Yumen Mountain

Yumen Mountain

Yumen Mountain is located in Yumen Township, east of Zunyi County. The mountain is covered with dense forests and features flat terrain. The Le’an River flows beneath it, winding through the landscape with crystal-clear pools and beautiful scenery. In the early years of the Wanli reign during the Ming Dynasty, Li Chaobang and his son founded Shatan Temple here. In the early Qing Dynasty, it was renamed Longxing Chan Monastery. During the Shunzhi era (1644–1661), Zhange Xue, a disciple of the eminent Sichuan monk Poshan, came here to escape the chaos, quickly established a Buddhist practice site, renamed it Yumen Temple, and extensively built meditation halls and scripture depositories. In the middle of the Tongzhi era, as the peasant uprising in northern Guizhou spread like wildfire, Li Zhaoqi and others built fortifications here for “self-protection,” turning camellia blossoms and betel leaves into battle barriers amidst smoke and flames. In the 20th year of the Guangxu reign (1894), Li Shuchang renovated the site. The splendid Buddhist halls and towering pavilions became widely renowned. Towering ancient trees line the riverbank, and secluded caves and valleys wind through the area, featuring seal, clerical, and regular script inscriptions carved into the cliffs by renowned Guizhou cultural figures Zheng Zhen, Mo Youzhi, and Li Shuchang. The characters follow the contours of the rocks—some stretching vertically, others horizontally—presenting an ancient, unadorned style that is vigorous and powerful, highly valued by calligraphers. In front of the mountain lies the Pingyuan Bridge, with its grand structure, willows gently swaying along the embankment, spanning the river like an inverted rainbow, forming one of the “Six Scenic Spots of Yumen.” At the bridgehead stands the Dabeige Pavilion, built during the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty (1573–1620), solemn and dignified, enshrining Guan Yu, the Marquis of Hanshou from the Three Kingdoms period’s Shu Han. To the right of the mountain lies Shatan, the ancestral home of the Li family, which originally included structures such as Chujing Hall, Lingshi Studio, Jinxishan House, Fengyan Pavilion, Cangshi Cove, Menggeng Thatched Cottage, and Zhuozun Garden. Opposite are Ziwu Mountain, Qingtian Mountain, and Yutang, standing in a triangular formation and forming a distant tableau. These are the burial sites of Zheng Zhen, Mo Youzhi, and Li Shuchang.