West Lang Mountain in Yangshuo

West Lang Mountain in Yangshuo

Among the scenic spots in Yangshuo, West Lang Mountain has been famous since the Tang Dynasty. Cao Ye, a late-Tang poet from Yangshuo, once wrote a poem about it. The mountain’s surface resembles a large screen shielding the west, hence it is also called “Screen Mountain.” On the mountain, there is a huge rock that strikingly resembles an ancient scholar bowing to the west, which locals call “Immortal Mountain” or “West Lang Mountain.”

Ascending the steps to a small rock, you’ll find the two characters “Qu Zhi” (meaning “Exquisite Charm”). Passing through the rock leads to a platform named “Wangxi Platform” (Stream-Gazing Platform). Originally, there was a stone stele inscribed with the “Record of Gazing at Wangxi Platform,” but it has been destroyed. This platform offers the best view of one of Yangshuo’s Eight Scenic Spots, “Evening Glow over West Mountain.” On the back wall is carved the four characters “Shan He Wu Yang” (“The Mountains and Rivers Are Unharmed”), written in 1942 (the 31st year of the Republic of China) by Xu Ainan from Lingui. There is also a cliff inscription titled “Evening Glow over West Mountain,” inscribed by Chen Baoshu from the area.

Retracing your steps and climbing halfway up the mountain, you’ll find the “Huixian Pavilion” (Immortals’ Gathering Pavilion), built in 1935. The original plaque was inscribed by Tao Ruiliang, a notable local figure, but it was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. In 1975, the pavilion was rebuilt as a two-story concrete structure, with a new plaque inscribed by the Guilin calligrapher Wu Chundao. Beside the pavilion is a large rock resembling an old man, with the two characters “Zui Xia” (“Drunk on Sunset”) carved on it. Another large rock features a naturally formed stone utensil, below which are the characters “Tian Chi” (“Heavenly Pool”). On the northern rock wall is carved Cao Ye’s poem about West Lang Mountain, and beneath the West Lang rock are the two large characters “Xi Lang” (“West Lang”).

Climbing further up from Huixian Pavilion, you can see the stone inscription “Yang Zhi Mi Gao” (“The More I Look Up, the Higher It Seems”). Further up, there are the four large characters “Shang Qiong Bi Luo” (“Ascend to the Azure Realm”), inscribed by Mo Chaoren, who served as the magistrate of Yangshuo in the 1940s and was from Gongcheng.

The pavilion at the summit was formerly called “Cuijian Pavilion” and later renamed “Wo Yun Pavilion” (Lying Cloud Pavilion). It was rebuilt in 1975, and beside it on the mountain rock are engraved the seal script characters “Yun Gen” (“Cloud Root”).

Numerous poems have been composed in praise of West Lang Mountain. As this mountain harmoniously corresponds with East Lang Mountain near Fuli Town, West Lang Mountain and its “elder brother” East Lang Mountain form a beautiful mountain-water love story. Legend has it that two brothers saved two swans, which transformed into two sisters—Yu Gu (Jade Maiden), the elder, and Xiao Gu (Little Maiden), the younger. The sisters often secretly did laundry and cooked for the brothers. The brothers, who had long admired the sisters, bowed in gratitude upon witnessing this. The sudden gesture embarrassed the girls, who ran away. The brothers chased after them, and just as they were about to catch up, Xiao Gu, to test their sincerity, used her jade hairpin to draw a river on the ground. West Lang leapt across and caught up with Xiao Gu, while East Lang, a step too late, was stopped on the eastern bank. Thus was born the romantic tale of West Lang bowing in love, Xiao Gu blushing shyly, Yu Gu gazing eastward, and East Lang sighing across the river—a story widely passed down through the ages. The Tang Dynasty poet Cao Ye wrote: “Why does West Lang face the west? / To meet East Lang, yet a great river divides. / Since ancient times, rare meetings bring joy brief, / East Lang, unmet, resents the slanting sunlight.” Besides Cao Ye’s poem, other poets such as Tao Bi (magistrate of Yangshuo in the Song Dynasty), Wan Ke (magistrate in the Ming Dynasty), and Chen Hongchou (magistrate in the Qing Dynasty) also composed verses about the mountain. On the southern cliffs are inscribed the bold characters “Te Li Du Xing” (“Standing Alone in Integrity”) by General Song Zheyuan. “Evening Glow over West Mountain” is one of Yangshuo’s Eight Scenic Spots.

Transportation Guide

Address: No. 23, Huashan Road, Yangshuo County, Guilin City

Getting There: Take a bus from Guilin to Yangshuo, then transfer to a minibus to reach the scenic area.