Chongren Shenlong Lake Scenic Area

Chongren Shenlong Lake Scenic Area

Chongren Shenlong Lake Scenic Area is a national AA-level tourist attraction.

Crystal-clear Waters and Verdant Mountains — Shenlong Lake (Shenlong Lake and Humaoshan are two names for the same scenic spot)

Scenic Spot Introduction: The Shenlong Lake Scenic Area boasts breathtaking scenery and a spring-like climate all year round. The site combines peculiar mountains, beautiful waters, strange rocks, hanging coffins, and ancient tombs, showcasing the unparalleled artistry of nature. It also features many fascinating legends and tales. The rolling mountains stretch for dozens of miles, encircling the renowned Humaoshan Reservoir, often likened to a “Mini Three Gorges.” It’s an ideal destination for enjoying mountain and water scenery and immersing oneself in the culture of landscape.

Overview: Humaoshan is located seven kilometers from the county town, in Guofangzhen Village, Guofu Township. This area features stunning scenery, with the site encompassing beautiful waters, strange rocks, and hanging coffins. It now includes the Humaoshan Reservoir, often compared to a “Mini Three Gorges.” Construction of the Humaoshan Reservoir began in October 1955 and was completed the following October, at a cost of 290,000 yuan, making it the first small (Type I) model reservoir built in Fuzhou at the time. The main dam is 17 meters high, with a water storage capacity of 11 million cubic meters and a water depth of 10 meters. Additionally, there are two auxiliary dams, located in Shanbeicun and Humaoshan. There is one main canal, along with left and right branch canals — the left branch is 14.5 kilometers long, and the right branch is 12 kilometers long. Flowing from west to east through Chengjia, Xiawu, Guanqiao, Ganjia, Guofu, Dongbian in Guofu Township, and Rufang, Meifang, Aifang in Liujiaqiao Township, it irrigates an area of 14,500 mu. In 2010, nearly 30 million yuan was invested to reinforce the main and auxiliary dams and to construct an impressive water-saving irrigation system. The now-completed Humaoshan Holiday Resort is also situated here.

Beautiful Legend: Legend has it that hundreds of years ago, a monk, following the fall of the Song Dynasty, burned down Xilin Temple, which was located outside the Balin Gate of the then-county town, and fled to Humaoshan. In the mountains, he discovered a large stone cave that was warm in winter and cool in summer — no need for a fan in summer or a blanket in winter — so he chose to live in seclusion there until his passing. Later generations named this cave “Dashilou” (The Big Stone Tower). Since then, monks have continued to live in seclusion in Dashilou until the late 1960s, when the last Qing Dynasty monk also passed away here.

Beautiful Mountains and Clear Waters (Chongren Humaoshan).jpg

Scenic Layout:

[Dragon-Tiger Mountain] — The mountain is bluish-brown in color, winding and coiling, resembling a giant dragon about to soar into the sky. Legend says this mountain was formed when the Green Dragon and White Tiger fought to a draw and transformed into stone.

[Dashilou (The Big Stone Tower)] — After passing through the “Mini Three Gorges” and disembarking, climb a hillside covered with lush bamboo and breathtaking scenery, and not far ahead lies “Dashilou.” The rock face splits in the middle, extending inward and suspended, resembling a tower with an area of 100 square meters. At the mouth of the “tower,” characters reading “Dashilou” are carved into the rock, each character two meters square, with bold and divine brushwork. Inside the “tower,” there remains a stone bed once slept on by monks, a stone stove used for survival, and a bottomless cliff cave connected to the outside world only by a tiny hole. Explorers who crawled through the hole unexpectedly discovered the fossil of a young deer, adding to the site’s genuine mystery. Outside the “tower,” spring water drips year-round like scattered pearls, yet the area beneath the tower remains dry all year — a true feng shui treasure.

[Echoing Stone] — In front of the “tower” lies a resonant rock. When struck with a foot, it emits a deep thudding sound, like a distant melody. This rock is called the “Echoing Stone.”

[Thunder-Split Stone] — Further along the mountain path, you’ll see a giant rock that appears to have been split by lightning, known as the “Thunder-Split Stone,” a testament to heaven’s power to vanquish evil. Legend says that hundreds of years ago, during the Ming Dynasty, a scholar and his cousin were traveling to the capital for imperial exams. On their way back, caught in a sudden downpour, they took shelter under a cliff. Suddenly, a clap of thunder split the cliff in two, instantly killing the cousin, who had been disrespectful to his parents. The scholar, who had lost his parents at a young age and suffered bullying from his cousin, emerged unharmed and later achieved top honors in the exams, becoming an upright and virtuous official. He was Wu Daonan, Minister of Rites and Grand Secretary of the Eastern Library during the Ming Dynasty.

[Longevity Spring] — Exiting the valley, the path beneath your feet seems to suddenly break apart, with the collapsed cliff revealing a crevice from which a clear spring flows. It is said this spring has never dried up in a thousand years. Legend has it that one year, a plague swept through the region, claiming countless lives. The Bodhisattva Guanyin, taking pity, sprinkled a few drops of holy water from her pure vase, which turned into this spring. After drinking from it, the locals were cured of disease and lived long, healthy lives. Hence, the spring was named the “Longevity Spring.”

[Cliff Coffins] — Beyond the “Longevity” Spring, you can admire the hanging coffins, also known as cliff coffins. In December 2005, researchers discovered over 90 hanging coffins halfway up the cliffs at an altitude of 600 meters on the bizarre rocky terrain of Humaoshan. Experts preliminarily determined that these coffins mostly date back to the Ming Dynasty. These cliff coffins have given the area a name that is both ancient and evocative — the Cliff Coffin Cave. The scattered coffins are housed on cliffs that are close to the heavens yet far from the earth, with no paths for apes or birds — a sight that sparks the imagination. There are also naturally formed wonders such as the “One-Line Sky,” the solitary “Millstone Mountain,” and the mysterious “Stone Bodhisattva Cave,” all of which are a feast for the eyes. Faced with such mystical and dreamlike landscapes, visitors can’t help but feel refreshed and awed by the beauty of nature.