The Marvelous Summit of Moding

The Marvelous Summit of Moding

Motian Ridge is the highest peak of Lianqing Mountain, with its main summit standing at an elevation of 603 meters. Whether you approach from the northern or southern foothills of Lianqing Mountain, an 8-kilometer climb will take you to this mountaintop. The peak is towering, with uniquely beautiful rocks, and the entire mountain is covered in lush forests. From the summit, you can watch the sunrise at dawn, admire the afterglow at dusk, gaze at the sea of clouds in summer, and overlook the dense woods, giving you the feeling of “floating among the clouds with all other mountains looking small.” There are many peculiar rocks at the summit. One granite boulder, with a diameter of about 100 meters, resembles a blooming lotus — which is also the origin of the name Lianqing Mountain (Lian meaning “lotus”). On the rock surface are five powerful characters inscribed by Wang Xizhi, the famed calligrapher of the Jin Dynasty: “Immortals Love Qingfeng Ridge.” On the eastern side of the summit lies a massive rock weighing approximately 300 tons, shaped like an immortal monk sitting cross-legged atop the cliff. Locals call it the “Half-Immortal Rock.”

Legend has it that in ancient times, there were two monks on the Immortal-Loving Peak of Lianqing — one old and one young — who often lived in the mountain collecting ginseng and celestial herbs for sustenance. Once, while the elder monk was away gathering herbs, the younger monk secretly ate the ginseng and ascended to immortality. When the elder returned and drank the ginseng soup, he transformed into the Half-Immortal Rock that remains on the mountain. Hiking northward along the summit of Motian Ridge, you can see attractions such as the Cool Horse Shed, Running Horse Ridge, Horse-Tying Stake, Horse-Drinking Spring, Tathagata Rock, Bathing Maiden Pool, and North Temple. The valley south of Motian Ridge is called Red Grass Valley, home to vast fields of wild reeds. In summer, the reeds are a sea of green; in autumn, they turn into a blanket of white fluff. It’s truly remarkable to see such dense reeds growing at such a high altitude. A poem praises Motian Peak: “Motian Ridge, ridge that scrapes the sky, the summit just three feet shy. Don’t credit Heaven’s wondrous art alone — reach this peak, and you’ll become divine too.”