Yefu Mountain Scenic Area

Yefu Mountain Scenic Area

Yefu Mountain Scenic Area is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Yefu Mountain, located about 9 kilometers east of Lujiang County, features undulating peaks, magnificent temples, historic relics, and numerous legends, earning it the title "Little Jiuhua of the North." Legend has it that during the Spring and Autumn Period, Ou Yezi, the father of sword-making, forged swords here. The mountain still preserves the ancient Sword Forging Pool, hence its name Yefu Mountain. A poet once praised: "A long sword yearns for tempering; at night I seek Yefu Mountain, lifting my robe to gaze at its wondrous aura, which rises straight between the Dipper and the Ox."

Stretching about five li from base to peak, Yefu Mountain boasts towering peaks that spiral upward. From afar, one can admire the river’s shimmer, and looking down, the Five Lakes (Sha Lake, Huangpi Lake, Hou Lake, Bai Lake, and Chaohu Lake) are surrounded by dense, majestic, and beautiful forests and ridges, ranking among the finest in the Jianghuai region. Whenever heavy rain clears and the sky turns bright, ascending to the summit reveals floating purple clouds and mist below, with layers of lush peaks—a spectacle known as "Yefu Clear Haze," once one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Lujiang. In 1992, Yefu Mountain was approved by the National Forestry Department as a national forest park.

At the mountain’s summit stands the Fuhu Temple, while at its foot lies the Shiji Chan Temple, with the urban Jingang Temple serving as its branch—all founded by the monk Ci Ci Fuhu. Legend has it that in ancient times, an oddly ugly, blind child was abandoned by his parents but was taken in by a passing tiger, who carried him to a cave to nurse him and dug up a spring that healed his eyes. The boy grew up to become a monk, and the tiger stayed by his side. Later, they arrived at Yefu Mountain, where the monk built a temple to settle, preach, and cultivate the Way. When Emperor Zhaozong of Tang, Li Ye, learned of this, he conferred upon the monk the title of "Filial and Compassionate Fuhu Chan Master," and the temple was thus named Fuhu Temple. Numerous historic sites also originated from this tale, including Tiger-Dug Spring, Tiger-Tying Mound, Fuhu Chan Master Pagoda, and Bao'en Temple. The temple’s most unique Buddhist structure is the Wuliang Hall, which has no beams or columns but is instead built directly with large stone blocks. The temple houses important cultural relics, including a bronze cauldron designated as a national second-class relic, as well as four monk stupas and 16 Ming and Qing dynasty steles.

According to the Records of Yefu Mountain, Fuhu Chan Master was a native of Huangtun, Lujiang. Renowned for his profound practice and mastery of Chan Buddhism, his reputation reached the imperial court. Emperor Zhaozong of Tang, impressed by his fame, bestowed upon him the title "Filial and Compassionate Fuhu Chan Master" and ordered the construction of the Wuliang Hall atop the mountain and the Yefu Temple at its southern foot, where he established the Vinaya Precept Platform and ordained over 800 disciples. By the Song Dynasty, Emperor Taizu of Song honored him with the title "Actualized Chan Master," unifying the mountain and its base into a vast religious complex, making it a renowned center of Buddhism in the Jianghuai region and earning it the title "Little Jiuhua of the North."

For over a thousand years, the temples of Yefu Mountain have experienced cycles of prosperity and decline. In 1984, the Anhui Provincial People’s Government designated Fuhu Temple and Shiji Chan Temple as provincial key temples. The Wuliang Hall was renovated in 1985, and the Mahavira Hall was rebuilt in 1996, with Zhao Puchu, then president of the Buddhist Association of China, inscribing plaques for both the mountain-top Fuhu Temple and the base-level Shiji Temple.

In 1995, a flesh-body monk appeared on Yefu Mountain—Master Miaoshan, the 44th patriarch of the Caodong lineage at Fuhu Temple. Four years after his passing, his body remained uncorrupted, making him the first flesh-body monk of the North. The true body of Master Miaoshan is now enshrined and gilded.

Historical eminent masters of Yefu Mountain include Daochuan, Xinglang, and Changming, all part of the Linji school lineage.

Yefu Mountain Community: Located 5 kilometers northeast of Lujiang County, Yefu Mountain Community is the seat of the Yefu Mountain Town government, with the Lu-Chao Road running through it. Formed in 2006 by merging Xinhua Community and Yeshan Village, the national AAAA Yefu Mountain Scenic Area lies within its boundaries. The community spans 13 square kilometers, including 1,300 mu of arable land and over 7,000 mu of mountainous terrain. It currently comprises 23 villager groups with a population of 5,324. … Yefu Mountain Community detailed information++