Guifeng Scenic Area

Guifeng Scenic Area

Guifeng Scenic Area is a national scenic area, a National AAAAA Tourist Attraction, a national forest park, a national geopark, and a patriotic education base.

Guifeng is a national scenic area, located in the southwestern part of Yiyang County, Jiangxi Province, covering a total area of 136 square kilometers.

The Guifeng Scenic Area has three wonders: First, the unique landscape of tortoise-shaped danxia mountains, renowned as the “Finest Danxia of China and a Paradise of the Eastern Divine Tortoise,” where breathtaking peaks are found everywhere; second, the naturally formed cave shrines, where emerald waters meet crimson cliffs and clustered caves dot the landscape. The “No. 1 Buddhist Cave of China” Nan Yan (South Cliff), the ancient Chan (Zen) Buddhist temple Shuang Yan (Double Cliff), and the “Flying Traces of Yu the Great” Longmen Cliff are like three pearls embedded along the serene and graceful Longmen Lake. Ancient cave civilization relics can be found everywhere; third, the legendary figures of history, where the Die Shan Academy reflects the patriotic devotion of the iron-willed hero Xie Dieshan, the Fang Zhimin Memorial Hall showcases the boundless glory and pride of the Red Land, and the timeless Yueyang Opera from Yiyang sings endlessly of the legendary figures of the region. Guifeng combines the essence of nature, the charm of culture, and the grandeur, wonder, elegance, and beauty of famous mountains from around the world. It integrates five thousand years of history, religion, wellness, and folk culture into one, making it a rare earthly paradise and an infinitely charming tourist destination that has attracted generations of notable visitors. It has earned heartfelt praises such as “The Guifeng over the river is uniquely splendid in the world” (Ming Dynasty, Li Mengyao), “Its splendor rivals the majestic passes of the Great Wall” (Ming Dynasty, Gao Ming), “The earth’s greatest writings are gathered at Guifeng” (Shao Shiping, the first governor of Jiangxi Province), and “The wonder of Guifeng’s peaks is unmatched even by Mount Yandang” (Ming Dynasty, Xu Xiake).

Guifeng consists of two major scenic areas. The first is the Guifeng Scenic Area, a natural landform sightseeing zone, famous for its myriad shapes of tortoise-like danxia mountains. Major attractions include Twin Turtles Greeting Guests, Elderly Peak, Triple-Stacked Turtle Peak, Eagle Playing with Chickens, Child Worshipping Guanyin, Echo Valley, General’s Building, Fairy Scattering Flowers, Century Path, Eighteen Arhats, and Southern Sky Pillar. The highest peak is Camel Peak, standing at 418.6 meters above sea level, the tallest in the area. The uniquely shaped and vividly lifelike peaks and rocks have earned it the reputation of “Finest Danxia of China and a Paradise of the Eastern Divine Tortoise.”

Guifeng enjoys fresh air and lush trees. Surrounded by peaks, it forms a basin climate that is warm in winter and cool in summer. With moderate mountain heights and flat paths, it was historically used as a sanatorium, making it suitable for visits by the elderly and children. It is an ideal destination for leisure vacations, conferences, and convalescence.

The main routes in the Guifeng Scenic Area consist of five trails. Route A: Starting from Osmanthus Garden, passing through Clothes-Shaking Platform, Viewing Platform, One-Line Sky, Echo Valley to General’s Building. The tour takes about 40 minutes, with a relaxed pace and concentrated attractions, including iconic spots like Elderly Peak and Triple-Stacked Turtle Peak. There is a shortcut from General’s Building down to Osmanthus Garden. Route B: Starting from General’s Building, passing through Turtle Back Rock, ascending Eagle Playing with Chickens Peak, and descending via Heroes’ Slope. The tour takes about 1 hour and is relatively easy. The stairs up and down Eagle Playing with Chickens Peak are nearly 90 degrees, thrilling but safe—though those with acrophobia or heart conditions are advised to detour around the peak. All groups meet at the same endpoint. Heroes’ Slope features concentrated sights such as Tiger Chasing Sheep, Giant Elephant Peak, Lion Looking Back, and Waiting-for-Husband Peak, making it a great spot for photos. Route C: Starting from Heroes’ Slope, passing through Jade Rabbit Peak, Sacrificial Cliff, Eighteen Arhats, to Southern Sky Pillar, Queen Elizabeth Statue, and Alien Visitor. The tour takes about 1 hour, with greater physical exertion and more majestic, open views than Routes A and B. Route D: Starting from Southern Sky Pillar and Bashful Pig Peak, ascending to the highest peak, Camel Peak, then taking a boat from Qingshui Lake to the entrance of Guifeng. The tour takes about 3 hours, with high physical demand. It is recommended to climb in the morning, taking the boat from Qingshui Lake to the mountain foot first—the climb from the mountain back is easier than from the front. Route E: Starting from General’s Building, passing through Fairy Scattering Flowers and Century Path to the Outer Lake of Guifeng. The tour takes about 40 minutes and follows the route taken by Xu Xiake, the earliest known trail in Guifeng.

