Qian'an Lingshan Tourist Area

Qian'an Lingshan Tourist Area

Qian'an Lingshan Tourist Area is a national AA-level tourist attraction.

Lingshan is located in Caiyuan Town, Qian'an City, with an elevation of 728 meters. It is also known as Wufeng Mountain or Wuzhi Mountain because it has five connected peaks that resemble the five fingers of a hand. Additionally, it is called Lingshan (Spirit Mountain) because there is a well on the mountain whose water is believed to cure various diseases with remarkable efficacy.

Lingshan features steep terrain and numerous spectacular sights: the mountain contains colorful giant rocks in various shapes. There was originally a White Pagoda Temple on the mountainside, said to have been built during the Tang Dynasty. Beneath the grand pavilion lies the Immortal's Cave, which extends westward to Lianhua Yuan in Qianxi County, stretching for dozens of miles. At the foot of the mountain, there are seven white pagodas, with three ancient wells beneath the central one and a lotus pond. There is a saying: "Three steps to linked wells, nine steps to a lotus pond." The wells have springs gushing out, hence the name "Spirit Spring Spouting Jade." The spring water remains unfrozen in severe cold, does not dry up in extreme drought, is warm in winter and cool in summer, and contains various trace elements beneficial to the human body. In ancient times, it was called "holy water," believed to cure various difficult and complicated diseases when consumed and to treat skin diseases when used for washing.

There are many legends about Lingshan: it is said that in ancient times, Gonggong struck Buzhou Mountain, causing the pillars of heaven to break and the earth's bonds to snap, making the sky tilt to the northwest and the earth sink to the southeast. Nüwa smelted five-colored stones to mend the heavens. Her five fingers cast shadows that became the Five Finger Mountains, and she discarded the leftover colorful stones here. Among the legends, touching the "Stone Clamp" is said to prolong life; sitting on the "Stone Chair" can dispel anger and ward off disasters; touching the "Stone Cabinet" can attract wealth; striking the "Stone Drum," which makes a sound, can bring harmony; lying on the "Crouching Dragon Stone" can enhance wisdom; climbing the "Wishful Wife Stone" can lead to a beautiful marriage. Another legend says that Duke Huan of Qi lost his way in the drought-stricken sea while attacking the State of Guzhu and was guided here by an old horse that knew the way. When Emperor Taizong of Tang passed through this area during his eastern campaign, he found the mountain scenery unique and ordered the construction of the White Pagoda Temple. When Emperor Shengzu of the Qing Dynasty visited, he admired the beautiful mountain scenery and inscribed the plaque "Lingshan Xiu Se" (The Beauty of Lingshan), which was hung above the temple gate, and praised Lingshan’s scenery as the finest in the eastern region. There are two snake caves on the eastern and southern sides of a huge rock in Lingshan, where it is said that the White Snake and Green Snake became immortals. Duke Huan of Qi once planted three ginkgo trees at the foot of the mountain, but only one remains in Majiaoying Village to this day. According to relevant departments, this tree is over 2,600 years old and still flourishes. On the mountainside in the southern part of Lingshan, there is a flying waterfall, making the scenery even more enchanting.

Lingshan is regarded as a leisure paradise for its "beautiful mountains, spiritual waters, serene surroundings, unique peaks, and peculiar rocks."

Legends and Stories:

Lingshan is the place where Goddess Nüwa mended the heavens and left behind fossils. In ancient times, Gonggong, in a battle with Zhurong for the throne, struck Buzhou Mountain with his head, causing the pillars of heaven to break and the earth's bonds to snap, making the sky tilt to the northwest and the earth sink to the southeast. To save all living beings, Goddess Nüwa smelted five-colored stones to mend the blue sky, broke off the feet of a turtle to serve as the pillar supporting the sky, and slew a black dragon to relieve the suffering of the people of Jizhou. While mending the heavens, her five fingers cast shadows that became five mountain peaks, hence Lingshan is also called Wufeng Mountain. A total of 36,501 colorful giant stones were smelted to mend the heavens, 36,500 were used, and the remaining one turned into the Spirit Treasure Jade that descended to the mortal world. "No material to mend the blue sky, fallen into the mortal realm for so many years." The literary master Cao Xueqin from Fengrun, inspired by this legend, wrote the great novel "The Story of the Stone," also known as "Dream of the Red Chamber." After mending the heavens, Goddess Nüwa discarded some waste stones at the foot of Lingshan, naturally creating two wonders: rocks of diverse forms, exquisitely crafted as if by gods, each with its own charm.

Octagonal Immortal Gathering Pavilion: Long ago, there was an immortal tea tree in the courtyard of the White Pagoda Temple on Lingshan. Every tea-picking season, a southerner would come to pick the tea, staying at the temple. Each time he came, he brought nothing but a small packet of tea for the abbot, who grew angry, thinking: "You eat and stay here every year, not paying any incense money or lodging fees, and you only give me this tiny packet of tea. Isn’t that too stingy?" In a fit of pique, the old abbot cut down the immortal tea tree. When the tea-picking season came again, the southerner arrived to find the tea tree gone and realized it had been destroyed. He asked the old abbot, "Do you still have the tea I brought you every year?" The abbot then took out the small packet of tea the southerner had given him before. The southerner brewed the tea and added a small piece of fatty meat, which soon disappeared. Only then did the old abbot realize the power of the tea, but it was too late for regrets.

When the Eight Immortals were traveling across the East Sea, they came to Lingshan to taste the holy water and immortal tea. Iron-Crutch Li split a giant rock into a stone table and eight stone stools with his palm, and the Eight Immortals sat around it. Lan Caihe picked ginkgo fruits, He Xiangu fetched the holy water, and Lü Dongbin gathered immortal tea. The immortal tea, holy water, ginkgo, and fruits filled the mountain with fragrance, and the Eight Immortals were full of praise. A poem bears witness:

Zhang Guolao rode a donkey watching Nüwa mend the heavens, Lü Dongbin picked tea and savored its freshness.

Iron-Crutch Li split the rock into a table with his palm, Lan Caihe filled his bamboo basket with ginkgo.

He Xiangu tasted the holy water, Han Zhongli smirked and laughed as he whipped the mountain.

Han Xiangzi reached out to pluck a rainbow ribbon, Cao Guojiu admired the plaque in front of the ancient temple.

Transportation: Take the exit for Qian'an on the Beijing-Shenyang Expressway, head south then turn west, follow the Yexing Highway northward. Alternatively, from the highway exit, head north across the Luanhe River Bridge, then west along the Qianlai Road to Qiguang Bridge in Qian'an City, then head west to Yangdianzi, turn north, then west along the Lingshan Tourist Road to the scenic area.

Ticket Price: 20 RMB per person

Caiyuan Town: [Overview] In 2000, under the guidance of - theory and General Secretary Jiang's important thought of "-", the Party members and cadres of Caiyuan Town focused on increasing farmers' income, improving agricultural efficiency, and ensuring rural stability. They vigorously promoted agricultural industrial restructuring, project construction, and urban-rural integration, achieving remarkable results in national economic and social development. They successfully completed all the targets and tasks of the Ninth Five-Year Plan. The annual gross national product reached 446.11 million RMB, an increase of 12.5% over the previous year; fiscal revenue totaled 21.883 million RMB, achieving 101.4% of the annual target; the total output value of industry and agriculture... Detailed information about Caiyuan Town++