Baiti Mountain

Baiti Mountain

Baiti Mountain is located 11 kilometers north of Dawang Town and is a scenic area in Shanxi Province.

The mountain features dense forests, pristine ecology, and year-round streams with abundant water sources. With a maximum elevation of 1,993.8 meters, the summit preserves the ruins of Yanzuo Temple, built by Emperor Zhao Guangyi in memory of his brother Zhao Kuangyin. Historical records indicate that when Zhao Kuangyin was besieged in Hedong, he stationed troops on Baiti Mountain. It is said that the natural mountain trail — Paoma (Running Horse) — and the vast Sibai Mu Ping (Four Hundred Mu Flatland) served as training grounds for his soldiers. Ancient cliff rocks bear poetic inscriptions by celebrated figures throughout history praising Baiti Mountain. The Northern Wei Dynasty's Li Daoyuan described it in "Commentary on the Water Classic" as follows: “To the west rise cliffs a thousand zhang high; to the east stretches a stream ten thousand ren deep. The square ridges curl with clouds, and the strange peaks soar into the rosy clouds. Lone and graceful, they tower above the surrounding mountains, their green cypresses shading the summits and crystal springs watering their tops… On the eastern side, the dense woods give way, and the hundred steps descend. The rock carvings along the cliffs remain to this day, hence the name Baiti Mountain.”

Source: Local Chronicles Compilation Committee of Yuncheng City