Hongxi

Hongxi

Hongxi

Hongxi is situated under Qilin Rock in the heart of Donggong Mountain Scenic Area. It spans over 10 kilometers in length and is approximately 3 meters wide. Amazingly, this lengthy stretch of red-hued riverbed is as smooth as if it had been cut by an axe or a blade. There are absolutely no pebbles or sediment in the creek. As for how Hongxi came to be, a beautiful legend has been passed down through generations: it is said that in the days before Hongxi existed, the turtle and snake demons plagued Donggong Mountain. As a result, droughts and floods occurred year after year, leaving the local people to struggle in the valleys with no means to survive. To save the lives of the people, the heavens sent down two immortals who vanquished the turtle and snake demons. They then used a divine ox and divine plow to till from Donggong Mountain all the way along the valley to Píngnán, thus creating both Hongxi and Yuanyang Stream. Between the old and new bridges of Hongxi stands a spherical rock formation known as the "Wind-Moving Rock." When several people push together, it can slightly sway.

On eight rocks in the canyon beneath the Mist Bridge of Donggong Mountain, there are more than 280 concentric circles of varying sizes and regular shapes. What is puzzling is that among the several-kilometer-long canyon, only these eight rocks feature these concentric circle patterns, and the rocks themselves are extremely hard — even when a pneumatic drill hits them, only white marks are left. Therefore, there are many speculations about their origin: some suspect they were created by aliens, others believe they resulted from volcanic eruptions, some think they were made by marine creatures during ancient geological shifts, and others suggest they might be remnants of ancient Yue ethnic totems or religious beliefs. The mystery remains unsolved, leading to its name — the “Strange Circles.”

One writer vividly described them as: “They resemble spells, codes, or pages of an unreadable heavenly scripture, yet one can faintly sense that they are some kind of hint, metaphor, or call from nature’s creation to humanity.”