Humaoshan Reservoir

Humaoshan Reservoir

Humaoshan Reservoir is located 12 li from Chongren County town, with a catchment area of 18 square kilometers, a dam base of 19 meters, an effective water storage capacity of 8.74 million cubic meters, and a water surface covering 1,200 mu. It is classified as a medium-sized reservoir. The deepest part of the reservoir reaches 14 meters. With abundant water sources and crystal-clear, unpolluted water, it allows for boating and fishing year-round. In winter, wild ducks, egrets, and swans often choose this spot to winter, while in summer visitors can enjoy swimming and the reservoir opens up a natural bathing beach. The reservoir area features numerous islands, high mountains, and lush forests, with stunning surrounding scenery. Major attractions include Dashilou, Mopanshan, Yixiantian (Shiziling), Immortal Spring, Big and Small Three Gorges, Tianqiao, and Guanyin Seal.

Suspended Coffins

According to local legend, there are 99 peaks in the reservoir, one of which resembles a bell tower and is thus called "Dashilou" (Big Stone Tower). On top of Dashilou sits a temple known as "Nanjing Temple," beneath which lies a coffin cliff stretching 130 meters long, 8 meters wide, and 30 meters high. Ninety-nine suspended coffins are covered by green vines and leaves, but unfortunately, only three or four remain relatively intact due to human damage. Some well-preserved skulls and bones lie scattered among the weeds, with clearly visible skeletal remains strewn across the ground. The coffins are made of dry wood and have survived hundreds of years on the cliffs without rotting. The coffins are not large and somewhat resemble boats in shape. A local folk rhyme goes: "To the east of Shilou stretches a long corridor, sunbaked and windblown, untouched by rain or frost. For millennia the spirits have moved on, yet hundreds of bones gleam cold. By Lion Rock Lake the trees stand tall, and toward the clouds the horses raise their heads. In ancient times our forebears tilled the land with might." Why did locals build such peculiar "sky burial sites"? And how were these coffins placed on the steep cliffs during those times of slash-and-burn farming? These remain unsolved mysteries to this day.

Major Attractions:

[Longhushan Mountain] — The mountain is bluish-brown in color, winding and twisting like a giant dragon about to soar into the sky. Legend has it that this mountain was formed when the Green Dragon and White Tiger fought to a draw and transformed into stone. On the southern cliff of Longhushan, there are red-painted characters reading "Longhu" (Dragon and Tiger), which have existed for several hundred years. When viewed from the east, Longhushan resembles a reclining lion, hence it is also called Shiziling (Lion Peak). During the dry season, Shiziling connects with Dashilou.

[Yixiantian (One-Line Sky)] — Yixiantian is a natural tunnel within Shiziling, stretching over 60 meters long, 2 meters high, and less than 1 meter wide. Regarding the origin of Shiziling, villagers say it represents a pair of lion lovers who opened during the day and closed at night. They were struck in half by lightning after trampling crops on the way to Yihuang. Ming Dynasty's Minister of Rites and Grand Secretary of the Eastern Hall, Wu Daonan, once took shelter here from the rain and emerged unscathed despite thunderbolts, while his disrespectful cousin was killed by lightning. Legend says that those who committed evil deeds in life will find the tunnel shrinking as their coffins pass through, preventing passage. However, the learned, virtuous, and filial can pass through easily regardless of coffin size.

[Dashilou (Big Stone Tower)] — After passing through the "Little Three Gorges" and landing ashore, climb a hillside covered with lush bamboo and breathtaking scenery, and not far ahead lies Dashilou. The mountain rock splits in the middle, extending inward and hanging in midair, resembling a tower with an area of 100 square meters. At the entrance of the "tower," the words "Dashilou" are carved on the rock, each character two meters square, bold and divinely brushed. Inside the "tower," there remains a stone bed once slept on by monks, a stone stove used for survival, and an unfathomably deep cliff cave connected to the outside world only by a tiny hole. Explorers who crawled through the hole unexpectedly discovered a fossilized deer, adding to the site’s mysterious aura. Outside the "tower," spring water drips year-round like scattered pearls, yet the area below remains dry all year, making it a true feng shui treasure.

Legend has it that hundreds of years ago, a monk, distraught over the fall of the Song Dynasty, burned down Xilin Temple located outside the Balin Gate of the then-county town and fled to Humaoshan. There, he discovered a large cave that remained warm in winter and cool in summer—no need for a fan in summer or blankets in winter—and chose to live in seclusion until his death. Later generations named the cave "Dashilou." Since then, monks continued to live in seclusion in Dashilou until the late 1960s, when the last Qing Dynasty monk passed away here.

[Echoing Stone] — In front of the "tower" lies a resonant stone. When tapped with a foot, it emits a drum-like sound, like a distant melody. This stone is called the "Echoing Stone."

[Thunder-Split Stone] — Further along the mountain path, you’ll see a massive rock that appears to have been split by lightning, known as the "Thunder-Split Stone," a testament to heaven’s punishment of evil. Legend says that hundreds of years ago, a Ming Dynasty scholar and his cousin were traveling to the capital for imperial exams. Returning in heavy rain, they sought shelter under the cliff. Suddenly, a thunderbolt split the cliff in two, instantly killing the cousin for his lack of filial piety. The orphaned scholar, who had suffered bullying from his cousin, survived unharmed and later achieved success in the imperial examinations, becoming an upright and honorable official. He was none other than Ming Dynasty’s Minister of Rites and Grand Secretary of the Eastern Hall, Wu Daonan.

[Longevity Spring] — Emerging from the valley, the path before you seems to abruptly break apart, with the cliff collapsing into a crevice from which a clear spring flows. It is said this spring has never dried up in a thousand years. Legend tells of a year when a plague ravaged the region, claiming countless lives. Guanyin, taking pity, sprinkled a few drops of holy water from her vase, which turned into this spring. After drinking from it, locals were cured of illness and lived long, healthy lives. Thus, the spring was named "Longevity Spring."

[Cliff Coffins] — Beyond the "Longevity" Spring, you can admire the suspended coffins, also known as cliff coffins. In December 2005, researchers discovered over 90 suspended coffins halfway up the cliffs of Guai Shi Yan (Strange Stone Cliff) at an altitude of 600 meters on Humaoshan. Experts preliminarily determined that these coffins mostly date back to the Ming Dynasty. These cliff coffins gave rise to the nearby name "Yanguan Cave" (Cliff Coffin Cave). The scattered coffins are situated on cliffs that are close to the heavens yet far from the earth, with no paths for apes or birds.

It stirs the imagination. Of course, there’s also the lonely craftsmanship of "Mopanshan" (Millstone Mountain) and the mysterious "Stone Buddha Cave." The wonders are endless. Faced with such mystical and dreamlike landscapes, visitors can’t help but feel refreshed and deeply appreciative of nature’s beauty.