Wuhu Mountain Hunting Ground

Wuhu Mountain Hunting Ground

The Chengde Mountain Resort features the Mulan Paddock, where Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty went on autumn hunts. Correspondingly, located deep within the pass, about 1 kilometer south of the Erbozi section along the Sanfu Line, lies Wuhu Mountain — the imperial hunting ground where Emperor Kangxi conducted his winter hunts.

Wuhu Mountain, originally named Jiushan (Nine Mountains), once had nine peaks lined up along the northern bank of the Luan River, with nine springs flowing down into the river, resembling nine silver dragons playing in the water. To the north of the mountain lies a key transportation route — Miyakou Pass. According to the Yongping Prefecture Records, in the 10th year of Kangxi’s reign (1671 AD), the mountain paths were rugged and difficult to traverse. A merchant named Duan Wende from Jiexiu County in Shanxi donated millet to fund the road construction for the convenience of travelers, and thus the pass was named Miyakou (Millet Pass). Afterwards, Emperor Kangxi passed through this pass 14 times to hunt on Jiushan, all of which are recorded in historical annals. This pass served as the main route to the Nine Mountains.

According to the Qianxi County Records, in October of the 28th year of Kangxi’s reign (1689), while escorting the coffin of Empress Xiaoyi Ren to the Eastern Qing Tombs, the emperor heard that ferocious tigers were roaming Jiushan and attacking people. The benevolent emperor traveled to Miyakou and hunted on Jiushan but did not succeed in killing any tigers. In December of the 30th year of his reign, he returned, stayed for seven days, and successfully hunted five tigers. He then issued an edict renaming Jiushan as Wuhu Mountain (Five Tigers Mountain). A poem by Zhang Taifu, an educational official from Qian’an County during the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty, reads: “In those days, the imperial chariot descended from the heavens, with cloud-like banners and feathered cavalries filling the mountain recesses. The vast hills and fields were covered with hunting nets, when suddenly a white-tusked tiger dashed forth like wind and thunder. With his divine Hu-style bow and summer-feathered arrows, he fired again and again, splattering blood like rain. By using the ‘three drives’ hunting method, five tigers were captured. The cheers of ‘Long live the Emperor!’ rang out among millions. The benevolent emperor, in his great mercy, called off the exhaustive hunt, and his pleased countenance led to the mountain retaining its new name...” This illustrates how spectacular the hunting scenes were in those days. Today, Wuhu Mountain remains shaded by pine forests and filled with the continuous sound of rustling woods. As you venture into the mountain, the sound of the wind often blends with what sounds like tiger roars and birdsongs. For those adventurous visitors, every shot might yield a catch. If you take a break from hunting, you can also explore the wonders of an underground palace. Wuhu Mountain was honored throughout the land for recording the virtuous deeds of the Sage Emperor Kangxi, yet nature itself has long concealed divine elements within — dense pine forests that blot out the sun, and within the mountains, a cave known as Kusong Cave. The cave is 5.5 meters wide and 2.4 meters high, with a small side cavity on the right that leads into an even smaller Ox Horn Cave. Inside the main cave there is an inclined shaft that brings a cool breeze. Legend says that during the Warring States period, Yuan Da and Li Mu studied Taoism in this cave. Because the two men robbed the rich to aid the poor and fought injustice, later generations enshrined their statues in the cave, and it was subsequently renamed Yuanli Cave.

Yuan and Li studying Taoism in Kusong Cave, and Duan Wende donating millet to carve out the road — perhaps their virtues moved heaven, demonstrating "divine valor" in this ancient hunting ground where nine dragons and five tigers coexist, connecting the human world with the underworld. It is truly a place where dragons and tigers lie hidden.