North Peak

North Peak

North Peak lies behind Lingyin Temple, with hundreds of stone steps winding through thirty-six bends. At its summit stands Huaguang Temple, dedicated to the Five Saints. Halfway up the mountain is Maming King Temple, where those praying for successful silkworm breeding in spring flock. The seven-story pagoda at the peak was built during the Tang Dynasty's Tianbao era but destroyed during the Huichang era; it was later restored by King Qian Wusu but ruined again in the seventh year of the Song Dynasty’s Xianchun reign.

This area is surrounded by mountain ranges and mirrored by lake waters. Looking down from above, songboats and fishing vessels appear like gulls or ducks skimming through misty waves—fading further into the distance until only their shapes can be faintly made out. To the west, the LuoCha River stretches like a freshly laundered silk ribbon, connecting distantly with the color of the sea, vast and boundless. Zhang Gongliang once wrote: “The white mist of the river merges with the sea’s haze; the green of Wu Mountain gives way to Yue Mountain rising.” The prefectural city lies snugly between the river and the lake, winding gracefully, flanked by reflections on either side. Houses stand densely packed, bamboo and trees rise thick and lush, verdant and thriving, twisting and curling like dragons and phoenixes—a true display of imperial vitality. At the foot of the mountain lies the stupa of Master Wuzhuo, named Wenxi, a monk from Emperor Suzong’s reign of the Tang Dynasty, who is buried here.

North Peak is lush with bamboo and trees, thick and vibrant, twisting and curling like dragons and phoenixes—a true display of imperial vitality. The “No.1 Wealth God Temple in the World,” LingShun Temple, sits atop the peak. With a history of over 1,600 years, the temple was bestowed the name “LingShun Temple” by Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty as early as the Song era, due to the worship of the “Five Manifestations of the Wealth God” enshrined within. The existing main hall was renovated in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, and its grand scale earns it the title of the greatest Wealth God Temple in China. Emperor Qianlong inscribed the words “True Deity of Wealth” here, and Chairman Mao Zedong also visited North Peak three times. This is a place where spiritual energy and wealth converge, attracting endless streams of businesspeople seeking blessings, with incense burning in great abundance.