historical and cultural heritage.

[Mother-and-Son Camphor Trees] The unusual cluster of camphor trees by the roadside is the Song Dynasty-era Mother-and-Son Camphor Trees. The thickest and oldest tree in the center is the mother tree, surrounded by four smaller ones — its offspring. These trees have grown together here for hundreds of years from the same root, inseparably close — a truly rare sight.

[Ancient Post Road] The ancient post road here, with its stone-paved surface, is part of the route connecting Quzhou to Fujian, Jiangxi, and Anhui. On both sides of the road are the “General’s Hall” and “Horse-Riding Path,” said to be remnants of Yue Fei’s military encampment during the Song Dynasty. According to the Ming Dynasty’s Hongzhi-era “Quzhou Prefecture Records,” Yue Fei and Zhang Jun once inscribed poems on the cliff walls of Wushi Mountain. Yue Fei’s inscription reads: “By imperial decree, Yue Fei hastens to the capital, then returns to Jiangyou. He rests briefly in this secluded cave, tours the heights, and admires the landscape. Wishing to serve the nation, he vows to sweep away the cunning foe, restore the fallen kingdom, and welcome the two emperors back from the desert, praying for boundless blessings for the sage emperor. Inscribed on the third day of the tenth month, twentieth year of Shaoxing.”

Zhang Jun’s inscription reads: “In the cyclical year Bingyin of Shaoxing, Qinghe’s Zhang Jun passed here and listened to Yan Shi play the zither.”

[Stone Gate Breeze] As soon as you climb here, you’ll feel the cool mountain breezes. Even in the hottest summer, this is a refreshing haven. This is one of the ancient scenes of Wushi Mountain, actually a natural wind gap. The front of the mountain faces the vast plains of the Jin-Quzhou Basin, and this protruding peak creates a vent at the mountain pass where air currents converge — hence the constant cool winds.

[Alpine Beach] Visitors: The stones beneath your feet are actually rain flower pebbles, hard in texture, proof that this area was once a beach hundreds of millions of years ago. The rocks on the opposite hillside, in geological terms, include sedimentary rocks, mudstone, as well as mixed formations of igneous and sedimentary rocks. Geologically speaking, this area was once an expansive beach. Thanks to the marvels of nature, what was once a sandy shore hundreds of millions of years ago is now a mountain highland — a significant insight into the evolution of geological landforms.

[Fuhui Temple] Aside from natural and geological wonders, Wushi Mountain boasts rich historical and cultural heritage. The ancient temple before you is the Tang Dynasty Fuhui Chan Temple. It consists of five sections: the main gate hall, bell and drum towers, Mahavira Hall, Ksitigarbha Hall, Taigong Hall, and scripture depository. Built against the mountain, the temple complex is majestic and layered, resembling the great Indian monasteries. The temple suffered severe damage during the Cultural Revolution but has been partially restored by local devotees afterward. Buddhist activities remain vibrant. The annual Fuhui Temple Fair is held from the 24th to the 29th of the seventh lunar month, attracting tens of thousands of visitors. The fair has been held for nearly a thousand years.

[Tang Dynasty Ginkgo] The ginkgo trees are relics planted by Master Tongji, the founding monk of Fuhui Temple in the Tang Dynasty. Three trees remain today, all over 1,130 years old. Ginkgos are also called “husband-and-wife trees,” and these are the largest in Quzhou. One of them reaches 38 meters in height with a diameter of 5 meters. Interestingly, these “couple” trees bear formations resembling human reproductive organs — a marvelous sight. According to the mountain caretaker, the three ginkgo trees together yield over a thousand kilograms of ginkgo nuts every year.

[Giant Rocks Encircling the City] This geological wonder features massive dark rocks extending from the eastern side of the ancient temple on Henggang Hill, stretching north and south. The rocks are lined up like a procession along the hillside, resembling a Great Wall that stretches endlessly. How did this natural geological phenomenon form? It remains a mystery — perhaps visitors can guess.

Visitors: Standing atop the rock platform here is the viewing spot for one of Wushi Mountain’s Six Scenic Spots — “Evening View of Qu City.” From here, you can gaze at the city lights of the ancient town and the flowing headlights on the roads like dragons. It’s also a great place to watch the sunrise. Qing Dynasty poet Ye Shuxun wrote in “Viewing from Wushi Mountain”: “Gazing afar into the autumn sky, the Milky Way fades at dawn. Mist curls like smoke in the valleys. Flowing clouds fill the ravines like seas. The rising sun steams through the pink clouds as the mountain emerges. A single breath calms all things; how many can enjoy such a view in a lifetime? Below, the clamor of life ceases, only the solitary mountain crows come and go.” Wushi Mountain is equidistant from Quzhou, Jiangshan, and Changshan cities. On clear days, you can see Qu City from the mountaintop.

On the southern side of the Giant Rocks Encircling the City scenic area is a stone gate cave. Visitors may climb the cliff from here. Please follow the constructed walking trails, which twist and turn through cliffs, peculiar rocks, and strange trees — allowing us all to enjoy the pleasure of returning to nature.

[Fuhui Sacred Spring] Visitors: Look at this clear spring — it’s the sweet water source that monks and pilgrims drank from in the past. It never dries up, even in droughts, and flows year-round. The monks call it the “Fuhui Spring.” Take a sip, and you’ll taste its refreshing, sweet purity. You may wish to pray for either “blessing” or “wisdom,” but legend says you may only receive one. Feel free to try. During the temple fair, thousands gather here and all drink from the Fuhui Spring, yet it continues to flow abundantly. The spring feeds into the Heavenly Pool, creating a five-acre water surface that serves as a sacred release pond for fish and other creatures throughout the ages. When the moon hangs high, the mountain temple, ancient trees, and moonlight form a picturesque scene. Ancient poets left behind lines about one of Wushi Mountain’s Eight Scenic Views, “Mountain Temple Bell Sounds”: “As dawn nears and the night watch fades, the temple bell rings thinly. The incense smoke drifts through the sacred halls. Clouds fill the valley like the ocean. The rising sun steams through the rosy clouds as the mountain emerges. A single breath quiets all things; who has the leisure to enjoy such views? Below, the clamor of life ceases, only the mountain crows fly back and forth. I recall the nobility of Chang’an, where orioles sing brightly as they approach the imperial palace.”