Bauhinia Mountain Scenic Area

Bauhinia Mountain Scenic Area

Bauhinia Mountain is an extension of the Dayaoshan Mountain Range, located at the northern tip of the county. It connects to the Penghua Mountain area in Pingnan County to the east and borders Wuxuan, Xiangzhou, and Jinxiu counties to the northwest. The area is vast, covering 270 square kilometers. The landscape features overlapping peaks and vast forests. Three rivers—Daping, Tianxin, and Hualei—flow from north to south, converging at the old Sanjiang Market before rushing through Fengmen Gorge and out into the Jintian Plain.

Bauhinia Mountain is known for its majestic peaks and unique waters, with Hongshuiding Peak reaching an elevation of 1,313 meters. Due to its remote location, the area served as a stronghold for the Daxin Gorge Yao uprising during the Ming Dynasty (as recorded in the old county annals). In 1851, the Taiping Rebellion began in Jintian Village, and Bauhinia Mountain became the cradle of this peasant uprising.

To this day, remnants of both uprisings can still be found throughout the area. The Bauhinia Mountain region is home to three ethnic groups—the Zhuang, Han, and Yao—living side by side. The villages of the Zhuang and Yao peoples boast unique and picturesque scenery.

Situated at the junction of several counties, Bauhinia Mountain became a key overland transportation route connecting the prefectures of Xunzhou, Liuzhou, and Wuzhou after the mid-Qing Dynasty. An old map in the Wuxuan County Annals labels a narrow mountain path—Dongxiang Jie—from the eastern part of Wuxuan to the Bauhinia Mountain area as a "major thoroughfare." After liberation, scholars researching economic history flocked here, following this "major thoroughfare" to trace...

...the development of modern capitalist commerce in Guangxi.

Another such "major thoroughfare" ran from the northern part of the Bauhinia Mountain area through Hongshui Jie to Xiangzhou County. Historical records and oral accounts from elders in the Bauhinia Mountain area indicate that, starting in the late Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty (late 1840s), large numbers of "mountain traders" used this rugged path to travel south through the Bauhinia Mountain area and the Jintian Plain, carrying local mountain goods and specialties to Daohuangkou on the Xunjiang River. From there, they transported the goods via waterway to Wuzhou and Guangzhou. Others traveled west or north, crossing Dongxiang Jie and Hongshui Jie, to bring imported goods such as "eastern salt," "foreign yarn," and "kerosene" from Daohuangkou to Wuxuan and Xiangzhou, which were then distributed to Liuzhou and Guizhou. These traveling traders, known as "mountain traders," numbered at least dozens per day, and at their peak, could reach two to three hundred daily.

Villages such as Jiejiao and Shenshui under Hongshui Jie, and Hualei under Dongxiang Jie, were key routes for the mountain traders. In those days, villagers opened many roadside inns to accommodate passing merchants. To this day, elderly locals can still point out the exact spots where these inns once stood, recalling them as vividly as if they were yesterday.

The Bauhinia Mountain area was the birthplace of both the Daxin Gorge Yao Uprising and the Taiping Rebellion. Hong Xiuquan and Feng Yunshan secretly carried out anti-Qing activities here for several years, leaving behind numerous historical sites that attract visitors from China and abroad.

Charcoal Kilns and Indigo Pits On the eve of the Taiping Rebellion, frequent natural disasters drove many landless farmers into the Bauhinia Mountain area, where they made a living by making charcoal or growing indigo (a plant-based dye). Many charcoal workers joined the God Worshipping Society and later became key members of the Taiping Army. Today, hundreds of old charcoal kilns from that time can still be found in the Bauhinia Mountains. At the time, many people grew indigo, and areas known as "indigo valleys" (where entire valleys cultivated indigo) were common. Today, at the foot of Turtle Ridge near Fengmen Gorge at the entrance of the Bauhinia Mountain area, three large indigo pits made of lime mortar still remain. These circular pits are 1.5 meters in diameter and 1.2 meters deep, each capable of holding about 100 dan (approximately 5 metric tons) of indigo dye.

