Guiping Xishan

Guiping Xishan

Guiping Xishan is a national scenic area and a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

The Guiping Xishan Scenic Area is a large-scale, composite scenic destination located within the urban area of Guiping City in the southeastern part of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Centered around the Xishan scenic spot, which lies just one kilometer from the city, it includes the site of the Taiping Rebellion's Jintian Uprising, the Taiping Mountain Flora and Fauna Nature Reserve, the Zhuang and Yao village culture on Zijingshan, the sacred Taoist cave of Luocengyan known as the “Heavenly Blessed Land,” the Baishi Cave, the Lychee Hometown of Madong, the historic scenery of Xunzhou Ancient City, and the Tropic of Cancer Monument. Covering a total area of approximately 2,000 square kilometers, it is a grand scenic mosaic.

Guiping Xishan is famous for its “remarkable rocks, graceful trees, fragrant tea, and sweet springs.” The peaks are rugged, with massive boulders—some dozens to over a hundred cubic meters in size—stacked in layers, interspersed with oddly shaped stones and winding stone paths. Towering trees and dense greenery create a majestic natural landscape. Xishan tea is renowned far and wide for its delicate aroma and delicious taste, and is exported to many regions. The sweet springs have long been praised by people. In recent years, high-quality milk spring water has been used to brew various delicious beverages, such as the famed “Guangxi Maotai” Milk Spring Liquor and “Luohanguo Dew,” a drink rich in beneficial trace minerals. These beverages are crisp and refreshing. In summer, bamboo tubes are placed by the milk spring for passersby to drink from. Sipping the cool spring water is considered a true delight and is hailed as a unique highlight of Xishan.

The area west of Guiping City is part of the central Guangxi Longshan Mountain Range, often referred to as the “Cradle of Milk Springs.” This region consists of Mesozoic granite, where groundwater accumulates in the fractures of the rock formations, forming springs. This type of spring water has a high density of water molecules and strong surface tension, exhibiting a unique physical phenomenon said to rival only the Tiger Running Spring in Hangzhou. A demonstration once showed that up to 113 coins could be placed on the water’s surface without spilling, as the water bulged like bread at the rim. This phenomenon breaks the common rule that “fullness leads to overflow,” leaving all who witness it in awe. Locals take great pride in it. A local tea-picking folk song praises the milk spring: “Flower-cracked stone, flower-cracked stone, milk spring water, Xishan tea. Don’t tell this to ordinary folk, or they’ll renounce the world.”

On top of a massive granite boulder, there grows an extraordinary tree with exposed roots, twisting and entwining around the rock.

Beneath the huge rock lies the two-character inscription “Milk Spring,” written by ancient hands. The spring is about one meter deep and neither dries up in winter nor overflows in summer. According to the Xunzhou Prefecture Annals, the spring water is “as clear and cool as Hangzhou’s Longjing, but even sweeter. Occasionally, a milky-white liquid spurts out, hence the name Milk Spring.” Modern scientific tests confirm that this phenomenon is caused by radon gas. When radon escapes rapidly with the spring water, it creates the milky appearance.

The Xishan area has a long history and was originally a Buddhist sacred site. It still preserves relatively intact Buddhist structures and temples, such as Longhua Temple, Li Gong Ancestral Hall, Xishi Nunnery, Milk Spring Pavilion, and Flying Pavilion. Throughout the dynasties, scholars have left over 4,000 poems and couplets praising Xishan.

The Four Wonders of Xishan

1. Lush Forests

The forests of Xishan are dense and verdant, with a forest coverage rate of 98%. There are over 130,000 mature trees, with a total timber reserve of 17,000 cubic meters. The main tree species include pine, banyan, camphor, and fishtail palm, known as the “Four Great Families” of Xishan’s forests. There are more than 500 ancient pines, banyans, and camphors aged between two and three hundred years. To the right of Xishi Nunnery, there are also several rare light-leaved albizia trees in Guangxi, towering and ideal for construction. A 1943 issue of Travel Magazine described Xishan as having “lush shade that darkens the sky, resembling the Bamboo Path of Yunqi in Hangzhou or the Feilai Peak Trail of Lingyin Temple, but with even greater variety and more exquisite tree shapes.”

