Maling Scenic Area

Maling Scenic Area

Maling Scenic Area is located in the rugged mountains at the source of the Zhuzhai area in the Hulu River basin in the northwest of Pujiang County, at the junction of Pujiang, Jiande, and Tonglu counties (cities). The Jiangyi Highway crosses over the mountain ridge (at an elevation of 688 meters). The scenic area covers 10 square kilometers and features 38 attractions.

This scenic area is home to striking peaks and unusual rocks—some thrusting from the ground, some crouching low, some stretching out like hanging curtains, others twisted into the shapes of coiled beasts—each competing in beauty and artistry, with no peak lacking in wonder. The mountains are densely forested with ancient trees and covered by fantastic vines, boasting rich vegetation. It combines "elegance, wonder, seclusion, and wilderness," offering a strikingly untamed and naturally stunning landscape. Famous painters such as Ye Qianyu, Kong Zhongqi, and Jiang Baolin were drawn here to paint the scenery.

Maling is located in the rugged mountains at the source of the Zhuzhai area in the Hulu River basin in the northwest of Pujiang County, at the junction of Pujiang, Jiande, and Tonglu counties (cities). The Jiangyi Highway crosses over the mountain ridge (at an elevation of 688 meters). The scenic area covers 10 square kilometers and features 38 attractions. The area features bizarre peaks and peculiar rocks—some thrusting from the earth, some crouching low, some stretching out like curtains, others twisted into the shapes of coiled beasts—each competing in beauty and artistry, with no peak lacking in wonder. The mountains are densely forested with ancient trees and covered by fantastic vines, boasting rich vegetation. It combines "elegance, wonder, seclusion, and wilderness," offering a strikingly untamed and naturally stunning landscape. Famous painters such as Ye Qianyu, Kong Zhongqi, and Jiang Baolin were drawn here to paint the scenery.

Horse Head Mountain: At the summit of Maling stands a peak rising 720 meters above sea level. Its northwest slope inclines gently, resembling a horse’s neck, while its southeast-facing summit features a cliff that juts out like a horse’s face. The slopes are covered with coarse grass and shrubs, soft and fuzzy like horsehair—hence the name Horse Head Mountain, which also gives the entire ridge its name. From a distance, the mountainside looks like a heavenly steed galloping through the sky. Below the Horse Head Peak lies a flat plateau of about one acre, an ideal spot for watching the sunrise.

Beauty Peak: Located on Longmo Stone Ridge west of Horse Head Mountain, this peak stands 905 meters above sea level. At first glance, it resembles a slowly rising mushroom cloud; upon closer inspection, it looks like the portrait of a fairy facing the southern sky, standing atop the clouds. Viewed from different angles, it takes on various forms, hence also called Incense Burner Rock, Upside-Down Vase, Triple-Jointed Rock, or Summit-Connecting Rock. It is a famous peculiar rock formation in central Zhejiang, formed 150 million years ago during the intense faulting and compression of the Yanshan Movement in the Mesozoic era. The peak consists of three sections: the base, the neck stone, and the top stone. The base features veins resembling a coiled dragon, making it hard to distinguish head from tail or height differences. The neck stone is five meters long with a circumference of about six meters. The top stone, like a boulder, sits atop the neck and tilts southeastward. It has a circumference dozens of times larger than the neck and similar height, with sheer cliffs on the northwest side overlooking a deep abyss—it is truly “precarious as stacked eggs.” Standing at its base, one can’t help but tremble. Poets from the Ming and Qing dynasties, such as Chen Bengu and Dai Wangping, composed poems praising it. Folklore says that in ancient times, Elder Chen (a legendary figure who attained immortality) was returning from Fuchun River after collecting charcoal when he noticed his dog had gone missing at Maling. Heartbroken, he stacked three stones to stand on and look for his dog, thus forming the Triple-Jointed Rock. Another legend claims that 5,000 years ago, a daughter of the Yellow Emperor came here from Xianhua Mountain to gather herbs and refine elixirs, leaving behind her beautiful silhouette—thus the name Beauty Peak.

