Yanzhong Park

Hengyang’s Yanzhong Park is located in Yanzhong District on the western bank of the Xiang River. It is the foremost of the 72 peaks of Mount Heng. There are two accounts regarding the origin of the peak’s name: one says the mountain resembles a wild goose stretching its neck, raising its head, and spreading its wings to fly; ancient records and classical poetry often suggest that migrating geese from the north stop here as their southern journey ends. The famous line by Tang Dynasty’s Wang Bo, “Wild geese startle the cold, their cries fade at Hengyang’s shore,” and the poetic couplet by Song Dynasty’s Wang Anshi, “Wild geese from ten thousand miles away in Hengyang, usually return here,” both refer to this peak, thus making it widely renowned. One of the ancient “Eight Views of Xiaoxiang,” “Wild Geese Descending on the Sandbank,” is located here. In the 12th year of the Tianjian era during the Liang Dynasty (513), the Yun Chan Temple was built on the mountain, renamed Yanzhong Temple during the Sui Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty saw the construction of the Shoufo Hall, which enshrined the statue of the Buddha of Infinite Life. The Ming Dynasty added structures such as the Wangyue Pavilion, Gongshi Temple, Zhijunxuan, and Wangjiang Tower. The Qing Dynasty built the Mahavira Hall, Dabei Pavilion, Moyun She, Wangyan Tower, and Zhiyue Liao, among others. In front of the peak lies the Yanyu Pool, and “Yanzhong Misty Rain” is one of the Eight Scenic Views of the ancient city of Hengyang. In 1944, when Japanese forces invaded Hengyang, the ancient forests, temples, and pavilions on the mountain were tragically burned down, leaving only a temple gate and half of a Buddha hall—the two characters “Shangda” (Ascending Virtue) on the gate are said to have been inscribed by a high monk from the Qing Dynasty. In 1985, Huanyan Peak was turned into a park, covering an area of approximately 0.19 square kilometers. At the center of the newly developed Yanzhong Square in front of the peak stands a 10-meter-high sculpture of a wild goose, which serves as the city emblem of Hengyang. The facade of the square features an elaborately decorated antique-style gateway, with the plaque “First Peak of Nanyue” inscribed by Zhao Puchu. On the peak, the Wangyue Platform and Yanzhong Temple have been rebuilt, and the Guantian Pool and Zhijunxuan have been restored. New additions on the mountaintop include a winding corridor, the Goose Wall, the Goose Pavilion, a stele corridor, a tea house, the Shoufo Hall, and the Guanyin Hall.