Yingtan Longhu Mountain

Yingtan Longhu Mountain

Yingtan Longhu Mountain is a national scenic area, a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction, a national geopark, and a science education base.

Longhu Mountain is located in Guixi City, about 20 kilometers southwest of Yingtan City, Jiangxi Province, and is the ancestral home of the Zhengyi School of Taoism. In the mid-Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhang Ling, the founder of the Zhengyi School, once refined elixirs here. Legend has it that “when the elixir was completed, a dragon and a tiger appeared, and the mountain was thus named.” According to Taoist scriptures, Zhang Ling’s fourth-generation descendant, Zhang Sheng, had already come to settle in Longhu Mountain during the Three Kingdoms or Western Jin period. Since then, descendants of the Celestial Masters have lived on Longhu Mountain for over 1,900 years, spanning 63 generations. On August 2, 2010, Beijing time, Longhu Mountain and Guifeng were jointly inscribed on the UNESCO World Natural Heritage List.

Longhu Mountain

Longhu Mountain

Longhu Mountain is located about 20 kilometers southwest of the suburbs of Yingtan City, Jiangxi Province. Originally named Yunjin Mountain, in the mid-Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhang Ling (also known as the First Celestial Master), the founder of Taoism, refined elixirs here. “When the elixir was completed, a dragon and a tiger appeared, and the mountain was thus named,” making Longhu Mountain the birthplace of Taoism in China. Since Zhang Ling, 63 generations of Taoist Celestial Masters have succeeded here over 1,900 years, making it the longest single-family lineage in Chinese Taoism. It is often referred to alongside Confucius in the north as “Confucius in the North, Zhang in the South.” The great Shangqing Palace, revered as the “Ancestral Court of Taoism” and the “Place Where All Deities Receive Their Roles,” was built during the Eastern Han Dynasty as the cultivation site of the founding Celestial Master, Zhang Daoling. Longhu Mountain once had 91 Taoist palaces, 81 temples, 50 monasteries, 24 halls, and 36 courtyards. Most of these structures no longer exist, but parts of the grand Shangqing Palace and the “Sihanzong Celestial Master Mansion,” the residence of successive Celestial Masters, still remain.

Longhu Mountain

The Longhu Mountain scenic area spans approximately 200 square kilometers, mainly distributed along both banks of the Luxi River (also known as the Shangqing River), boasting beautiful scenery. There are 99 peaks, 66 cliffs, 108 natural and cultural attractions, over 20 sacred wells, elixir pools, flowing springs, and waterfalls. Longhu Mountain is famous for Taoism and made mystical by the Luxi River. The scenic area features red cliffs, emerald waters, peculiar peaks, strange rocks, beautiful mountains, graceful waters, lush flowers, and dense forests. There are also large-scale cliff tombs from the Warring States period, rich in relics, making it a popular destination for exploration. The long-standing Taoist culture, the unique green waters and danxia landforms, and the vast array of cliff tombs together form the “three wonders” of the natural and cultural landscapes of the Longhu Mountain scenic tourism area.

Transportation to Longhu Mountain is very convenient, offering great ease for visitors. Moreover, it borders Mount Wuyi to the east, and connects to Huangshan, Mount Lu, and the porcelain capital of Jingdezhen to the north, allowing for easy multi-site travel combinations.

Scenic Spot Location

Luxi River, Yingtan, Jiangxi Province

Website: http://www.longhushan.com.cn/

Address: No. 1 Longhu Mountain Avenue, Yingtan City, Jiangxi Province, Postal Code: 335004

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of National Scenic Areas

Guixi Tianmen Mountain Ecological Tourist Area

Xianshuiyan

Doushu Palace

Fairy Rock

Immortal Wind Bridge

Old Taoist Rock