Thread-the-Needle Bamboo Shoots: On the western slope of Longmo Stone Ridge, there are two perforated bamboo shoot-like stones, one above the other, only dozens of yards apart. Each stone bamboo shoot is a hundred meters tall, standing shoulder to shoulder, with ancient pine trees on their summits resembling Huangshan pines. The steep cliffs rise majestically. From below, they resemble two stone doors. Viewed from the ridge above, they look like two bamboo shoots pushing through the earth toward the sky. The middle and lower parts of the stones feature openings like doors facing each other, through which people can pass. From a distance, they resemble needle holes, hence called Thread-the-Needle Bamboo Shoots or “Thread-the-Needle Cave.”

Divine Turtle Asks the Sky: Comprising three parts—the turtle’s back, neck, and head—it is especially lifelike with its head tilted upward and mouth agape, hence also called the Sky-Gazing Turtle. Ascending gently from Longmo Stone Ridge toward the south and crossing over the turtle’s neck, you’ll reach the cliff top opposite the turtle’s body. The flat, table-like rocks at the summit offer a place to sit, drink, play chess, or admire the surrounding peculiar peaks. The turtle’s back is a gently sloping plateau covered in soft grass.

Longmo Stone Ridge: At an elevation of 954 meters and about two Chinese miles long, this winding ridge resembles a celestial dragon descending from the heavens. Its head lies east of Beauty Peak, its tail beneath the Sky-Gazing Turtle Rock, and its neck as sharp as a crucian carp’s back, which people can walk along to take in views of the surrounding mountains. To the west, in the distance, stands Filial Son Peak, which features twin stone coffins and, to their south, a stone figure kneeling before them—called the Filial Son Stone. Legend says a filial son wept himself into stone after being unable to find a burial site for his parents. Nearby is Mingyang Peak, whose summit is covered in chaotic rocks resembling a stampede of bleating goats. Closer still are rocks resembling a crouching tortoise and a monkey—the tortoise seemingly fleeing the monkey’s grasp, while the old monkey gazes blankly as if puzzled by the prey’s location, creating a lively scene. To the north, you can see Boat Mountain, Penholder Mountain, and Golden Cat Washing Face Peak, with their masts and ridges staggered like sails.

Fragrant Torreya Grove: West of Longmo Stone Ridge lies a grove of fragrant torreya trees, all over a century old.

General’s Cave: Maling’s rugged terrain has long made it a strategic military location in central Zhejiang. Historical records state that Sun Ce and Sun Quan of the Mu State, who established the Eastern Wu Kingdom, began their campaign from the Mu State’s Weishan Jiashi area extending from Maling, marching through Maling to Luozhou. In the late Northern Song Dynasty, during the Fang La uprising in Mu State, it’s said the rebels also camped at Maling to resist the Song Dynasty. Beneath the northern slope of Maling’s summit lies General’s Cave, also called Cave Gate. A stone staircase of nearly a hundred steps descends here, leading to Jiande’s Suizhou. The stairs are extremely steep, like the Hundred Steps Cloud Ladder at Huangshan’s Yuping Tower. At the top of the staircase, verdant bamboo flanks either side, while the cave gate stands astride the ridge like a fortress gate—remnants of battles between the Taiping Rebellion’s King Dai Huang Chengzhong’s forces and Qing troops over control of Maling.

Thousand-Man Pool: East of General’s Cave lies a mountain hollow called “Thousand-Man Pool.” When the Taiping Army was defeated, its soldiers—whether dead or alive—were thrown off the cliffs by Qing troops. With sheer rock faces all around, none survived, hence the name “Thousand-Man Pool.”

