Lanling Wenfeng Mountain

Lanling Wenfeng Mountain

Lanling Wenfeng Mountain is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

Also known as Shenfeng Mountain. During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the Jin statesman Ji Sun Xingfu was buried here, hence it is also called Lüqing Mountain or Ji Mountain. It is located about 17 kilometers west of the county seat. Part of the Nishan Mountain Range, it runs from northeast to southwest, covering an area of 4.5 square kilometers, with the main peak at an elevation of 212 meters and general elevations around 150 meters. The mountain is composed of limestone and metamorphic rocks. The area features thousands of rugged cliffs and valleys, ancient cypresses towering above, beautiful scenery, and historic sites scattered throughout. It is also famed for the "Three Wonders of Wenfeng," which have become local legends. Often referred to as the "Little Mount Tai of Southern Shandong."

The mountain originally had numerous structures including the Upper Temple, Dragon King Tower, Ji Zi’s Tomb, Three Stars Hall, Eye Sight Hall, Three Pure Ones Taoist Temple, Guan Yu Temple, Mount Tai Palace, and Jade Emperor Pavilion. However, due to wars and battles over the dynasties, they have all been completely destroyed. About half a li up the mountainside lies the former site of the Lower Temple. In front of the temple stand two ancient ginkgo trees, one on the east and one on the west, about 9 meters apart, both over 20 meters tall, with thick trunks, lush foliage, and dark green canopies reaching the sky. The “Linyi County Annals” record: “In the early years of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty, the right tree was burned in a fire, charred and lifeless, but several years later it suddenly sprouted again and is now thriving as before.” There is also a stele from the tomb of Ji Wenzi, dating back to the Yuan Dynasty. To the east are the former sites of the Three Stars Hall and Guan Yu Temple. Behind the temple lies the tomb of Ji Wenzi, a minister of the Lu State during the Spring and Autumn period. Below the cliff is the Ji Wenzi Forest. To the west of the temple is the Dragon King Tower, also known as the “West Viewing Tower,” built in the second year of the Xianping era of the Northern Song Dynasty (999 AD), but no longer exists. Below the tower is a cave, and in the ravine is a spring, called “Dragon Spring,” also known as “Jade Spring.” The spring water is clear and cool, never drying up throughout the seasons.

To the west of the Dragon Spring, there is a winding path leading to the mountain top, consisting of 77 turns and 297 steps. The cliffs on both sides are steep as if cut by a knife, with pine and cypress trees shading the path overhead. Along the path are two pine trees: one grows out from a crevice in the rock, resembling a horse leaning sideways as if ready to be ridden, hence called the “Leaning Horse Pine”; the other sits atop a huge boulder, with its two main roots crossing and wedging into the cliff crevice, resembling someone riding a horse, thus named the “Riding Horse Pine.” On the cliff above, there are three vines that look like three giant pythons coiling around three ancient cypress trunks, known as “Vines Coiling Around Pines.” Beneath the cliff, among the rocks, there is a spring called “Qingkai Spring,” which flows only in clear weather during summer and autumn, and stops when it is cloudy. Even after days of rain, the spring does not flow — it only flows when the weather is clear.

Walking right along the stone steps leads to the Upper Temple, the former site of the Ji Wenzi Temple, the Three Sovereigns Temple, and the Three Pure Ones Taoist Temple. It is said that the Three Pure Ones area was once where the Qing Dynasty monk Yan Xun preached scriptures. To the east is the Fengxian Tower, with its foundation still remaining. Below the cliff is the Fengxian Cave, with neatly built stone walls inside and unfathomable depth. The “Linyi County Annals” state: “The deeper you go into the cave, the darker and more mysterious it becomes; its depths remain unexplored.” From here, looking south, you can see vast green fields stretching for miles, with the Jia River twisting like a belt; to the west, rolling mountains come into view, with peaks such as Shicheng Fort and Baodu Fort clearly visible. Looking closer at the eastern slope of the mountain, the white rocks glisten like snow — this is the “Divine Peak Snow Accumulation,” one of the ancient Eight Scenic Spots of Linyi. Behind the main peak, to the west of Shen Mountain, lie the ruins of the ancient Quanyuan Temple. The steep stone cliffs are called the Thousand Buddha Cliff, featuring over 100 cliff carvings, more than 20 of which are still well-preserved. These statues are in various poses, either sitting or lying down, in quaint and ancient styles, though their exact origins are unknown. Behind Quanyuan Temple, a spring gushes out from a crack in the rock, babbling loudly, flowing into a stream that winds its way into a large pool. The area around the pool is shaded by dense green trees, offering a uniquely tranquil atmosphere. Wenfeng Mountain is also an important revolutionary memorial site. On the mountain stands the Monument to the Martyrs of the Yinchang Tragedy, the tomb of Zhao Bo, Secretary of the Communist Party Committee of Southern Shandong, the tomb of Zeng Mingtao, Director of the Political Department of the 8th Division of the Shandong Military Region, and the tomb of Guo Yunfang, leader of the “Cangshan” movement. The Southern Shandong Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery is located at the southern foot of the mountain.