Horn Mountain

Horn Mountain

Horn Mountain

Horn Mountain is the highest peak in Danzhai County, standing at an elevation of 1,701 meters and towering majestically at the eastern edge of the county. The mountain features a grand and imposing landscape, with ancient trees reaching skyward and sheer cliffs on the main peak that pierce the clouds. Its awe-inspiring beauty is captured in this poem: “At Horn Mountain’s summit, the blue sky meets the horn-like peak that juts into the heavens, while red clouds dance; Waterfall Rock hangs in the empty valley, where cascading water turns into mist, like shattered white jade.” Legend has it that…

Horn Mountain spans the counties of Leishan and Danzhai, covering an area of 33 square kilometers, with elevations ranging from 1,300 to 1,701 meters. It preserves about 5,865 acres of pristine vegetation. The mountain is home to rare tree species such as nanmu, sal tree, and scale-reversed wood, as well as wildlife including golden pheasants, wild boars, and musk deer. There are still ancient trees that are several thousand years old and wide enough for several people to hug, making them living fossils of the ecological heritage in eastern Guizhou.

Due to its steep and strategic terrain, Horn Mountain served as a pass between Paodiao in Danzhai and Yongle in Leishan, and became an ancient battlefield during the Qing Dynasty when the Miao people resisted Qing rule. The Qing poet Ouyang Chaoxiang wrote: “The sharp horn of Horn Mountain stands proud, cotton blossoms blush red in Cotton Valley. News arrives of He Jiuxi’s fall in battle, but Commander Bexian remains composed...”, recounting the battles that took place here.

Today, Horn Mountain retains its rich primeval forest and is one of Danzhai County’s nature reserves. The Miao people living at the foot of the mountain rely on it and draw inspiration from its grandeur to build a better life, adding a unique charm to Horn Mountain. Thousands of acres of tea plantations form a graceful skirt around the mountain, while tens of thousands of acres of fertile farmland make up its lush body. Horn Mountain is like a graceful Miao maiden, waiting for visitors from afar to admire her captivating beauty.