Longhu Mountain

Longhu Mountain

Longhu Mountain, known as "Longhe Mountain" in the Tang Dynasty, was renamed after Emperor Xiaozong of the Southern Song Dynasty personally inscribed the three characters "龙鹄山" (Longhu Mountain) and bestowed them upon the historian Li Tao. It is the hometown of Li Tao, a Southern Song historian and author of the Extended Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Government. Longhu Mountain is a renowned Taoist site in southwestern Sichuan. Originally, there were three Taoist temples on the mountain (the upper one called Tianqing, the lower one Longhu, and the middle one Chongzhen), with the middle temple being the most famous, hence it is also known as "Chongzhen Mountain."

The mountain features a unique and imposing terrain, resembling a majestic giant sitting amidst surrounding peaks. Twenty-four "bowing mountains" encircle it, creating the impression of "a thousand heads bowing and ten thousand mountains paying homage." Longhu Mountain perfectly blends natural and cultural landscapes. It is home to two of the former Eight Scenic Spots of Danling: "Wild Goose Lake Fishing Fires" and "Longhu Mountain Clear Mist." The mountain is covered with dense, lush pine and cypress forests, offering exceptionally beautiful scenery. At the foot of the mountain lies Longhu Lake, also known as Chongzhen Mountain Reservoir, built in the 1960s with a total designed storage capacity of 1.59 million cubic meters, classifying it as a small to medium-sized water conservancy project.

Laomei Mountain

Midway up the mountain lies the provincial-level cultural relic protection site "Inscription on Pine and Cypress" along with a cliffside sculpture complex. According to records, this was the practice site of Cheng Wuwei, a famous female Taoist of the Tang Dynasty. The "Inscription on Pine and Cypress" documents her Taoist cultivation journey, her meritorious deeds in helping sentient beings, and the historical fact that she planted over ten thousand pine and cypress trees. Below the cliff carvings is the site of the "Xunya Study House," established in his youth by Li Tao of the Southern Song Dynasty. Here, he studied and taught, nurturing local talent and establishing an educational system and teaching methods that became models of the Song Dynasty. The founding of the study house also laid the foundation for Li Tao’s later compilation of the monumental work Extended Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Government, which chronicles 168 years of Northern Song history. Near the cliff sculpture complex, there is also a well-preserved section of "Steep Stone Steps" consisting of hundreds of steps. Research suggests these were part of a military route built during the Tang Dynasty, forming part of the millennia-old "Salt and Iron Ancient Road."