Wuan Mountain

Wuan Mountain

Wuan Mountain Scenic Area is located on the southern side of Yushan County in Jiangxi Province and serves as a transportation hub for trips to Mount Sanqing. The scenic area covers an area of approximately 5 square kilometers.

Wuan Mountain, also known as Tower Mountain, features lush forests at its base, where ancient temples and tombs are nestled among the trees. The Bingxi River meanders like a ribbon at the foot of the mountain, encircling the ancient city of Wuyue. Along the riverbanks lie stretches of greenery and rows of stilted buildings. Moreover, there are ancient city walls and floating bridges that retain an old-world charm. The renowned modern writer Yu Dafu once visited Yushan County. Standing on the high bank of Yuhong Bridge in the southeast of the county town and looking northwest, he saw the Bingxi River winding around the city, with rows of Ming and Qing dynasty buildings along the riverbank, their reflections shimmering in the water like a celestial street. Wooden boats shuttled across the water, bamboo rafts floated by, and the waterwheels, mills, and long embankments on Guojiazhou created a scene akin to a three-dimensional ink painting. In his essay "Glories of the Ice Age," he referred to this view as the “Venice of the East.”

Major attractions within the scenic area include the Tomb of Yan Liben, Puning Temple, Duanming Academy, Jingde Guild Hall, the Examination Shed, and Wen Cheng Pagoda.

Tomb of Yan Liben

The Tomb of Yan Liben is situated on the northeastern slope of Wuan Mountain, about 100 meters from Puning Temple, facing northeast. Yan Liben was a native of Yongzhou Wannian (present-day Xi’an, Shaanxi) during the Tang Dynasty and served as the Zhongshu Ling (equivalent to Prime Minister). He excelled in painting, particularly in depicting figures, carriages, pavilions, and was especially skilled in portraiture. His brushwork was bold and vigorous, and he had a remarkable ability to capture personality and expression. His portraits of Emperor Taizong and the “Twenty-Four Meritorious Officials of the Lingyan Pavilion” were highly praised in his time. The surviving “Procession of the Imperial Sedan Chair” is believed to be his work. After Empress Wu Zetian came to power, he was demoted and came to Yushan to live in seclusion. He set up a study to read near the warm waters of Sanshan to the left and purchased Nanzhuang in Wudu. Later, he donated his residence to be converted into Puning Temple; the place where he studied became Zhimen Temple, and Nanzhuang was turned into Puyuan Chan Monastery. In 673 AD, Yan Liben passed away, and monks from Puning Temple built his tomb behind the temple. The site now preserves a stele erected during the Qing Qianlong era, inscribed with “Tomb of Yan Liben, the Lay Patron of This Temple and Prime Minister of the Great Tang,” with smaller characters on the left reading: “Erected anew on a propitious day in the 15th year of the Qianlong reign, winter month. Resident monk Xintian of Puning Temple and the monastic community jointly erected this stone.” The tomb is surrounded on three sides by green mountains, with lush trees and a stream flowing in front, offering an elegant, simple, and solemn atmosphere. It was designated as a provincial-level cultural relics protection unit in 1984.

Puning Temple

Puning Temple (also known as Shuinan Temple) is located at the northern foot of Wuan Mountain. Originally covering a vast area with magnificent architecture, the temple was rebuilt during the Zongzhang era of the Tang Dynasty by monks Liuzu, Fasi, and Zhichang using the residence donated by Yan Liben. During the Song Dynasty, the temple housed over a hundred rooms, including the Heavenly King Hall, Mahavira Hall, and Guanyin Hall, covering more than 30 acres with over 160 monks, enjoying great prosperity. It was later destroyed three times. By the 13th year of the Republic of China (1924), Monk Fasen rebuilt the temple. In the 31st year of the Republic of China, during the Japanese invasion of the county town, the temple was almost completely burned down. It was later partially reconstructed by Monk Yongxiu, who rebuilt the rear hall. On the eve of liberation, the temple still had 27 monks. It gradually fell into disrepair but has been recently restored through donations from monks and laypeople, reviving its incense offerings and becoming a popular destination for sightseers.

