Guanyin Mountain Scenic Area

Guanyin Mountain Scenic Area

Guanyin Mountain Scenic Area

The Guanyin Mountain Scenic Area is situated on the picturesque Xiujiang River and features danxia landform. The area is made up of a grand canyon and Guanyin Mountain. The grand canyon is full of twisted vines, unusually shaped ancient trees, flowing streams, and birds chirping in harmony, creating a very spiritual atmosphere. Guanyin Mountain is named after a natural cliff that resembles the Bodhisattva Guanyin sitting on a lotus. The entire scenic area boasts over 200 natural attractions. These sites collectively represent the three aspects of life nurturing—birth, upbringing, and education. It is believed that those with sincere hearts may receive blessings from the Bodhisattva to fulfill their heartfelt wishes: "Guanyin Blesses with a Child, Raises the Child to Greatness, and Achieves Success in the Imperial Exams." Amitabha.

The marks left by rain erosion on the Golden List Cliff resemble the names of successful imperial examination candidates inscribed on the imperial scroll. Most miraculously, beneath the grand golden list stands a heavenly pillar, upon which rests a jade seal, with an ink pool in front. Nearby, there are other natural attractions such as the Top Scholar’s Hat, the Court Drum, and the Scholars’ Book Corridor. Walking through these sites, one can’t help but wonder if they might have the luck to “have their name inscribed on the golden list and receive the jade seal’s fortune.”

There is also a rather unique attraction—the Gexian Cave. If you visit Guanyin Mountain between April and August, you may see water droplets falling from high inside the stone cave. These droplets land on the so-called “Gexian Rice” (stone rice), believed to have healing and health benefits, creating a sparkling effect that is quite beautiful. When I visited at the end of April this year with colleagues, we could still see this, but this time there wasn’t a single drop of water. Fortunately, there was a bucket of water in front of the cave with a ladle. One of my companions, seeing no water dripping from above, scooped some water and poured it onto the mysterious wall of stone rice, which instantly began to shimmer brilliantly. Presumably, that’s why the bucket of water is placed there.