Precipice Pines & Thousand-Meter Plank Walk on Longquan Mountain, Lishui

Precipice Pines & Thousand-Meter Plank Walk on Longquan Mountain, Lishui

At an altitude of 1,500 meters and stretching over 1,000 meters in length

Longquan Mountain, known as the “Highest Peak in Jiangsu and Zhejiang,” is undeniably remarkable for its elevation. Within it, the most important area — the Precipice Pines Scenic Zone — can be summed up based on first-hand experience: thrilling, perilous, and extraordinary. Here, towering cliffs rise thousands of feet into the sky, and countless ancient pines cling tenaciously to the rock faces. It’s truly a place where every step brings a new thrill and every corner unveils a stunning sight. These pines, whether in terms of quantity, age, posture, or growing environment, are in no way inferior to those on Huangshan Mountain.

Longquan Mountain, also locally referred to as “Fengyang Mountain,” likely derives its name from the Fengyang Temple located on the mountain, which enshrines the progenitor of shiitake mushrooms. Legend has it that he was the first person in China to cultivate shiitake mushrooms artificially, and in the past, many mountain residents relied on cultivating edible fungi such as shiitake for their livelihoods. The Longquan Mountain scenic area is vast, and currently, six main attractions are open to visitors: the Grand Canyon, Wilderness Manor, Precipice Pines, Seven Star Pools, Huangmaojian Peak, and Ou River Source. Each spot has its own unique charm, but when visiting Longquan Mountain, the Precipice Pines is an absolute must-see.

The Precipice Pines is a spectacular sight of pines and rocks clinging to sheer cliffs. On cliffs that look as if they were cleaved by blades, lush pines thrive, each with a distinct shape — some resembling welcoming hosts, others crouching like servants; some grow in clusters, while others stand alone against the wind. These remarkable pines, though rooted in stone for centuries, remain vigorous and proud, standing firmly against the mountain face, truly a breathtaking sight. Later generations have even named some of them based on their natural shapes, such as Welcoming Pine, Three Friends Pine, Five Scholars Pine, and Ten-Thousand-Pine Screen. When Xi Jinping served as Party Secretary of Zhejiang Province, he once visited this area and took a photo in front of the Precipice Pines, underscoring just how captivating this spot truly is.