Songyun Mountain

Songyun Mountain

Hunan Songyun Mountain National Forest Park is situated in Hongjiang District, Huaihua City, within the Xuefeng Mountain range. It spans a total area of 3,349.67 hectares, of which 3,073.8 hectares are forested, achieving a forest coverage rate of 92%. As an important regional key forest park in Hunan Province, it is also among the province's primary tourism resources earmarked for development and external promotion. The park boasts a comprehensive array of forest tourism resources, featuring high-quality landscapes, numerous rare species, well-combined scenic elements, and a unique geographical advantage. With over 100 scenic spots, it encompasses five major types: biological landscapes, geomorphological landscapes, hydrological landscapes, cultural landscapes, and celestial phenomena. The area holds significant cultural, scientific, aesthetic, and tourism value.

Hunan Songyun Mountain National Forest Park is blessed with beautiful mountains and clear waters, abundant natural scenery, and unique cultural attractions. The harmonious integration of mountains, water, and urban landscapes creates a mutually enhancing environment, making it a popular destination for leisure and recreation among local residents. The approval of Hongjiang District’s Songyun Mountain National Forest Park is expected to boost the development and elevate the quality of tourism at the ancient Hongjiang Commercial City.

In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, the Songyun Hermitage was built. A monk surnamed Hao, with the Dharma name Wuyi, resided here. On the seventh day of the first lunar month in the seventeenth year of the Daoguang reign (1837), the hermitage was completely destroyed by fire. Later, ten guilds in Hongjiang and Buddhist devotees raised funds to construct the Songyun Daxing Chan Temple. The temple is grand and splendid, consisting of three courtyards: the first courtyard houses the Skanda Hall, dedicated to Guan Yu; the second is the Mahavira Hall, enshrining the Buddha Sakyamuni; and the third is the Patriarch Hall, dedicated to the monk Wuyi. On the right side is the Guanyin Hall, home to the Thousand-Armed and Thousand-Eyed Guanyin. It is said that the statue in the Patriarch Hall is a flesh-body Buddha. The temple was once bustling with incense, hosting multiple eminent monks who took monastic vows, accepted disciples, and preached the Dharma. During the Cultural Revolution, the temple suffered severe damage. After the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, religious and cultural heritage protection policies were reinstated, leading to gradual restoration of the temple and other facilities. It is now listed as a municipal-level key cultural relics protection unit.

Address: Hongjiang District, Huaihua City, Hunan Province

Opening Hours:

8:00-17:00