Qilu Mountain Scenic Area

Qilu Mountain Scenic Area

Qilu Mountain Scenic Area is located in the northern suburbs of Yiwu City, within the territory of Suxi Town. It primarily features mountain sightseeing, with Qifu Temple as the central attraction. The mountain is naturally formed with majestic and beautiful scenery, embodying grandeur, elegance, beauty, ruggedness, serenity, and danger. It boasts numerous natural and cultural attractions, along with a cool and pleasant climate, making it an ideal destination for summer retreats, leisure, health, and vacation.

The area is covered with lush and diverse vegetation, featuring historic sites such as Qifu Temple with its long-standing legends, Dongqing Scholar Shrine, Chan Sheng Hua Jia, Dragon-Hiding Cave, and Divine Turtle Stealing Elixir Rock. Together with the area’s unique mountains, waters, and rocks, these elements create a distinctive landscape of high scenic value.

Qifu Temple: Originally built during the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty as a small nunnery, it flourished as a place of worship. Through the vicissitudes of time and several instances of destruction and reconstruction, it has evolved into its current form. Xianxiao Residence is said to have been built during the Jiajing period for Lou Zhen, a scholar from Dongqing Village. He rose to the rank of Jin Dian Chuan Lu (a high imperial examination degree) and was known for his filial piety. His mother, a devout Buddhist who enjoyed tranquility, inspired him to choose this site to build her a home for seclusion and spiritual practice. Hence, it was named Xianxiao Residence (Residence of Filial Piety).

Dongqing Scholar Shrine: Constructed during the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty, the shrine retains much of its original architectural form. It houses stone inscriptions from the Ming and Qing Dynasties and holds significant cultural heritage value.

Divine Turtle Stealing Elixir Rock: Located in the eastern part of Chaye Wu (Tea Valley), amidst a large mountain of solid rocks of various shapes—including those resembling arhats and beasts—this rock is said to resemble a giant turtle with a complete head and feet. Legend has it that the turtle was crawling down the mountain in an attempt to steal the elixir pills refined by Lü Dongbin, one of the Eight Immortals, from the valley. However, Lü Dongbin discovered the theft, wounded the turtle’s foot with his sword, and used immortal magic to trap it in place, leaving it unable to move up or down. The name of this scenic spot derives from this legend.

Dragon-Hiding Cave: In winter, steam continuously rises from the cave. Legend says a fire dragon is buried inside, and the steam is its breath, which keeps the surrounding plants free from frost and snow, with temperatures a few degrees higher than elsewhere. Of course, this is just a legend. The scientific explanation is that geothermal heat rises through cracks in the earth's crust and escapes through this cave.

Tianjing Spring and Stone Figure: A few hundred meters downhill from Dragon-Hiding Cave lies an ancient spring called Tianjing Spring. No matter how long the drought lasts, the spring never dries up, offering clear and sweet water. Beside the spring stands a tall rock that resembles a human figure. Legend has it that the stone figure guards the spring, providing water for immortals and forbidding access to ordinary people.