Yangqi Mountain Scenic Area

Yangqi Mountain Scenic Area

Yangqi Mountain Scenic Area is a national scenic area and a National AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Yangqi Mountain Scenic Area is located in Shangli County, Pingxiang City, 25 kilometers from the urban area. It is a key scenic spot that combines beautiful natural landscapes with profound cultural heritage, integrating natural scenery and religious culture. The mountain boasts layered green ridges, majestic peaks, picturesque views in all seasons, and a pleasant climate, earning it the reputation of having "Twenty-Four Scenic Spots." These include: Spring Pool, Thousand Hills Field, Guanyin Cliff, Tiger Cave, Turtle Cave, Qian'gu Pond, Hou'gu Pond, Immortal Fish Pond, Cold Granny Rock, Open-Mouthed Lion Cliff, Gate-Closed Stone, Yangqi Grottoes, - Drying Fruits, Monkey Clinging Rock, Bullfighting Rock, Iron Cage Tiger Trap, Small Heavenly Lake, Three Islands Lake, Peak Spring, Square Bamboo Grove, Chessboard Stone, Wonderland, Meridian Spring, Anshan Pass, and more. With its enchanting peaks, meandering streams, rugged rocks, lingering clouds, and veiled misty light, it has become a destination long admired by travelers throughout history.

Yangqi Mountain is located in Shangli County, Pingxiang City, 25 kilometers from downtown Pingxiang. It is a scenic area that combines attractive natural landscapes with rich cultural elements, merging natural beauty and religious culture.

The mountain features winding and undulating ridges, and lush, deep forests. Opening Mouth Ridge, Ten-Thousand-Ren Peak, and Dragon Peak stand like an inkstone stand. Opening Mouth Ridge dominates the center, resembling a proud lion raising its head and rolling a ball with its mouth, while Ten-Thousand-Ren Peak and Dragon Peak flank it. Ten-Thousand-Ren Peak is steep and rugged, while Dragon Peak coils and twists like a swimming dragon. From Opening Mouth Ridge, one can gaze over rolling hills, crisscrossing fields, villages scattered like stars, and the Liluo River resembling a belt, taking in the vast panoramic view. Looking back at "Ten-Thousand Fir Hollow," a dense fir forest blocks out the sun, shrouded in mist. Yangqi Mountain holds a strategically important location, dotted with ancient checkpoints in history. Examples include "Cold Granny Pass" at Cold Granny Ridge, "Tongqing Pass" at Huangni'ao, and "Anshan Pass" above the Xinba Reservoir, collectively known as the "Three Passes of Yangqi."

Yangqi Putong Temple is nestled within Yangqi Mountain, surrounded by rolling peaks, crystal-clear streams, verdant pines and cypresses, and graceful bamboos. The terrain resembles a green lotus flower blooming on the earth from heaven, with one petal seemingly shaped like a big-bellied Maitreya. The temple is located beneath the Maitreya’s navel, with a uniquely marvelous and unparalleled design.

Originally named Guangli Chan Temple, Yangqi Putong Temple was founded in the 12th year of the Tang Dynasty's Tianbao era (753) by Master Chengguang, a disciple of Shen Hui and the third-generation successor of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng. Twenty years later, Zhen Shu, a student of Mazu’s disciple, joined Chengguang to jointly promote Buddhist teachings, ushering in a period of flourishing. In the early years of the Song Dynasty's Qingli era (1041), it was renamed Putong Temple, established by Zen Master Yangqi Fanghui. It is the ancestral temple of the Yangqi School—one of the major branches under the Linji School of the Chan (Zen) Buddhism’s Five Houses and Seven Schools. Master Yangqi inherited the spiritual essence of the Buddha and ancestral patriarchs, elevating the then-established Linji Zen culture to its peak. He skillfully guided his students, adapting his teachings to their capacities, thereby founding the “Yangqi School of Zen,” which stood alongside Huinan’s “Huanglong School of Zen” as the two main branches of the Linji School. By the Southern Song Dynasty, the Yangqi School had grown immensely in influence, dominating the Chinese Zen community and extending beyond China to countries in Southeast Asia such as Japan and Korea, as well as to Europe and America. Its followers numbered over 2 million in Japan and Korea alone, with nearly 2 million in Japan. This fulfilled the prophecy of Master Ciming: “In time, your descendants will spread across the world.” Today, the Yangqi School has become the largest and most thriving branch of Zen Buddhism.

