Guanyan Mountain

Guanyan Mountain

Situated within the jurisdiction of Huangzhai Town, Pujiang County, on the southern bank of the Puyang River, Guanyan Mountain is a scenic landmark in our county. Strolling through this historic site allows you to enjoy the beautiful scenery while also gaining insight into its profound historical and cultural significance. While many are familiar with the natural beauty of Guanyan Mountain, few know much about its historical and cultural depth. Song Lian wrote "The Record of Guanyan Buddhist Temple." Guanyan Mountain, also known as Kanghou Mountain or Luofeng, has an elevation of 391 meters and features rocks that are all dark reddish-black, representing a typical Danxia landform.

The peaks and gorges of Guanyan Mountain are abrupt, with sheer cliffs on the southern slope and large, round rocks on the northern slope. Viewed from the east or west, the shapes vary—like an inverted bell, a brush tip, or a person crouching with their head turned sideways. From a distance, it resembles a crouching lion gazing up at the sky. The entire Guanyan Mountain scenic area consists of over ten attractions, including cliffs, Guanyan Temple, Hu Gong Shrine, Thin Blade Gully, and Vulture Peak Pavilion.

Located on the southeastern edge of the Puyang Basin, 12 kilometers from the county seat, covering an area of 5 square kilometers with over 20 attractions, Guanyan Mountain, also known as Kanghou Mountain or Luofeng, has an elevation of 391 meters and features rocks that are all dark reddish-black, representing a typical Danxia landform. The abrupt peaks and gorges stand firmly on the southern bank of the Puyang River. The southern slope has sheer cliffs, while the northern slope features large, round rocks. Viewed from the east or west, the shapes vary—like an inverted bell, a brush tip, or a person crouching with their head turned sideways. From a distance, it resembles a crouching lion gazing up at the sky.

Stone Cliff

Following the western foothills and crossing the Dinglong Bridge, you climb over a thousand stone steps, pass through Vulture Peak Pavilion, and reach the southern plateau of the cliff. The steep cliffs stretch like a screen, about a hundred zhang high, with the cliff top tilting outward and the inner wall carved inward. Even during heavy rain, within ten meters of the cliff base, the rain appears as a cascading curtain, yet not a single drop touches the ground. The cliff is dotted with caves, where falcons nest—a rare sight in central Zhejiang, but abundant here.

Guanyan Temple

According to records by Song Lian, during the Xiantong era of the Tang Dynasty (860–874 AD), Master Zudeng came from Shangyu and resided in the cliff. During a drought, he climbed alone to the summit, sacrificing himself by throwing himself off the cliff to pray for rain. That year, there was abundant rainfall. After his cremation, five-colored relics were found, and the people, moved by his virtue, built "Guanyan Temple" against the cliff. After nine reconstructions and expansions during the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties, it became a renowned monastery. Today, the mountain gate, Mahavira Hall, rear hall (Flat Pole Cave), monks' quarters, and over 50 statues of deities remain.

Hu Gong Shrine

The summit of Guanyan Mountain covers an area of over ten acres, where the Hu Gong Shrine was built as early as the Song Dynasty. Beside the shrine is a clear spring that neither increases during heavy rain nor decreases during droughts. In the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty, the Hu Gong Shrine was relocated to the 30-meter-long, 6-meter-high Flat Pole Cave in the second cliff, which is now the rear hall of "Guanyan Temple."

Thin Blade Gully

On the northern side of the cliff, between two rocks less than 10 meters apart, lies a precipitous drop, extremely dangerous. From a distance, it looks as if cleaved by a giant’s blade. Looking down from the summit, it appears as a bottomless abyss, shrouded in darkness year-round, with all rocks dark brown.

Hometown of Xinyue

Jiangzhai Village at the foot of Guanyan Mountain is the hometown of Jiang Xingyi (also known as Xinyue Master, the "Father of Japanese Seal Engraving" and founder of the Cao Tongzong Shouchang School in Japan), who made outstanding contributions to Japanese culture in the early Qing Dynasty. Jiang Xingchou, to commemorate his homeland, adopted the aliases "Vulture Peak Wild Woodcutter" and "Donggao Xinyue." In 1991, Japanese Professor Suzuki Mitsuo visited Guanyan Mountain and held deep reverence for "Vulture Peak Pavilion." According to Lai Jie’s "Record of Huaguang Pavilion": "Vulture Peak Pavilion" was built in 1347 (Dinghai Year of the Zhizheng era of the Yuan Dynasty) by Hong Sheng and Hong Xing.

