Guixi Yuntai Mountain

Guixi Yuntai Mountain

According to the "Compilation of Information on Longhu Mountain Scenic Area," "In the late Eastern Han Dynasty (124 AD), Zhang Daoling, the founder of Taoism, came to Yuntai Mountain to practice Taoism, cultivate skills, gather herbs, and refine elixirs. He built a temple at the mountaintop for practicing and lodging." As a result, Yuntai Mountain became one of the thirteen scenic spots of Shangqing Longhu Mountain. By the Tang Dynasty, statues of the three immortal maidens—Bai, Li, and Huang—were already enshrined in the temple. As Bai, Li, and Huang were Taoist immortals, Yuntai Mountain became a famous Taoist mountain.

The main peak of Yuntai Mountain stands at an elevation of 858.2 meters, towering alone while all other peaks lie beneath it. Surrounded by mountains, including West Mountain, Miaogu Mountain, Yingtian Mountain, Wutai Mountain, and Tianhua Mountain, Yuntai Mountain is embraced as if it were a pillar reaching the heavens. From the summit, you can gaze in all directions and feel as though all other mountains are small. To the east lies the Ling Mountain of Shangrao, rising sharply and ethereally picturesque, while below is the Guyue Peak of Yiyang, its proud neck and back vividly lifelike. To the southeast, Tianhua Mountain faces you squarely, resembling a brocade screen. Every spring and summer morning, clouds and mist envelop the mountain like surging ocean waves. As the sun rises, the morning light glows brilliantly, and the moon shines brightly in the sky with golden rays flooding everywhere. Being there feels like standing amidst a sea of clouds and fog, giving you a sensation of soaring above the void, hence the name "Yuntai Mountain."

In the second year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty (1737), Emperor Qianlong visited the south and composed a poem spontaneously after touring here: “After the rain, leaning on the railing, three hundred li, Poyang Lake in sight. Leisurely viewing the ridge stones, thousands of specks, stars strewn across the chest.” He also inscribed the words “Imperially Bestowed Yuntai Mountain,” which were engraved on a stone tablet that remains preserved to this day. By the Xianfeng period of the Qing Dynasty, large-scale construction was carried out, and the temple became extremely magnificent, designed in the style of ancient palatial architecture. The surrounding walls were built with stone, and bricks were laid over the roof ridges. It was divided into two main sections, upper and lower. The upper section was the Taoist hall (Immortal Maidens’ Hall), uniquely constructed in the architectural style of the Sui Dynasty using square granite blocks arched into vaults. The lower section was the Guanyin Hall, also known as the Buddhist hall, which could accommodate hundreds of worshippers for prayers at the same time. The “Hundred Children Lantern” ritual was held here annually. The Taoist and Buddhist halls housed exquisitely carved statues of deities, with various floral patterns and designs painted in gold and cinnabar. The halls also featured glass screens, and the central roofs of both temples were covered with dome-shaped structures. The pillars and walls were all coated in crimson paint. The entire temple was serene and tranquil, filled with the lingering fragrance of incense, creating a uniquely immersive atmosphere... Unfortunately, on the first day of winter in the 35th year of the Republic of China (1946), too many worshippers who had come to observe the “winter vigil” accidentally caused a fire, reducing both precious halls to ashes. Only the stone tablet inscribed with Emperor Qianlong’s imperial calligraphy “Imperially Bestowed Yuntai Mountain” remained.

Led by Mei Qisheng, a descendant of the original Yuntai Mountain Taoists, efforts were made to revive and rebuild the temple. People contributed labor and materials, and by 1982, a small four-room temple was completed. In the following years, the number of worshippers increased steadily, and by 1991, a more expansive simple temple covering a total area of over 600 square meters with more than twenty rooms was erected on the original site of the ancient temple. As the number of worshippers grew, Yuntai Mountain Temple gradually developed further, with evening drums and morning bells, and flourishing incense offerings.

Yuntai Mountain boasts beautiful scenery, with numerous uniquely shaped and vividly lifelike strange peaks and rocks. There are 28 such scenic spots, not only rich in symbolic naming but also with quite moving legends.

For example, the legend of the “Self-Sacrifice Cliff” says that self-sacrifice can save one’s mother. Before sacrificing oneself, one must fast for forty-nine days, pray every evening by burning incense, abstain from marital relations and cleanse the body, then worship the immortals and self-sacrifice. In the early 1940s, there were two individuals who self-sacrificed to save their mothers, and both survived and returned home afterward.

At the mountaintop lies a rock originally called the Rooster Rock. Legend has it that the Rooster Rock once had a beak and could crow, but because it often led the villagers’ domesticated chickens to the fields to eat crops, the villagers complained bitterly. The matter came to the attention of the heavenly gods, who sent the Thunder God to cut off its beak. Since then, the rooster no longer crows and can no longer harm the villagers. Today, the rooster can only stand silently atop Yuntai Mountain.

Another example is the “Fertility Rock.” Legend says that couples who come to the temple to pray for children, standing four or five feet in front of the cave and facing away from it, can throw copper coins (an ancient currency) or stones under their legs into the cave. If they succeed three times in a row, they will be blessed with a child.

There are too many such scenic wonders to list... Therefore, the following are the twenty-eight scenic spots specially attached:

1. Dragon Beard Gorge 2. Rooster Rock 3. Self-Sacrifice Cliff 4. Fertility Rock 5. Dressing Table 6. Breeze Cave 7. Footbasin Rock 8. Gate Tower Rock 9. Saddle Rock 10. Immortal’s Footprint 11. Horse Hoof Print 12. Immortal’s Jar 13. Monkey Rock 14. Ruyi Peak 15. Wukong Peak 16. Guanyin Rock 17. Thunder God Rock 18. Sacred Path Rock 19. Scripture-Chanting Rock 20. Writing Brush Rock 21. Weather-Rocking Platform 22. White Crane Rock 23. Elephant Head Rock 24. Lion Rock 25. Millstone Rock 26. Immortal’s Tomb 27. Narrow Heaven’s Crevice 28. Immortal Lady Rock

Yuntai Mountain is rich in animal and plant resources. There are nearly a hundred species of birds and thirty to forty species of mammals, commonly including wild boars, deer, water deer, goats, pheasants, monkeys, and more. The mountains are covered with green bamboo, wildflowers, and wild fruits, not only evergreen all year round but also blooming with flowers throughout the seasons. In spring and summer, there are mountain pear blossoms and azaleas in red, yellow, and blue. In autumn, there are golden needle flowers, camellias, wild chrysanthemums, and fiery red maple leaves. In winter, there are wintersweet blossoms. It is truly a natural grand garden. There are nearly 400 species of plants, including rare tree species such as Huangshan pine, metasequoia, and southern yew. Walking through the mountain valleys, you are greeted by the breeze, fragrant flowers, birdsongs, and the cheerful chirping of cicadas. Observing the sea of clouds and sunrise from the mountaintop inspires a sense of openness. With its uniquely natural scenery and pleasant climate—especially cool in summer, with an average mountain temperature between 18-25 degrees Celsius—it is an ideal destination for leisure, tourism, and summer retreat.

Source: Yingtan Municipal People's Government