Today, the “Upside-Down Cypress” personally planted by Master Zhen Shu still stands tall under the sky. The ancestral stupa inscriptions and relic stupas remain intact. The calligraphy treasures of literary giants such as Liu Yuxi and Wang Guan are also preserved. Currently, the ancestral temple is undergoing restoration and reconstruction.

Yangqi Mountain features layered green ridges, majestic peaks, picturesque views in all seasons, and a pleasant climate, earning it the reputation of having "Twenty-Four Scenic Spots."

1. The Three Passes of Yangqi

Yangqi Mountain holds a strategically important location, dotted with ancient checkpoints. The "Cold Granny Pass" at Cold Granny Ridge, the "Tongqing Pass" at Huangni'ao, and the "Anshan Pass" above the Xinba Reservoir are collectively known as the "Three Passes of Yangqi." Anshan Pass is flanked by two towering peaks, with a flat top like a table. An ancient poem about Anshan Pass reads: “Where Chu borders Wu, front and back mountains align. Under peaceful skies, cloud shadows dance o’er the pass.”

2. Square Bamboo Grove

When speaking of Yangqi, one naturally thinks of the town’s treasured square bamboo. Research shows that there are various types of square bamboo worldwide, but this variety, which is square at the base and round toward the tip, resembling chopsticks, is unique to the area—hence called Yangqi Square Bamboo to distinguish it from others. Calling it a treasure is no exaggeration. Its marvel lies in its square joints and distinct edges, and it even sprouts shoots in midsummer. An ancient poet praised it: “By nature square, it showcases Heaven’s craft, Unlike common plants, it stands apart. Not seen in the Queen Mother’s fairy pools, But found in earthly paradises.”

If you have the chance to visit Yangqi, pay homage to the Buddha, and explore the ancestral sites, don’t miss the square bamboo. It mainly grows around the Meridian Spring and along the walls of Yanshui Cave, and a small grove has also been transplanted inside the temple.

3. Thousand Hills Field

East of the Yangqi Basin lie the Greater East Ridge and Lesser East Ridge, where terraced fields are staggered at varying heights. Some are as narrow as belts, others as small as well mouths, layer upon layer, crisscrossing each other. More remarkably, they shift in color with the seasons, resembling colorful ribbons fluttering in the wind. This is Thousand Hills Field, actually cultivated by the monks of Yangqi Putong Temple during its heyday.

It is said that the number of these fields is uncountable—you’ll either end up with 999 or 1001. Whoever manages to count them all is destined for great wealth and prosperity.

4. Peak Spring

Yangqi Mountain is abundant in high-quality water sources—even the mountaintop has them. The spring water flows year-round without ceasing. “Peak Spring” is located high in the mountains, its pool as clear as a cat’s eye, never drying up even in winter. Standing by the well, gazing down at the crystal-clear spring water and taking in the distant scenery is a truly uplifting experience. From the top of Peak Spring, you can see Qianggu Pond, which holds 600,000 cubic meters of water and is suitable for boating. Two small hills by the pond are called “Turtle Entering Water.” The pond’s water is as mirror-like as jade, with green mountains and bamboo reflected in its depths.

Yangqi Putong Temple has a long history and numerous cultural relics. Tang Dynasty steles, cypresses, and pagodas are protected as provincial-level cultural relics, possessing high artistic value.

Futian Town: A town under the jurisdiction of Shangli County. It belonged to Tongmu District in 1949, became Futian Commune in 1958, was restructured as a township in 1984, and upgraded to a town in 1991. Located in the southern part of the county, the town government is based in Futian, 29 kilometers from the county seat. It covers an area of 57.1 square kilometers with a population of 40,000. National Highway 319 passes through the town. It administers 19 village committees including Futian, Wenqi, Taohua, Qingxi, Dazi, Yuexing, Biantang, Zhanshan, Mingshan, Shuangyuan, Anquan, Changtang, Changan, Lianpi, Guangchong, Horticultural Farm, Tianzhong, Santi, and Xieshi, as well as three neighborhood committees: Futian, Xieshi, and Qingxi. Local enterprises include coal mining, papermaking, plastics... More detailed information about Futian Town ++

Further Reading:

· Ninth Batch of National Scenic Areas