Mount Dajue

Mount Dajue

1: The Legend of Mount Dajue: It is the site of the Dajue Rock Temple and also the premier central scenic viewpoint. Renowned figures have left their inscriptions, praising it as the “marvelous fairyland of the world’s number one rock.”

A poem bears witness:

Majestic and spectacular Lion Rock, marvelous and mystical in folklore;

At dawn, birdsong mingles with bells and drums; at dusk, one watches the sunset while paying homage to the Buddha.

Sunrise bathes the cave in sunlight, filling the temple with fragrant aroma;

Green mountains surround everlastingly, with peculiar rocks and scenes on perilous peaks.

Legend has it that in ancient times, the western foothills of the Wuyi Mountains enjoyed a pleasant climate with lush greenery. Nine lions simultaneously took a fancy to this geomantically auspicious land, yet none was willing to leave easily—so they fought. In the end, only a male and a female lion remained, evenly matched and locked in contention. They battled for forty-nine days, until the male lion was defeated and fled. The female lion, exhausted, panted heavily, and as she did, her body gradually hardened into a mountain. Her fur turned into the trees covering the mountain, her raised tail became a towering stone stalagmite, and her wide-open mouth is today’s Dajue Mountain Gully.

There are many legends about the development and origin of Mount Dajue, but local folklore also tells of how the Niulin County area once had hundreds of stone lions in the Xiaoshi Forest. They fought over territory, with the victors taking over the stone grounds and the losers fleeing. One female lion settled here, and over the long years, transformed into a massive rocky mountain lying across Lotus Mountain in the Wuyi Mountain Range. This cave is the lion’s open mouth, and later, the Dajue Zen Master wandered here, established and built temples, thus renaming Lion Rock as Dajue Rock Temple. The Dajue Rock Temple is over 60 meters wide, more than 30 meters deep, and around 9 meters high, capable of accommodating nearly a thousand monks, nuns, and visitors.

2: The Great Awakened One: Standing 1,338 meters tall, majestic and imposing, it is hailed as the “Son of the Earth and the Primordial Celestial Venerable.” It is located east of the Dajue Temple and represents the most splendid and captivating core of the Dajue Mountain religious and cultural tourism. What is the Great Awakened One? It symbolizes the ultimate enlightenment of humanity. What is the “One”? It refers to a person. Together, the Great Awakened One embodies an inseparable organic whole that constitutes all things. From a human-centered perspective, the Great Awakened One represents the highest realm people aspire to—the symbol of the Son of the Earth. As the Primordial Celestial, the Great Awakened One is the sunlight that nourishes all things, reflecting humanity’s yearning for a lofty and beautiful spiritual realm and inner pursuit.

3: Heavenly Lake: Also known as Dajue Lake, it is 2,700 meters long, 47 meters deep, with a catchment area of about 15 square kilometers and a water storage capacity of 2 million cubic meters. Located at an altitude of around 500 meters, this alpine lake encircles the main peak of the Dajue Temple. At sunrise, sunlight reflects off the lake surface, presenting blue waters against green mountains—a breathtaking view. As dusk approaches, cranes and birds sing in chorus, and the setting sun glistens on the green lake, full of vitality. It is an ideal spot for visitors to escape the heat, relax, admire landscapes, and experience a heavenly paradise. Surrounded by the main peak of the Dajue Temple and nestled among Lotus Mountain, it is honored as Heavenly Lake.

4: Heavenly Ridge: Approximately 2 kilometers east along the valley entrance of Heavenly Lake lies the Guanyin Pavilion of the Dajue Temple. Streams flow endlessly, with deep valleys and sea-like clouds. Ascending from this pavilion to the Dajue Rock Temple involves traversing winding high-altitude ridges with perilous and thrilling paths that fill visitors with a sense of life’s hardships, helping them comprehend the profound essence of the journey toward awakening. Since those walking to the Dajue Temple must circle Heavenly Ridge, every step is arduous and challenging, akin to climbing to the heavens—symbolizing the devout aspirants' yearning for enlightenment. Thus, it is named Heavenly Ridge. Heavenly Lake lies along the necessary path to Heavenly Ridge.

5: Heavenly Terrace: Located southeast at the end of Heavenly Ridge, visitors arrive here after completing the ridge hike. It serves as an important site for worshiping heaven and earth. The terrace adopts a round-sky-and-square-earth design, planned and laid out based on traditional Chinese cultural concepts. Positioned to the southeast of the Dajue Temple in a circular layout—symbolizing the direction where the sun rises—it is a place to worship heaven and earth. In front of the worship platform, there is a four-cornered square cauldron, serving as the symbol and main highlight of the Heavenly Terrace.

6: Heavenly Rock: Passing through the Heavenly Terrace leads to Heavenly Rock, also called Dajue Rock, which is naturally formed. The interior is divided into four chambers, making it a key venue for comprehensive religious activities integrating Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. The temple was built during the Eastern Jin Dynasty and has a history of over 1,600 years. It is a rare natural rocky cave in China. The development of Dajue Temple’s religious culture began with this cave, which was restored using top-tier concepts and innovative designs to revive its original appearance.

