Fanyin Valley

Fanyin Valley

Fanyin Valley is also known as the "Valley of Carefree Joy and the Dao," named after the eminent Tang Dynasty monk Master Mingshan, who composed and chanted the "Song of the Dao" here. It is a purely ecological, natural landscape, stretching 4.2 kilometers from the Kangjialong ticket gate in the south to the Shangzhimu Pool in the north. With its breathtaking scenery, some say: “Explore the wonders of Fanyin Valley, listen to waterfalls and springs with a gentle breeze, let the enchanting sounds and Zen rhythms surround you, as the welcoming anthem of Mount Heng, the South Sacred Peak, greets you.” Along both banks of the valley, towering peaks rise, while streams and waterfalls echo with the sounds of the Dao; sheer cliffs and peculiar rocks stand like sculptures, and clear streams cascade like songs. Walking along the stream feels like strolling through a painting.

Hiking up Fanyin Valley, you’ll find twelve scenic spots: Yaochi Offering Longevity (Fanyin Lake), Songmen Listening to Springs (Fanyin Pavilion), Luosi Spring Surge (Luosi Pool), Huayan Marvel (Sun and Moon Viewing Platform), Mirror Lake Cloud Wander (Huayan Lake), Blooming Prosperity (Peach Blossom Valley), Golden Dipper Flying Springs (Three Bends Waterfall), Golden Dragon Spouting Pearls (Lower Zhimu Pool), Five Dragons Meeting the Sage (Middle Zhimu Pool), Blessing and Longevity Stone Flow, Milky Way Cascades (Upper Zhimu Pool), and Money Chest. The area boasts a rich diversity of plants, with dense woods blocking out the sun and a wide variety of rare flowers and plants visible everywhere. In spring, the mountains are lush and green, covered with azaleas as red as blood and fire. In the height of summer, the valley offers a cool and refreshing escape—admire the waterfalls, let your spirit soar, listen to the cheerful mountain streams, as if diving into the depths of a dragon’s lair or swimming freely like a fish. In autumn, red leaves blaze in brilliant hues, wild fruits and mountain delicacies hang from the branches. In winter, waterfalls freeze into crystal-clear ice curtains and jade-like icicles, with rime and snow frost adorning the landscape—exquisite, pristine, and brimming with natural wilderness. The valley has an exceptionally high negative oxygen ion content of up to 108,600 per cubic centimeter, earning it the title of a “natural oxygen bar.” To fully experience this “oxygen bath,” enjoy natural and healthy travel, revel in the green mountains and waters, and get close to the longevity mountain of Mount Heng, many visitors choose to hike instead of driving to explore this earthly paradise.

The nearby Luosi Pavilion. Originally, there was a hexagonal stone pavilion called Jingwu Pavilion by Huayan Lake. It was later moved above Luosi Pool under Huayan Lake and renamed “Luosi Pavilion.” The pool beneath the pavilion is unfathomably deep. The famous Ming Dynasty traveler Xu Xiake visited here and documented it in the “Huguang Travel Diary” within his book *The Travels of Xu Xiake*. Water from Huayan Lake flows down from a height into the pool, creating swirling currents that cause the water to overflow and cascade down the rocks, forming fine, thread-like streams—hence the name Luosi Pool (Thread Stream Pool).

Location

Nanyue District, Hengyang City, Hunan Province