Yanding Mountain

Yanding Mountain

Yanding Mountain, with an elevation of 1,807 meters, is the most undulating mountain in Longyan, Fujian. The hiking route up this mountain is relatively easy, but reaching the summit involves countless ups and downs. At the top lies a massive rock; standing beside it, you’ll feel the wind rushing through the valley, making it hard to keep your balance — fear may show on your face and anxiety may rise in your heart. You can hike up from the front side and descend from the back side — doing the reverse offers a whole different experience. The mountaintop is spacious, covering about 1,000 square meters, and is shaped like a gauze hat, hence also known as Gauze Hat Mountain. The mountain path is steep like a ladder to the clouds, with over a thousand stone steps, as well as remnants such as an ancient well, fortress gate, First Crossing Pass, Second Crossing Pass, Horse Trough, and Horse Racing Trail.

The scenery of Yanding Mountain is like stars surrounding the moon, each element complementing the others. Yanding Mountain originates from the vein of Geteng Ridge, spanning approximately 50 kilometers in a northeast-southwest direction. The mountain is majestic and precipitous in stature. Its vegetation is richly layered and diverse, staying lush all year round. One of the mountain’s key natural attractions is Xiangtan Sunrise Viewing Spot. Xiangtan is a rock at the highest point of Yanding Mountain, shaped like an altar and thus named Xiangtan. Since ancient times, visitors have burned incense here to pray or stood atop it to gaze into the distance, taking in the surrounding peaks and the border landscapes of Fujian and Zhejiang provinces. Watching the sunrise here in the morning offers a similar awe-inspiring experience to watching it rise over the sea.