7: Heavenly Bridge: Located east of Heavenly Rock, at the Fairy Stone section beneath the main peak of the Dajue Temple, this area features steep and precipitous mountains with sea-like clouds sweeping through the woods. From the mountaintop, the ancient temple bells can be heard; downstream, the murmuring stream flows. As visitors cross the Heavenly Bridge to this spot, they are immersed in the ethereal ambiance of five thousand years of Chinese history fading into the void, akin to entering a serene Buddhist realm.

8: Heavenly Corridor: On the eastern side of the Heavenly Bridge, atop the sheer cliffs of the Dajue Temple’s main peak, a 100-meter-long spacewalk corridor called the Heavenly Corridor is constructed. Made entirely of transparent materials resembling an ancient plank path, it traverses suspended over the cliffs. From here, visitors can gaze at the undulating peaks of the Wuyi Mountain Range, with a bottomless abyss below. Amid the thrill and danger, guests can appreciate the Wuyi Mountains’ stunning natural beauty. It also symbolizes that only those courageous and wise enough to cross the Heavenly Corridor can truly embody the grand aspirations they seek.

9: Heavenly Realm: Located atop the cliffs in the northeastern part of Lotus Mountain, it is known as the Great Buddha Mountain. After millions of years of weathering and natural erosion, the cliff’s shape strikingly resembles a Buddha’s body, facing the Dajue Temple. Here, it seems a divine spirit emerges. Plans are underway to restore the “Great Awakened One” atop this mountain. The rebirth of the Great Awakened One signifies harmony between heaven and humanity, unity of the divine and mortal realms, a propitious omen of Buddhist teachings passed down through generations, and a true reflection of the natural ecosystem.

10: Heavenly Altar: Situated on a hilltop in the eastern part of Lotus Mountain, it is a place to worship the “Great Awakened One,” approximately 300 meters away from the natural Great Buddha. The Heavenly Altar also adopts the ancient “round sky and square earth” architectural style, consisting of multiple small square worship platforms connected by steps, all oriented toward the “Great Awakened One” (northeast).

11: Heavenly Street: Located along the northern ridge of Lotus Mountain, it serves as a natural passage between the Heavenly Terrace and the Vegetarian Garden. It offers visitors a place to rest and sightsee. Upon arriving at Heavenly Street, one feels as though entering a fairyland. It combines the liveliness of a bustling marketplace with the beauty and serenity of a celestial realm, making visitors truly feel that Mount Dajue is the dreamlike homeland humans seek.

12: Vegetarian Garden: Nestled in the forests of the northern part of Lotus Mountain, it acts as a transitional site among the nine-heaven attractions. Having dreamed of ascending to the nine heavens and worshipped the Great Awakened One through eight celestial trials, visitors must first come to the Vegetarian Garden before meeting the Great Awakened One. By partaking in a vegetarian diet, they demonstrate their devotion and determination to the Buddha. Accessible via Heavenly Street, it serves as a resting and dining spot for pilgrims.

13: The Legend of Oil Spring, Rice Spring, and Dragon Spring: Since the establishment of the Dajue Temple, the Dajue Mountain Temple has attracted throngs of worshippers. Guanyin Bodhisattva also came here to practice and appeared in person, drawing even more believers. However, Mount Dajue is far from villages, making it inconvenient for pilgrims to carry food. Seeing this, Guanyin Bodhisattva pointed her finger, and two springs appeared beside the Clever Spring of the Dajue Temple—one producing rice, the other oil. This spared worshippers the burden of carrying provisions up the mountain. Remarkably, the amount of rice and oil flowing from the springs matched the number of worshippers—more when many came, less when few, with nothing left over.

Within Dajue Rock lies another rock; within legends lie more legends. Folklore also says that the current Dragon Spring Cave was once called the “Oil and Rice Cave.” Untold years ago, resident monks and worshippers needed to bring their own food. This cave had two openings from which oil and rice flowed naturally, just enough to feed everyone for the day. Year after year, it continued to flow—until one greedy monk, wishing to sell the excess, secretly enlarged the cave opening one night. A deity discovered this, and disgusted by his insatiable greed, sealed both openings with stones. Since then, no more oil or rice has flowed—only the Clever Spring continues to run. Also called Dragon Water, travelers who understand its significance drink a few sips of the cool, refreshing spring water, experiencing a uniquely celestial flavor.

14: Zhu Cliff Peak: Locals often referred to it as “Pig’s Tusk Rock” because the mountain juts out like a wild boar’s tusk. Wang Anshi, a Chinese statesman from Linchuan, refined its name to “Zhu Cliff” when he visited Dajue Rock. The Jianchang Prefecture Records from the Ming Dynasty’s Zhengde era called it “Stone Bamboo Shoot Mountain,” describing its sharply pointed rocks reaching toward the sky like bamboo shoots after rain. A poem from the Northern Song Dynasty by Rao Zishang reads: “Cloud roots coil three thousand feet into the earth, stone bamboo shoots tower as the foremost peak.” Qing Dynasty records from the Qianlong era describe Zhu Cliff’s rocks as standing like pillars piercing the sky, covered in moss and shining brilliantly in the sun, dubbing it “Zhu Cliff Holding Up the Sun.” It is one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Luxi.