The second scenic area, Nan Yan Scenic Area, is a Buddhist cultural sightseeing zone, famous for its long-standing cave shrine culture. Main attractions include Nan Yan Temple, Longmen Lake, Wenxing Pagoda, and the Natural Mountain Reclining Buddha.

Nan Yan Temple has been a site of monastic practice since the Jin Dynasty, with temples built within natural giant rock caves. From the late Tang to early Song Dynasty, monks carved Buddha, Bodhisattva,

and Arhat statues into the cave walls. Over forty well-preserved statues remain today. These carvings, with their long history, complete content, logical layout, and exquisite craftsmanship, are considered the finest among single cave temples and have been hailed by experts as the “No. 1 Buddhist Cave of China.” It is listed as the “Second Most Important Stone Shrine in Southern China” in the Chinese Cultural Relics Dictionary.

Around Nan Yan Temple, there are twenty-two large and small natural caves scattered across the mountainside. Originally used as wartime storage by China National Materials Storage and Transportation Corporation, some have now been developed, including Buddha History Cave, Buddha Transmission Cave, and Guanyin Cave.

Longmen Lake was originally a small (Type 1) reservoir, completed in 1958, with a total capacity of 1.95 million cubic meters and a catchment area of 3.5 square kilometers. From above, the winding mountain range across the water resembles a giant dragon lying in the lake, hence the name. The lake water is clear and rippling. The natural mountain Reclining Buddha lies within it. The Reclining Buddha is 416 meters long and 68 meters wide. It was first discovered in August 2000 by the 10th Panchen Lama’s painter and National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference member Nyima Tsering, who named it after recognizing its striking resemblance to the reclining Nirvana statue of Sakyamuni Buddha. It was later slightly modified by Fujian’s Hui’an Stone Carving Factory to enhance its likeness.

Wenxing Pagoda stands atop the ancient Wuxi Ferry Mountain peak in the southwest of the county, at the confluence of the Ge River of the Xin River. Also called Pearl Tower, it was built during the Tianqi era of the Ming Dynasty. Literati praised it as “a brush piercing the sky, a golden whip rooted in the earth.” In ancient folklore, it was regarded as an auspicious object and a deity governing success and status. Legend says that studying here overnight before an exam could lead to success and fame. It was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution and rebuilt with public support starting in 2000. Construction began on October 26, 2001, was completed on December 26, 2002, and opened to the public on December 28.

Guifeng enjoys a superior location and convenient transportation. It borders Mount Sanqing to the east, Mount Wuyi to the south, Mount Longhu to the west, and Jingdezhen to the north, situated at the center of the “Three Mountains and One Capital” region, forming a captivating tourism corridor with them. It is 46 kilometers west of Yingtan Station, the railway hub of East China; 12 kilometers north of Yiyang East Station on the Zhejiang-Jiangxi Railway double track; 56 kilometers east of Shangrao Station and the world-famous Shangrao Concentration Camp; 9 kilometers from the Yiyang exit of the Liwen Expressway; and is directly accessible via National Highway 320 right to the scenic area entrance.

Scenic Area Honors

August 2010: Designated as a “World Natural Heritage Site”

November 2007: Designated as a “World Geopark”

April 2007: Designated as one of the first “National Geoparks”

January 2004: Designated as a “National Scenic Area”

November 2001: Designated as a “National AAAA-Level Tourist Area”

June 2001: Designated as a “National Patriotic Education Base”

December 2000: Designated as a “National Forest Park”

Address: Guifeng Town, south bank of the Xin River, southern Yiyang County, Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province.

Type: National Park, Geomorphology, Mountain, World Natural Heritage

Rating: AAAAA

Recommended Visit Duration: 3–5 hours

Phone: 0793-7112400

Official Website: http://www.guifengly.com/

Opening Hours:

7:00-18:00

Ticket Information:

The ticket is 60 RMB, plus 10 RMB for the sightseeing bus and 5 RMB for insurance.

Further Reading:

·Fifth Batch of National Key Scenic Spots

·32nd Batch of National 5A-Level Tourist Attractions (February 2017)