Zhenbao Peak

Zhenbao Peak

Zhenbao Peak is located in the Yuecheng Mountain Range, at the border between Quanzhou County and Ziyuan County, with an elevation of 2,123 meters. It is the second highest peak in South China, only second to Mao'er Mountain. The mountain has few trees, and its vegetation mainly consists of low-growing mugwort. The slopes are steep, all exceeding 70 degrees. From the summit of Zhenbao Peak, one can look out toward Tianhu Lake and see several reservoirs dotting the undulating mountain ranges, creating an exceptionally spectacular view. On clear days, Mao'er Mountain as well as the towns of Xing'an and Ziyuan can be seen from the peak, giving visitors a surreal sense of time and space being compressed.

Interestingly, to the south, also at the border between Ziyuan County and Quanzhou County, there is another mountain called Baoding Peak, with an elevation of 1,911 meters. It has only one character difference—it lacks the “Zhen” (真) in its name. In Ziyuan County, when people are asked about “Zhenbao Peak,” they often direct you to “Baoding Peak.” This is because apart from hikers and local residents living near the mountain, very few people have climbed Zhenbao Peak. In contrast, Baoding Peak has been developed into a tourist area. At the foot of the mountain lies the famous Baoding Waterfall, as well as the ancient Baoding Temple, which was originally built during the Tang Dynasty (but was destroyed during the Anti-Japanese War). Legend has it that the temple was the practice site of the monk Quanzhen—a man also known as the Longevity Buddha. His real name was Zhou Shou, and he was from Zixing, Hunan Province. Records claim that Quanzhen lived to be 140 years old, and since he is considered the longest-lived person in recorded Chinese history, people honor him as the “Buddha of Longevity.”