15: The Legend of the Immortal’s Reading Cave: Not far to the right of the Dajue Temple lie two interconnected small stone chambers, said to be where Guanyin Bodhisattva read scriptures. Ever since she began practicing here, pilgrims flocked in endless streams. Unaccustomed to the crowds, Guanyin Bodhisattva opened two caves nearby for her reading and chanting. Below the caves is a spring where she washed her inkstone, and farther away lies a stone shaped like an inkstone and a penholder, used for grinding ink and resting brushes.

Folklore also says that Chinese statesman Wang Anshi once visited Mount Dajue and used this cave as his reading spot. It is said that upon arriving at Mount Dajue, he discovered a natural cave not far from the temple, where he studied and left behind traces of his writing.

16: Fan-Shaped Rock: Hikers can walk along the creek to a bend, then look up to the left to see two fan-shaped rocks impaled atop a 500-meter-high boulder. Known as Fan-Shaped Rock or Twin Pigeon Rock, legend says a celestial being, while reading by the rock, whimsically tossed their fan downhill—where it stuck into the lone stone peak. Just how many years ago did this happen? Let archaeologists uncover the answer.

17: Halfway Pavilion: “Climbing is never easy, but rest comes naturally.” After passing through Heavenly Street, hikers reach the Halfway Pavilion. Whether to continue or rest is up to you—it feels like stepping into a fairyland. Suddenly, the sounds of fireworks and incense offerings echo through the air.

18: Twin Candle Rocks: Less than 50 meters west of the Immortal’s Reading Cave lies the Twin Candle Rocks, also called Twin Pillar Rocks. These two pillars stand about 50 meters tall with diameters of 4–5 meters, rising straight from either side of the Lion Rock’s waist. Legend says that immortals flying to the Reading Cave would soar through the middle of these rocks, so nature placed these candle-like pillars here to welcome them—hence their revered name.

19: Little Lion Rock: Legend has it that a little lion, frightened during a fight between it and its mother lioness, hid its body under its mother’s belly, leaving only its head exposed. The little lion’s mouth appears to welcome passing visitors.

20: Mysterious Stone Pagoda and Immortal Pine: After exiting Dajueyan Temple, continue about 300 meters eastward. On the left side of the path, beneath a bare large rock, stands a solitary stone-like structure known as the Mysterious Stone Pagoda. It stands independently, exuding character. Beside it, atop a precarious rocky peak, a pine tree grows alone from a crevice in the rocks. Its branches are shorter and thicker than those of other trees. Remarkably, it is untouched by waterlogging, survives the heat without drying out, and is unharmed by wildfires. Hence, it is called the Immortal Pine. No one knows exactly how old it is, but it has now become a popular scenic spot for visitors to take photos.

21: Dragon Pearl Rock: Located about 5 meters above Dajueyan, this rock can accommodate over twenty people. Inside the rock grow hundreds of small round stones of various kinds, resembling dragon pearls scattered there. Below the cave entrance, a small tree grows naturally, which visitors used to climb to explore the area. Unfortunately, the tree was cut down during the Cultural Revolution, making the rock harder to climb today.

22: Ox Back Ridge: Exiting Banshan Pavilion, you’ll encounter another scenic wonder—the Ox Back Ridge. This ridge is a must-pass on the way to Dajueyan. Shaped like an ox’s back (also called Fish Back Ridge), it lies atop a lone, bare boulder. Standing here, one can look down on both sides to sheer cliffs and bottomless abysses. In the past, travelers had to tread carefully to avoid slipping off the rocks. Due to the increasing number of worshippers at Dajue Temple, small steps were carved into the Ox Back Ridge for safety, allowing visitors to pass more easily today.

23: Little Jueyan: Located more than ten li northeast of Zhuyan Village (later renamed Jin Tieyan), this rock features a spacious flat stone at its top. Legend says that during the Taiping Rebellion, a leader of the Taiping Army remnants named Yu Guai led his troops to camp and train here, crafting weapons inside the rock.

24: Eight Peaks: These are eight mountain ranges surrounding Dajue Peak, standing on the ground like a lotus flower encircling the main peak. They are honored with the names: Lotus Peak, Divine Turtle Peak, Brush Rack Peak, Emerald Screen Peak, General Peak, Literary Star Peak, Layered Tower Peak, and Diamond Peak.

25: Hundred Sceneries: Refers to the one hundred natural landscapes on Dajue Mountain, honored as the “Ten Great Disciples of Tathagata” and the “Seventy-Three Transformations of Guanyin.” Only by viewing the panoramic landscape of Dajue Mountain can one appreciate how these scenic spots are scattered throughout the mountain’s valleys and ravines. Each is uniquely shaped and distinctive. Against the backdrop of these numerous landscapes, Dajue Mountain resembles a blooming lotus, captivating and enchanting visitors who find it hard to leave.