Suowu Mountain Scenic Area

Suowu Mountain Scenic Area

Suowu Mountain Scenic Area, located in Xian'Diao Gully, Erjia Village, Wanlin Township, eastern Jinchuan County, covers an area of over 100 square kilometers. The geological structure of the scenic area is primarily granite, and it consists of attractions such as Suowu Temple, Bodhisattva Gully, Xian'Diao Gully, Zhuchang Gully, and Dashuzi Gully, all radiating outward from the center at Songmuping.

Suowu Temple

Suowu Temple is situated at the foot of Male Mountain and Female Mountain. Originally facing south with its back to the north, the temple had a three-bay width and depth, with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof, giving it a simple yet majestic appearance. At its center hung a plaque inscribed with "Suowu Grand Temple," personally written by Emperor Qianlong. In 1944, the Jinghua County government allocated funds for its renovation, making it even more magnificent. Unfortunately, it was completely destroyed during [a historical event]. Today, only the two-story wooden structure of the temple remains, housing statues and shrines of the deities Modu, Suowu, and Hamu. Pilgrims continue to visit in great numbers year-round, keeping the incense burning incessantly.

Bodhisattva Gully

Bodhisattva Gully is a concentrated area of scenic beauty, further divided into Male Mountain, Female Mountain, City Wall Mountain, and Chessboard Mountain. Male Mountain, also called Suowu (meaning "forefather"), is the main peak of Suowu Mountain, standing at an elevation of 3,750 meters. It resembles a tall, mighty man standing proudly with piercing eyes that pierce through the clouds. Its natural rock formation creates the shape of a giant Buddha. Female Mountain, also known as Hamu Peak, is said to be the daughter of "Jamadorje," the foremost deity mountain of the 18 chieftain regions in the Jiarong Tibetan area, and is one of the main peaks of Suowu Mountain. At 3,700 meters above sea level, its naturally formed contours resemble those of a gentle woman—hence the name Female Mountain. City Wall Mountain rises to an elevation of 4,563 meters and appears suddenly like a barrier amid vast forests, with steep cliffs on both sides resembling an impassable city wall. Chessboard Mountain lies between Male and Female Mountains at an elevation of 3,550 meters. This rugged and unpredictable peak seems just out of reach, with a flat summit platform of about 160 square meters. Four white lines stretch across it, resembling a chessboard, and the "chess pieces" look like iron pots with a three-foot diameter.

Xian'Diao Gully

One-Line Sky: A rift in the mountain leaves only a sliver of sky visible, as if cleaved by divine forces using a heavenly axe, resulting in a stone crevice 100 meters high and 3 meters wide. Below lies the "One-Line Sky" Waterfall, where water cascades from the crevice, plunging over three layers of cliffs into a pool. The upper tier resembles a white dragon bursting from the rocks, leaping through the air before diving down. The lower tier forms a zigzag waterfall, thundering day and night. The most captivating is the middle tier, whose lower end is a circular deep pool about one acre in size. Standing by the pool and looking up, one sees the endless waterfall pouring down like an unceasing shower of pearls. Rhino Pool is a pool over an acre wide containing two connected oval boulders, one large and one small. The cascading water creates ripples in the pool, and the oddly shaped rocks appear and disappear with the waves, resembling a rhinoceros playing in the water—hence the name "Rhino Pool."

Zhuchang Gully

Numerous waterfalls of varying sizes dot the gully. Some cascade down like white curtains, merging and separating; others flow like slender white ribbons, flickering in and out among the trees. Some resemble silver chains adorning the high mountains and dense forests, while others look like hidden white dragons in the jungle. Though not as grand as Huangguoshu Waterfall or as beautiful as Nuorilang Waterfall, the waterfalls of Zhuchang Gully have a unique charm—dainty, graceful, and elegant.

Dashuzi Gully

The gully boasts countless scenic sights, including natural wonders such as Qinciping, Three Sisters Lake, Eighty Gongtala, and Wanli City. Notably, there are ancient battlefield ruins left behind when Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty campaigned in Jinchuan. Among them, the best-preserved and largest ancient battlefield site is Wanli City, stretching over 100 kilometers. It includes castles, city walls, artillery batteries, ammunition and grain depots, military camps, stone carvings, and trenches. Modeled after the Great Wall of Beijing, Wanli City features sentry posts every 50–100 meters, all positioned at strategic or visible locations. From atop the city walls on the mountain ridges, the landscape within a radius of 30–40 kilometers can be seen in its entirety. It is said that walking along the entire length of the wall would take at least seven or eight days. Experts note that Wanli City within Suowu Mountain Scenic Area is the highest-altitude, largest-scale, and best-preserved physical relic of Emperor Qianlong’s Jinchuan campaign, offering immense value for tourism and scientific exploration.

Suowu Mountain, this perilous, majestic, mystical, and extraordinary peak—a serene and resplendent garden—is a radiant jewel embedded in the Land of Pears. Located just over 10 kilometers from the county seat, it retains its pristine natural features and is highly developable, making it a truly rare treasure.

Location: Suowu Mountain is situated in Xian'Diao Gully, Erjia Village, Wanlin Township, eastern Jinchuan County, covering an area of over 100 square kilometers.

Climate: The area enjoys a mild climate with abundant sunshine. The average annual precipitation is 616 mm, the mean temperature is 12.8°C, the average annual sunshine duration is 2,129 hours, and the frost-free period averages 184 days.

Features: Majestic, mysterious, profound, precipitous, and deep. Epithet: Known as the Art Gallery of Nature’s Sculptures.

Contact: 0837-2522578

Official Website: http://www.abjinchuan.gov.cn/ (Jinchuan County Government Website)

Ticket Information: None

Introduction: The scenic area stretches over 100 kilometers in a northwest–southeast direction, covering approximately 200 square kilometers. It consists of four major scenic zones radiating from Songmuping: Bodhisattva Gully, Xian'Diao Gully, Zhuchang Gully, and Dashuzi Gully. Bodhisattva Gully is the central hub of scenic beauty, further divided into Male Mountain, Female Mountain, and City Wall Mountain.