Linglong Mountain

Linglong Mountain

Located at the western end of Qianwang Street in Jinping Town, it stands at an elevation of 353 meters. Though not high, the mountain features two gracefully winding peaks that rise into the sky, with simple trails built along the streams. Though compact in size, it boasts springs, waterfalls, trees, temples, pavilions, cliff inscriptions, and cultural relics. As early as the Tang and Song dynasties, it had become a popular scenic destination in western Zhejiang and has now been approved as a national forest park.

Introduction

Linglong Mountain has a long history and rich cultural heritage, leaving behind many beautiful poems and moving legends. In the past, eminent figures such as Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, and Fo Yin visited the mountain several times and left behind numerous poetic works and enchanting tales. In more recent times, figures such as Yu Dafu, Mei Lanfang, and Chiang Kai-shek were also drawn here by its fame.

Walking along the trail, cultural relics can be found everywhere. Notably, the great Northern Song Dynasty literary master Su Dongpo once got drunk and composed poetry on the “Drunken Sleep Stone,” where he also took a nap—a story widely circulated. His close female companion—Northern Song’s talented musician and poet Qin Cao—was persuaded by Su Dongpo to become a nun at Linglong Mountain. She was buried here after her death, and her tomb remains well-preserved to this day.

The cliffs along the way are covered with cliff inscriptions dating from the Southern Song Dynasty onward. The Wulong Ancient Temple, initially built in the late period, lies hidden among dense woods, with incense smoke gently curling upwards. On the temple fair days of the 19th of February, June, and September according to the lunar calendar, pilgrims from all directions flock to Linglong Mountain to light incense and pray for peace and safety.