(Image of the beautiful scenery of the Guiping Xishan Scenic Area, 15 photos)

2. Remarkable Rocks

The rocks on Xishan are black mica granite, formed around 180 million years ago during the early Mesozoic era, characterized by their “bold and rugged” features. They come in diverse and uniquely fascinating shapes. There is Chessboard Rock, which resembles a stone table, and Flying Stone, whose origin is unknown. Some rocks rise abruptly from the ground like small mountains, while others crouch like tigers by the roadside. Shiyin Cave is formed by three huge rocks supporting each other, and Yaoweng Rock is a natural cavity that suddenly indents into the side of a mountain-like boulder. As the eminent monk Zhu Zan wrote in his essay “Guiping’s Xishan”: “Even the rocks of Xishan are more interesting than those of Hangzhou’s Feilai Peak, seemingly arranged in wonderfully strange yet friendly ways”—a statement that is no exaggeration.

3. Sweet Springs

Beside Longhua Temple lies the Milk Spring. This ancient spring is about one meter wide and deep, never drying up in winter or overflowing in summer. Its water level and temperature remain constant year-round at around 22 degrees Celsius. The Xunzhou Prefecture Annals describe the spring as being “as clear and cool as Hangzhou’s Longjing, but even sweeter, with occasional milky-white liquid spurting out, hence the name Milk Spring.” The spring water is crystal clear, with very few impurities, making it a rare natural soft water. It is also rich in natural oxygen, which chemically reacts with impurities in tea and alcohol, causing them to evaporate. As a result, tea brewed with Milk Spring water is especially fragrant, and liquor made with it is particularly mellow.

2. Fragrant Tea

Xishan enjoys abundant rainfall, ample sunshine, sweet springs, and fertile soil. Tea cultivation began on the mountain as early as the Tang Dynasty. By the Ming Dynasty, Xishan tea had already gained fame in regions such as Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hunan. The Republican-era Guiping County Annals recorded: “Xishan tea is grown under the Guanyin Rock near the Milk Spring and Chessboard Stone on Xishan. The low-growing tea bushes are spread out, with lush green leaves rooted in stone marrow and leaves bathed in morning sunlight. Thus, the flavor is rich and the aroma delightful. On hot summer days, brewing tea with Milk Spring water in a quiet temple room can cleanse one’s worldly cares—something even Hangzhou’s Longjing tea cannot surpass.”

Eight Ancient Scenic Spots of Xishan

1. Journey Through History: The Site of the Jintian Uprising

2. Sacred Buddhist Site

3. Scenic Mountain and Water Journey: The Dateng Gorge Scenic Area

4. Summer Retreat Paradise: Xishan Scenic Area in Longtan National Forest Park

5. Taoist Wonder: Baishi Mountain Scenic Area

6. Bizarre Journey: Daping Mountain Scenic Area

7. Lunar Rock Spectacle: Luoceng Mountain Scenic Area; 8. Brilliant Pearl: Tropic of Cancer Monument Park

Eight New Scenic Spots of Xishan

1. Luhu Layered Greenery

Enter the mountain gate and walk straight ahead for about half a li, and you’ll find a beautiful man-made lake on your right. This is the Xishan Reservoir, built in 1954 and also known as Linghu Lake. The lake shimmers with emerald waves, surrounded by verdant peaks, where the shimmering water and lush mountains complement each other, adding boundless charm to Xishan. Cross the zigzag bridge to reach the island in the center of the lake. The island is shaded by dense woods, and from a distance, it looks like green boats floating on the water. On the western shore of the lake, there is a swimming pool. In the height of summer, visitors can either boat on the lake or play in the clear waters, each finding their own joy. When tired of playing, you can also enjoy some tea and snacks at the “Linghu Tea House” by the lake and take a short rest.