Red Rock Curtain: At the foot of Maling lies Malingjiao Village, where the Jiangyi Highway winds up the mountain on the left. Numerous stone peaks rise in a row from east to west along the mountaintop, spanning 2.5 kilometers, with the highest peak reaching 868 meters. They resemble hanging silk curtains, hence called the Stone Canopy. Along the highway, each peak takes on a unique shape, full of charm. Climbing the slope and looking up, you’ll see thick, hundred-meter-long stone-wrapped vines and precious medicinal plants like stone leaves and copper orchids covering the rocky surfaces.

Dragon Mouth Flying Spring: At the eastern end of the Stone Curtain, two coiling dragon-like rocks spiral upward, forming a two-tiered fountain about 150 meters long that flows year-round and turns into a waterfall during the rainy season.

Red Rock Window Shadow: On the southeastern section of the Stone Curtain, a cliff with four knife-edged walls contains a stone window so lifelike it’s called the “Fairy Window.”

Martial General Statue: Around a bend stands a rock wearing a helmet and armor, with all facial features distinct, resembling a border-guarding general.

Divine Tiger Cave: On the southwestern section of the Stone Curtain lies Shuye Peak, rich in the medicinal plant shuye. Within it is a cave about 30 meters deep, once entered by herb gatherers but rarely visited by tourists. Legend says tiger roars can be heard inside, hence the name “Divine Tiger Cave.”

Coral Peak: On the western section of the Stone Curtain, a peak contains a karst cave like a window, allowing sunlight through from both north and south—it’s called Coral Peak.

Red Rock Summit: Surrounded by stone peaks, this flat area of about 2 square kilometers is called Red Rock Summit. Pujiang’s Red Rock Summit Forest Farm is located here, covered in ancient trees, including masson pines, Huangshan pines, and Chinese firs, giving it a distinctly wild feel. There are over 1,000 ancient pines over a century old and seven pines over 500 years old.

Heavenly Pool: South of the Stone Canopy lies a small basin encircled by flat rocks, holding water year-round—it’s called the “Heavenly Pool.”

Hundred-Zhang Deep Valley: On the western and southern ends of Red Rock, sheer cliffs form more than ten deep valleys, including Shan Niu Valley, Thin Blade Valley, Coral Valley, Five-Finger Valley, and Rock Valley. Atop the cliffs are formations like Eagle Rock, Five-Finger Rock, and Stone Bamboo Shoot Rock, all competing in wonder. “Welcoming Pine” trees dot the summits, surrounded by rare flowers and plants, making the high ridges a delight to explore.

Eagle Rock: On the eastern hillside of Red Rock Valley stands a rock resembling an eagle, about 30 meters in relative height, with its head facing west toward the Welcoming Pines.

Welcoming Pine: Along the valley sides of the Stone Canopy, “Welcoming Pine” trees are common, with the ten specimens atop First Rock and Second Rock being the most prized—over a century old, and said by visitors to rival Huangshan’s Welcoming Pines.

Earth Phoenix: In Maling Village lies a roughly 10-square-meter patch where not even grass grows—only bowl-sized rocks. The ground emits wind, staying cool in summer and warm in winter. Place hot water there in summer, and it turns icy; in winter, warmth radiates, making it a cozy spot.

Two Treasures Tree: On the southern slope of Maling Village lies a fragrant torreya grove. Two trees, 500 years old, have trunk diameters of 2 meters and 0.91 meters, heights of about 30 meters, and canopies spanning over 200 square meters—they’re called the “Two Treasures Trees.” One of them splits into branches at the top, earning it the nickname “Siblings Tree.”

Black Dragon Waterfall: Located on the western cliff of Yangshuai Peak (947 meters above sea level) northwest of Red Rock Plateau. The cliff is steep and sheer, over 100 meters in relative height, with two caves at its base. During the rainy season, the cascading curtain of water is 1.5 meters wide at the top and 4.5 meters at the bottom, resembling a “water curtain cave”—commonly called Black Dragon Waterfall.