Yingxian Terrace Scenic Area

Yingxian Terrace Scenic Area

After passing Sagaoling, you will arrive at Yingxian Terrace. Known as the "Fairyland on the Sea," Mount Taimu’s Yingxian Terrace was where the Goddess Taimu used to welcome the immortals from the East Sea who gathered here annually. The terrace sits exactly at an altitude of 666 meters. It offers one of the best vantage points to admire the peak and rock formations of Mount Taimu. The main components of these peaks and rocks are flesh-pink potassium feldspar granite. Over hundreds of millions of years of weathering and erosion, they have formed into various shapes such as rounded, columnar, spherical, and platy forms, creating a multitude of iconic rock formations. There are already 360 named formations, all strikingly vivid and lifelike. When you enter Mount Taimu, it's like stepping into a grand exhibition hall of abstract sculptures by master artists of the modern world—countless massive sculptures are randomly placed, ready for your appreciation.

First, you’ll see a raised hand waving at you, as if the deity of Mount Taimu is welcoming everyone. Looking north, there is a small rock dangling on the edge of a cliff that resembles an ancient ingot, known as the “Ingot Rock.” Beside it is an “owl” that seems to be half-asleep, keeping one eye open and the other shut. Moving your gaze upward, you’ll find two elderly men sitting calmly on the cliff, playing chess—this is the “Immortal Elders Playing Chess,” and the players are none other than the Southern and Northern Dipper star deities.

As you move forward, you can admire the “Golden Cat Pouncing on a Mouse.” On a steep stone peak, there are two rocks—one large, like a cat, and one small, like a mouse. Legend has it that this mouse caused trouble everywhere, sneaking into the White Cloud Temple to steal rice, pilfering a sack from the Heavenly Gate Temple, snatching pork liver, and even stealing a carp—all of which you’ll see later. One day, the mouse dared to sneak into the Goddess Taimu’s place to eat her immortal pills but was spotted by the Monkey Boy, who chased it all the way up to the top of Sky Pillar Peak. Just then, the Goddess Taimu arrived, tore off a piece of cloud, turned it into a golden cat, and fiercely pounced on the mouse...

To the left of the “Golden Cat Pouncing on a Mouse” is a protruding rock that looks like a general wearing a golden helmet and silver armor, standing with his back to the mountain and facing the sea, gazing toward Taiwan—just like the statue of Zheng Chenggong on Sunlight Rock in Gulangyu, Xiamen. Originally called “General Rock,” it is now also referred to as the “Statue of King Zheng.” Further left, you’ll see a rock that looks as if it’s about to slide off, resembling a playful monkey perched atop a cliff, staring out at the vast ocean—hence the name “Monkey Sitting and Watching the Sea” (some say it looks like “Rabbit Guy”). Looking farther east, you’ll notice a small hole in a rock halfway up the mountain slope, with a tiny stone inside like a little mouse about to return to its hole—this is the “Mouse Returning to Its Hole.” Above it, on the mountainside, two rocks shaped like boots are placed side by side—called “Immortals Drying Their Boots.” Nearby, there’s another massive rock that looks like a qilin with its mouth wide open, howling at the sky. In the vicinity, you’ll also find other marvels such as the Big and Small Longevity Star Rocks, Immortal Cane Peak, Hunchbacked Monk, and Sea Lion Gazing at the Sky. Feel free to use your imagination to discover them.

A few steps up is the famous attraction “Immortals Sawing Planks.” Legend says that when Emperor Yao was sailing the East Sea and encountered fierce winds and huge waves, the Goddess Taimu guided him to safety. Grateful for her help, Emperor Yao ordered temples to be built at this sacred site. Upon hearing this, the Jade Emperor realized the steep and rugged terrain made construction difficult, so he sent down several celestial craftsmen to assist. These artisans worked their magic and prepared all kinds of stone materials within half a day. However, one craftsman suddenly remembered that there were no flat stone slabs among the materials, so he hurried back into the mountain, selected this rock, and quickly sawed out two smooth, flat slabs. Just as he was about to cut a third, the other workers informed him, “People on earth use wooden planks for building houses—stone slabs are useless!” So the artisan abandoned the “slabs” and returned to heaven, leaving behind this remarkable sight. If you look closely, you’ll notice very clear vine-like marks on the rock surface, and the third slab still has a thick black line across it.

To the right of the “Immortals Sawing Planks” is a rock that resembles a slender-bodied Guanyin Bodhisattva, with a slightly raised part beneath her feet that looks like her dress fluttering in the mountain wind—this is called “Guanyin Rock.” Just above and to the right of “Guanyin Rock” is “Golden Dog Gazing at the Banyan”; nearby, along the horizontal line of the ridge, you’ll see two rocks—one resembling a turtle and the other a snake, incredibly lifelike—collectively known as “Turtle and Snake Meeting.”

Going further up, you’ll reach the Small Stone Gate. Standing at the entrance, let your imagination run wild, and you’ll spot numerous formations such as an elephant, a crab claw, a parrot, an ox burrowing into a hole, and a single-breasted peak. The more you imagine, the more you’ll see—go ahead and test it out. After passing through the Small Stone Gate, turn back east and you’ll see a rock that looks like a rabbit. Some call it “Jade Rabbit Listening to the Tides,” saying its long ears are stretched out as if listening to the ebb and flow of distant tides, moved to tears. Others say it’s “Jade Rabbit Gazing at the Grass,” as there’s a patch of tender green grass right in front of it—but it can’t reach it, leaving the rabbit teary-eyed. From here, a small path shaded by underbrush leads down to General Cave and Gourd Cave.

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