Dachong Zeng Family Study Hall Located 4 kilometers west of present-day Jingxi Town in Mengchong Village, in 1846, Feng Yunshan entered the Bauhinia Mountain area from Gulin She and worked as a tutor at the Dachong Zeng Family Study Hall. By day, he taught students; by night, he traveled from village to village, rallying poor farmers to join the God Worshipping Society. Yang Xiuqing and Xiao Chaogui were among his first followers, becoming key members of the society. In 1847, when Hong Xiuquan arrived in the Bauhinia Mountain area, he stayed at the study hall with Feng Yunshan. Behind the hall stood a "Tiantou Bogong" (a local shrine), which Hong Xiuquan uprooted and discarded one night. The next day, villagers re-erected it, only for Hong Xiuquan to remove it again that night. After repeating this several times, fewer people worshipped the shrine. In the winter of 1848, Feng Yunshan posted a couplet at the study hall: "Temporarily borrowing the Bauhinia Mountain to shelter a phoenix; using the Bauhinia waters to nourish a dragon." This couplet later sparked a major controversy.

Military Camps In 1974, cultural and museum officials from the autonomous region and the county jointly conducted an investigation and discovered 22 military camps near Sanjiang Village in the Bauhinia Mountain area, all built and used by the Taiping Army. The size of these camps varied, but their construction was largely similar to those in Jintian Village. Today, a larger camp behind the Jingxi Township Grain Bureau was originally built by the Daxin Gorge Yao rebels led by Hou Dagou during the Ming Dynasty and later repaired and used by the Taiping Army.

Tea Field Site of the Taiping Army Headquarters Located by the Jintian Reservoir in Tea Field Village, the village once housed the grand Zhao family residence. In July 1851, when the Taiping Army returned from Xiangzhou to Jingxi and Jintian, they established their headquarters here, with Hong Xiuquan residing on-site.

Shuangjuan Mountain Located at the western edge of the Bauhinia Mountain area, bordering Wuxuan County, Shuangjuan Mountain stands at an elevation of 1,016 meters. Below the mountain lies the "major thoroughfare" of Dongxiang Jie. In July 1851, when the Taiping Army returned from Xiangzhou to Jingxi and Jintian, they set up their main camp in Tea Field Village and used Shuangjuan Mountain as a defensive barrier, stationing heavy troops there. The Qing army repeatedly attacked but suffered heavy casualties. Later, the Qing army took advantage of thick fog to attack via a detour through Piglet Gorge, capturing Shuangjuan Mountain. With no further defenses left in the Bauhinia Mountain area, Hong Xiuquan ordered a full retreat to Jintian.

The Bauhinia Mountain area is home to three ethnic groups—the Zhuang, Han, and Yao. The villages of the Zhuang and Yao peoples feature unique and picturesque scenery, with the Yao villages being particularly distinctive. In recent years, the area has seen an increasing number of tourists.

Hong Xiuquan (1814–1864), nicknamed Huoxiu, had the family name Renkun, which he later changed to Xiutuan to avoid offending the Heavenly Father's name, Yaohuahua. Born into a farming family in Guanlu Village, Huaxian County (some say he was born in Fuyuanshui Village before the family moved to Guanlu), his ancestor Hong Yunsan migrated from Shikeng Village, Jiaying Prefecture, to Huaxian County during the Kangxi era. Hong Xiuquan was the sixth-generation descendant. His father, Jingyang, was hardworking, honest, and fair, having served as the "Baocui" (village elder) of Guanlu, responsible for managing village affairs and mediating disputes among clans... More details on Hong Xiuquan ++

Feng Yunshan (1815–1852), also known as Yilong, styled Shaoguang, was from Huaxian County, Guangdong (now part of Guangzhou). From a young age, he enjoyed studying classics, history, astronomy, and geography. He once took the imperial examinations but later became a private tutor in his village.

In 1843, the 23rd year of the Daoguang era, Hong Xiuquan founded the God Worshipping Society in his hometown, and Feng Yunshan was one of his most devoted followers. To promote the society, Feng destroyed all the Buddhist and Confucian statues and tablets in his home, including those of Confucius and Mencius. His bold actions and the new faith he spread drew criticism from some villagers... More details on Feng Yunshan ++