2. Sunrise at the Precipitous Peak

To the front right of Guanyin Rock, there is a uniquely shaped cliff with a square pavilion standing atop it, facing east. Photography enthusiasts often like to take photos of the sunrise over Xishan from here, hence the name Chaoyang Pavilion (Sunrise Pavilion). If you lean on the railing and look into the distance, the view is vast and spectacular, seemingly even more magnificent than that of Longhua Temple. This is the “Sunrise at the Precipitous Peak” among the new scenic spots of Xishan.

3. Rainbow Bridge and Ding Spring

Climbing about 500 meters upward from “One Step to Heaven,” you’ll see, amidst the perilous cliffs and narrow paths of the Eight-Character Stone, a bridge soaring across like a rainbow, hence called the Rainbow Bridge. Standing on the bridge and looking down at the mountain below, it feels as if you’re standing above the clouds. Beside the bridge, a small stream trickles out from the cliff wall and converges into a clear spring, which actually shares the same source as the Ruyu Spring.

4. Long Gorge Meeting the Immortals

About 100 meters above the Rainbow Bridge, this gorge is 40 meters long, with towering cliffs on both sides and a narrow path in the middle that only allows one person to pass through at a time. A cool breeze blows through the gorge, and when you look up, you can only see a strip of blue sky—hence it’s also called “One-Line Sky.” Local legend says that those with good fortune can often meet immortals here. At the southern entrance of the gorge, inscribed on the stone wall, are three large characters “Shenxian Xia” (Immortal Gorge) written by Master Kuan Neng. It turns out that Huixian Gorge is also called Shenxian Gorge.

5. Dragon Pavilion Watching the Sunrise

Perched on the cliffs below Huixian Gorge, this is a two-story hexagonal pavilion. Its eaves and ridges are adorned with six dragons, their heads raised as if ready to fly, creating an extraordinary presence. This is the highest point in the Xishan Scenic Area. If you rise with the crow of the rooster and climb here, you can fully enjoy the new spectacle of “Dragon Pavilion Watching the Sunrise”: at the far end of the river, the view begins as a vast expanse of darkness and chaos, gradually lightening to reveal shimmering rays of dawn; in a moment, the blazing sun bursts forth like fire and slowly rises; then golden rays flood the sky, reflecting on the Xun, Qian, and Yu rivers. The earth awakens from its slumber, and the fields and paths are filled with vitality, presenting a scene of breathtaking splendor.

6. Cliffside Plank Walk Over Hanging Greenery

Descending from the Dragon Pavilion, you’ll walk along a mountain-side plank walkway about 300 meters long. The walkway winds down along the cliff, paved with cement steps about 1 meter wide, with railings on the side. Due to the high elevation, walking on it gives visitors a thrilling yet fearless sensation. From the plank walkway, you can gaze out at the mighty flow of the three rivers and the vast land—a uniquely spectacular sight.

7. Listening to the Pine Waves in the Sea of Pines

After completing the plank walkway and passing through dense woods, you’ll arrive at the “Pine Listening Pavilion.” Here, the pine forest stretches like a sea, and when the mountain wind blows, it creates waves of sound—like sand blowing across flat land, like night rain in a quiet valley, like the surging tide of the sea, or like the roar of tigers in deep mountains… A poet of old wrote a verse capturing this scene: “Suddenly lying high in the mountains, I dream, then wake to hear tigers roar. Rising, I see thousands of swaying pines, as the great wind stirs like surging tides.”

8. Waterfall of Lianxi Stream

Descending about fifty or sixty meters northward from the Pine Listening Pavilion along stone steps, you’ll reach Lianxi Stream, formerly known as Catfish Stream. Because the Northern Song Dynasty Neo-Confucian scholar Zhou Dunyi (also known as Master Lianxi) once came to Guiping to give lectures and frequently visited Xishan, later generations named this stream after his alias. Lianxi Stream flows year-round with a gentle murmur. The stream water descends along the mountain terrain, and after heavy rains, when mountain springs swell abruptly, the silver flow cascades down, resembling a white silk ribbon hanging high or green waves rising in mist.

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of National Scenic Areas