Mount Mayu

Mount Mayu

In the northwest of Pingquan lies a grand mountain called Mount Mayu. Its summit resembles an ancient container commonly used on horseback, and it is the highest peak in the surrounding hundreds of miles. It is said to be the homeland of the ancestors of the Khitan people. There is also a legendary story about the origins of this mountain.

Long ago, the north was plagued by endless warfare, people were displaced, and life was miserable. The Jade Emperor, moved by the suffering of humanity, ordered one of his celestial generals to descend to the mortal world in human form to save the people. The celestial being took the form of a young man who came to the human realm, bringing with him two treasures: a great white horse and a gleaming golden horse-shaped bowl strapped to the horse’s back. This man was later known as Qishou, the founding ancestor of the Khitan people. He happened to land in what is now Mount Mayu, which at the time was an expanse of continuous mountains and boundless primeval forests. There was a large flat area atop the mountain, where he began to settle and make a life. To this day, locals still commonly refer to the mountain as “Bald Mountain.”

Until one day, he received an order from the Jade Emperor, instructing him to leave this place and journey far away to find his lifelong companion. He could not disobey the Jade Emperor’s command, yet he found it extremely difficult to leave this land. Having never ventured beyond the mountain, he feared that he might not be able to find his way out — or worse, that he would never be able to return. After much deliberation, he decided to make a mark here so that when he found the maiden, they could come back together to live. So he turned the horse-shaped bowl, which he had always carried with him, upside down and placed it on the mountaintop. The moment it touched the ground, something strange happened: the bowl rapidly grew in size, swelling up and rising into a towering peak that resembled the shape of the bowl exactly. It could be seen from afar, ensuring he would never lose his way home. At his feet, a clear spring surged forth, winding its way into the distance. The spring grew stronger and eventually formed into a river, guiding him out of the deep mountains. Later, people came to call this mountain Mount Mayu and the river the Tu River.

After Qishou left, due to various reasons, he was never able to return, and this became a lifelong regret. Even on his deathbed, he remained preoccupied with the matter, instructing his descendants to fulfill this wish on his behalf. Later, his descendants gradually prospered and grew powerful, even establishing their own state. Nearly every king came here to perform sacrificial rites. Some nobles and dignitaries were even buried near Mount Mayu after their deaths, so their spirits could return to their ancestral land and guard their roots.