Guanyan Temple is the core of the entire Guanyan Mountain scenic area. Originally built during the Xiantong era of the Tang Dynasty (860–874 AD), the local people constructed "Guanyan Temple" against the cliff to commemorate Master Zudeng’s sacrifice in praying for rain. Since the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, the temple has been destroyed and rebuilt nine times. Today, the mountain gate, Mahavira Hall, rear hall (Flat Pole Cave), monks' quarters, and over 50 statues of deities remain. Following the western foothills, crossing the Dinglong Bridge, climbing over a thousand stone steps, and passing through Vulture Peak Pavilion, you reach the southern plateau of the cliff, where the steep cliffs stretch like a screen, about a hundred zhang high, with the cliff top tilting outward and many caves in the walls. According to local elders, these caves are home to falcons, a rare species in central Zhejiang but abundant here. The summit of Guanyan Mountain covers an area of over ten acres, where the Hu Gong Shrine was built as early as the Song Dynasty. Beside the shrine is a clear spring, said to remain unchanged in both heavy rain and drought. In the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty, the Hu Gong Shrine was relocated to the 30-meter-long, 6-meter-high Flat Pole Cave in the second cliff, which is now the rear hall of "Guanyan Temple." Thin Blade Gully is on the northern side of the cliff, where two rocks are less than 10 meters apart, yet the drop is sheer and extremely dangerous. From a distance, it looks as if cleaved by a giant’s blade, and looking down from the summit, it appears as a bottomless abyss, shrouded in darkness year-round, with all rocks dark brown.

In the early 1980s, when cultural development was a national priority, rebuilding Guanyan Temple became a top mission for enthusiastic villagers. Led by four elders, including Hong Xidi’s father, Hong Xinzhi, funds were raised for the reconstruction, all from public donations. To honor the contributors, Hong Xinzhi kept detailed records—even donations as small as one mao or one fen were meticulously logged. However, what impressed Hong Xidi most was that over a thousand steps from the mountain foot to the summit were entirely funded by devotees. His father was responsible for inscribing donors’ names on the steps, while he carved them. During that time, the father-son duo often worked dawn to dusk as volunteers on Guanyan Mountain, even bringing their own meals. Though the construction days were tough, seeing the mountain bustling with visitors on holidays today fills Hong Xidi with genuine joy. Xinyue’s Heart Tied to Vulture Peak Pavilion. Inside Vulture Peak Pavilion stands a stone tablet inscribed with "The Record of Rebuilding Vulture Peak Pavilion," which clearly states that the pavilion was first built during the Zhizheng era of the Yuan Dynasty (1343 AD) and underwent multiple restorations. During the Cultural Revolution, the temples and pavilions on Guanyan Mountain were destroyed, leaving only ruins, until they were rebuilt after the reform and opening-up.

Vulture Peak Pavilion was originally an ordinary shelter, lacking intricate design or ornate carvings, but it embodied an enduring homesickness in the heart of Xinyue Master, revered as the "Father of Japanese Seal Engraving." Xinyue Master, whose surname was Jiang and given name Xingchou (also known as Xinyue), traveled to Japan in the early Qing Dynasty and made remarkable contributions to Japan’s cultural development and prosperity. Far from home, Jiang Xingchou often longed for his native land and adopted the aliases "Vulture Peak Wild Woodcutter" and "Donggao Xinyue" to ease his nostalgia. Today, any Japanese visitors to Guanyan Mountain in our county hold deep reverence for "Vulture Peak Pavilion."

Huangzhai Town: [General] Adjacent to Yiwu, Huangzhai Town is traversed by Provincial Highways 20 and 47, with an interchange of the Hangzhou–Jinhua–Quzhou Expressway. It is the largest town in Pujiang County, a comprehensive reform pilot town of Zhejiang Province, a central town of Jinhua City, a municipal health town, and a municipal education-strong town. Covering an area of 68 square kilometers, including 8 square kilometers of urban area and 34,000 mu of arable land, the town governs 67 administrative villages with a total population of 68,000, including 15,000 in the town center. In 2005, the town achieved a total industrial and agricultural output value of 1.93 billion yuan, with fiscal revenue... Detailed information on Huangzhai Town++