Duanming Academy

Duanming Academy is located on the eastern foothills of Wuan Mountain. It was the site where Wang Yingchen, a grand scholar of the Duanming era in the Song Dynasty, lectured. A native of Yushan, Wang Yingchen achieved the top score in the imperial examination in 1135 (the 5th year of the Shaoxing era) and was bestowed the name Yingchen by imperial decree. At the time, when the Jin army invaded from the south threatening the Southern Song, Qin Hui held significant power and sought peace negotiations with the Jin. Wang Yingchen strongly advocated resisting the Jin and remonstrated candidly with the emperor. Qin Hui, displeased, slandered him, resulting in Wang’s demotion. After Emperor Xiaozong ascended the throne, he admired Wang Yingchen’s character and talent, appointing him to reform court malpractices. Wang Yingchen achieved remarkable political accomplishments, rising to the position of Hanlin Academician of the Duanming Hall, was ennobled as the Founding Male of Yushan, and later promoted to Marquis of Shangrao. In his later years, he returned home to give lectures, founded Duanming Academy, and established school fields. In the 57th year of the Qianlong reign, Duanming Academy was relocated to the site of the former Suihan Nunnery (to the left of Puning Temple) on the eastern foothills of Wuan Mountain, south of the Bingxi River. The academy had three rooms on each side, with the lecture hall at the front facing the Bingxi River. Inside the entrance to the left was the examination warehouse, and to the right the administrative office. Behind the two corridors were five rooms each for book storage, and four rooms in the northwest corner. It was later destroyed twice and underwent several reconstructions. Its current scale remains largely preserved, with most of the structures still intact.

Examination Shed

The Examination Shed is located on the eastern side of Baoqing Bridge along Hutang in the county town. Built in the 57th year of the Qianlong reign (1792), it collapsed and was rebuilt on the original site in the 18th year of the Daoguang reign (1838). It was later destroyed in warfare and reconstructed again in the 6th year of the Tongzhi reign (1867). The compound features two rows of gray-brick houses facing each other from east to west, each with 25 double rooms. Between the two rows is a 75-meter-long, 3-meter-wide passageway, with symmetrical halls at both the northern and southern ends, offering a total usable area of approximately 1,085 square meters.

Jingde Guild Hall

The Jingde Guild Hall is located on the eastern side of Xinjian Road in Bingxi Town, the county seat. It was established in the 23rd year of the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty (1813) by cloth merchants from Jingde, Anhui who were residing in Yushan. It was renovated in the 26th year of the Guangxu reign (1900). The guild hall is over two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) tall and stands impressively. It has two sections, with six square stone pillars and 20 round stone pillars; the rear hall has four large wooden pillars. The rear section consists of three-bay side rooms, with a small courtyard in the center, side rooms alongside, and a covered corridor. In the 26th year of the Guangxu reign, Jiang Zhiyi, a Shujin scholar from the Hanlin Academy, inscribed a commemorative stele for the guild hall. After renovation in 1983, the buildings were restored to their original glory, and the stele remains. It now serves as the county museum, housing 179 authentic calligraphy and painting works by notable figures such as Wen Tianxiang of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Mengfu of the Yuan Dynasty, Wen Zhengming of the Ming Dynasty, and Zhu Da, Qianlong, and Lan Ying of the Qing Dynasty. There are also 327 ancient artifacts and utensils made of stone, bronze, jade, and ceramics from various periods since the Shang and Zhou dynasties, all finely crafted and considered exceptional pieces.

Wen Cheng Pagoda

Wen Cheng Pagoda is located on Huilong Mountain, 5 kilometers west of the county town. It was first built in the 21st year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty (1593). It collapsed in the 19th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1680) and was rebuilt in the 37th year of the Qianlong reign (1772), making it over 220 years old. The pagoda stands 41.4 meters tall, has seven levels and six sides, with each level being 5.8 meters tall and 5.1 meters wide, and walls 2.35 meters thick. The lower levels have doors, with stairs inside and viewing windows. The pagoda used a total of 240,000 bricks, 250,000 pounds of lime, 5,000 stones, 2,000 pounds of iron, and cost 8,500 taels of silver. The stone stele at the top of the pagoda door is inscribed with the characters “Wen Cheng Pagoda,” with the left corner marked “Made in the Year of Renchen, Qianlong Reign.” The pagoda structure is well-preserved, simple and majestic, and has long been a favorite spot for literati and poets. It is now listed as a provincial-level cultural relics protection unit.

Bingxi Subdistrict: Bingxi Subdistrict is located on the banks of the Bingxi River, upstream of the Xin River, in the county seat of Yushan. The subdistrict currently covers a total area of 55.5 square kilometers, with 847 hectares of arable land, 856 hectares of mountainous land, and 221 hectares of water area. It administers 15 community neighborhood committees and 10 agricultural administrative villages. The permanent population totals 153,300, including 24,200 agricultural residents. The subdistrict Party Working Committee oversees 6 general branches and 60 Party branches, with 2,223 Party members. … More detailed information about Bingxi Subdistrict ++