Shita Mountain

Shita Mountain

Shita Mountain, standing at an elevation of 1,611 meters and bordering Gutian County, is the Southern Pillar among Jian’ou’s Four Great Heavenly Pillars. As the name suggests, the mountain is covered with peculiar rocks that resemble a forest of pagodas. However, what is most famous and captivating are the vast fields of azaleas. Upon reaching the summit, the first sights to greet you are: a carpet of emerald green, azaleas blooming like brocade, towering pines, and bizarrely shaped, rugged rocks. The climate on the mountain differs greatly from that at the foot — the flowering season here arrives a month later. In May and June, Shita Mountain is ablaze with azaleas of all colors, especially the fiery red azaleas, which bloom brilliantly. You can no longer see individual flowers; they form vast contiguous patches, one cluster tightly packed against another. Under the glowing brilliance of the red blossoms, even the green leaves seem to radiate with vitality. Scattered throughout the flower clusters are massive, uniquely shaped rocks — some as if hewn by axes, with two or three joined together; others flat as tabletops, large enough to accommodate three or four people lying side by side; and still others riddled with holes, jagged and towering. Among them stands a rock several zhang tall, resembling the neatly written Chinese character “岩” (rock), with not even a stroke out of place — truly bewildering. Amidst the red flowers and giant rocks, many lush green pines stand proudly, as if they are the guardians of Shita Mountain. This spectacle of flowers interspersed with pine shadows extends down the mountainside, continuing all the way to the peaks on the opposite side.

Source: Office of the People's Government of Jian’ou City