Nanshe Mountain

Nanshe Mountain

Nanshe Mountain

Nanshe Mountain is located on the north bank of the Longjiang River in Yizhou District. It stands opposite Qingniao Mountain on either side of Huixian Mountain, resembling two colorful flags planted on the left and right, forming a protective stance. This unique mountain formation once intrigued Xu Xiake, the Ming Dynasty geographer and traveler, who gave a detailed account of it in his travelogue. The mountain has long been known for its steepness and is not connected to any nearby hills...

The mountain has always been famed for its steepness and stands isolated from the surrounding peaks. No matter which side you attempt to climb, it is extremely difficult—so much so that ancient people referred to it as the “Difficult-to-Cross Mountain.” At the foot of the mountain, broken stone tablets have been found inscribed with phrases such as “situated on the sunny side of Difficult-to-Cross Mountain.” A local legend in Yizhou tells of the “Nanshe Chasing the Hunchback.” It describes how the ridge of the mountain resembles a coiled southern snake lunging toward a dirt mound to the southeast—the Makuai Ridge behind the former municipal government compound (now the site of the old municipal party committee building). It is said that due to the separation by the Longjiang River, the snake could never catch up with the hunchback, resulting in the current landscape. Hence, the mountain came to be called “Nanshe Mountain.” In the 1930s, when Yishan County first installed telephones, an exchange was set up on Makuai Ridge. Later, during Guangxi’s “June First” Movement, a fort was built on the ridge, giving it some touch of modernity. Meanwhile, Nanshe Mountain remained quietly lying there, unnoticed.

Although Nanshe Mountain is slightly higher than Huixian Mountain by 3 meters (at 378 meters above sea level), it lacks the prestige of Huixian Mountain. Due to its difficulty to access, ancient travelers avoided it—there were no temples, pavilions, or notable visitors, and apart from occasional visits by woodcutters, it was almost entirely deserted. After the reform and opening-up, all sectors in Yizhou flourished, and the urban area expanded significantly westward. In the early 1990s, the post and telecommunications bureau selected the summit of Nanshe Mountain to install a cellular communication hub. From then on, Nanshe Mountain entered a new chapter in its history. Through the round-the-clock efforts of the telecom workers—clearing the brush, cutting through the mountain, and constructing roads—this modern project was quickly completed. With towers standing tall and signals reaching across the land, Nanshe Mountain also became a beautiful new landmark in Yizhou. Someone even composed a poem in praise:

Striding through bow and arrow, leaping through verdant green,

Towers and cliffs proudly tower against the blue sky.

To build this new wonder atop the peak,