Divine Mountain Park

Divine Mountain Park

Divine Mountain Park

Wuhu Divine Mountain Park is located in the northeastern part of Wuhu city. However, with the expansion of the urban area, especially after the completion of the Third Ring Road, Divine Mountain Park will become an "urban mountain" just like Wuhu's Zheshan Mountain once was — a peaceful retreat amidst the hustle and bustle.

Divine Mountain Park consists of five peaks: the Greater and Lesser Stove Mountains to the south, Ma'anshan to the north, and two main peaks to the east — Chizhu Mountain (74 meters above sea level) and Divine Mountain. Among these, Chizhu Mountain is the highest. Its summit features a steel tripod, likely erected for geological surveys, hence earning the nickname "Tripod." To the north lies Divine Mountain, whose peak hosts Zhixi Pavilion, one of the park’s main attractions. The pavilion is named after the famous Song Dynasty poet Su Shi’s essay “Record of the Pavilion of Joyful Rain,” and today, the Zhixi Pavilion Literature Society at Wuhu No. 31 Middle School is named in its honor.

On the northeastern side of Shenshankou, there is a narrow asphalt road called Shennan Road that leads to Divine Mountain Park. Passing through a stone archway-style entrance gate, you’ll find a serene bamboo forest on the left, reminiscent of the bamboo sea on the back hills of Jiuhua Mountain — a perfect spot for rest and sightseeing. On the right side of the road is a steep cliff, originally a quarry. Over time, rain erosion and regrowth have shaped the rocks and vegetation into forms resembling the oddly-shaped pines and rocks of Huangshan Mountain. In fact, along the path leading to the Hui People’s Cemetery at the foot of Chizhu Mountain, there is an even larger and more secluded quarry. Continuing along the road uphill, you’ll reach Tiekangmen, one of Wuhu’s Top Ten Scenic Spots, which is associated with the legendary tale of Ganjiang and Moye. The road then becomes a steep downhill slope leading to a roundabout that connects with Shenshan Avenue. To the north of Shenshan Avenue is a newly built Patriotic Education Memorial Hall, and a wide stone staircase leads up to the summit of Ma'anshan, where the Revolutionary Martyrs’ Monument stands. Beneath the monument is an underground chamber that houses the remains of the fallen. Every spring, many schools in Wuhu organize students to visit, pay tribute, and enjoy spring outings. Moving eastward along Shenshan Avenue, you’ll find a Metasequoia grove about half the size of a soccer field. The tall, straight trees are home to cicadas whose loud chirping fills the air in summer. Nearly every tree trunk is covered with cicada molt shells. If you visit at night with a flashlight, you can often collect a bag full of cicada pupae — though by the next evening, the trees will be covered with a new batch. Adjacent to the grove is Furong Lake, originally formed by connecting several small ponds into one large body of water. A small island in the lake, lush with greenery, resembles a jadeite embedded in the center. In summer, many come to swim, with reaching the island a common goal. Surrounded by mountains, the lake boasts beautiful scenery, but the water is quite cold, and unfortunately, drowning incidents sometimes occur. Therefore, caution is advised when swimming.

Although Divine Mountain is scenic, many people in Wuhu are wary of it, claiming it is haunted due to the many buried bodies and the later construction of a crematorium. During their first school spring outing to Divine Mountain, elementary students often find it mysterious and like to compare it with the more familiar Zheshan Mountain, saying how much farther, bigger, and higher Divine Mountain is — often exaggerating these claims. Teachers who have taken students to Zheshan for outings often struggle with keeping them from running off. They worry even more about managing children in the less familiar Divine Mountain. However, in reality, these worries are unfounded — students tend to stay close together and follow instructions diligently on Divine Mountain, afraid of getting lost. This makes the teachers’ job much easier.

The vegetation on Divine Mountain is much lusher than on Zheshan, possibly due to richer soil or other reasons — opinions vary. But one thing is certain: based on Wuhu’s recent urban development plans, Divine Mountain is bound to become a highly sought-after gem of land.