Luoyan Mountain Scenic Area

Luoyan Mountain Scenic Area

Luoyan Mountain Scenic Area

Luoyan Mountain is located in Huacun, Nanyang, Sha County, 26 kilometers from the county town. The peaks are steep and rugged, ancient trees tower within the mountain, birds chirp incessantly in the forest — it can be described as “birds sing but monkeys are nowhere to be seen, petals fall while trees remain in bloom.”

The ancient Luoyan Path was the only route from Sha County to Youxi. With sheer cliffs, bizarre rocks, and over a thousand stone steps spiraling upwards, the path is lined with rustling pine trees, towering ancient trees, dense greenery, and the echoing sound of mountain streams. Halfway up the mountain lies a pavilion called the “Falling Horse Pavilion.” In the past, civil officials were required to dismount from their sedan chairs and military officers from their horses here. It served as a resting and cooling spot for pilgrims and worshippers heading up the mountain.

A hundred meters past the pavilion, you’ll see a weathered temple clinging to the cliffside, its stone walls resembling the scales of an inverted fish — this is the Luoyan Temple, a Taoist site for spiritual practice. There are no historical records of when Luoyan Temple was first built, but according to the inscription on an ancient bell still housed inside, it dates back to the sixth year of the Jiading era during the Song Dynasty. This indicates the temple has a history of at least 1,200 years. The main hall faces south and is three bays wide, over six meters deep, with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof supported by a post-and-lintel wooden structure. Compact and delicate, its roof features intricately carved wooden lattice patterns in the shape of a pagoda, a masterpiece crafted by Qing Dynasty artisans. Crossing the ancient path in front of the main hall leads to the front hall. Originally a two-story wooden structure suspended in mid-air with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof, each floor covered around 80 square meters, the front hall had long fallen into disrepair due to age and was demolished this year. It has now been rebuilt using a reinforced concrete frame, rising straight up from the base of the cliff to the level of the ancient path, standing approximately 30 meters tall. To the left of the main hall is the Guanyin Hall, about 20 square meters in size, with a gable-and-hip wooden structure. Adjacent to the Guanyin Hall is a two-story wooden building — the upper floor serves as guest rooms, the lower floor as a dining hall, accommodating over 30 people for meals and lodging. The kitchen contains an earthen stove, said to have been created with the divine fire of the God of Protection. Legend has it that even the wettest firewood will burst into roaring flames in this stove, so it has been preserved and is still in use today.