Longma Mountain

Longma Mountain

“With heroic bearing so uniquely grand, / Aloft on Longma speeds the wind-swept steed. / Soaring it stands, in boundless heights it stands, / Casting off all the mundane with speed.” These verses by the renowned poet Tang Xiyu praise the celebrated mountain of Yuxi — Longma Mountain. What a magnificent sight is Longma Mountain, towering and vast, reaching towards the heavens as if ready to take flight. Gazing from afar at the northern outskirts of Yuxi City, one sees clouds and mist drifting over the mountaintop, shimmering with rosy light, as if the dragon-horse rides the clouds and mists, ascending straight into the ninth heaven. This wondrous spectacle is known to many as the “Longma Soaring into the Sky.”

“The peerless sight of Longma soaring skyward, / Concealed within the mountain lies a city of white jade.” The White Jade City is none other than the magical and magnificent Longma Cave.

Longma Cave is an ancient yet youthful cave discovered in recent years. Within the cave, there are caves within caves, each with its own miraculous scenery. Stepping inside, one is greeted by a world dressed in silver, a scene of breathtaking beauty, tranquility, and elegance — truly “as if stepping into the Realm of Penglai, or arriving at the Crystal Palace.” Looking around, one sees winding and undulating corridors, grand and spacious halls, and stone pillars, stalagmites, stone flowers, and stone draperies carved like painted beams and ornate rafters — some resembling pillars, others torches, flower buds, or beaded curtains. There are jade trees and ice flowers, pavilions and towers, scattered in charming disarray, a feast for the eyes. Especially captivating are the whimsical stones and carvings that resemble figures or objects, some still, some seemingly in motion. The “Arhat Pagoda” rising from the ground, the “Twin Caves Veiled in Clouds” shrouded in floating clouds, the cascading “White Cloud Waterfall,” the crystal-clear “White Jade Grapes,” the “roaring” lion, the galloping “flying horse” — all come in countless forms, vividly lifelike.

At the summit of the mountainside of Longma Mountain, there lies another beautiful scenic spot — the White Dragon Pool.

At the top of Bailong Valley, there is a stone-carved dragon head. With its massive mouth agape, a jet of snow-white spring water gushes out, plummeting down from the steep valley like an inverted silver chain or a flying silk ribbon. The grandeur and force of the scene carry both strength and tenderness, blending wild exuberance with innocent purity. Under the shade of dense, towering ancient trees and the interplay of varying light, the layered, stair-like waterfall of White Dragon Spring shimmers with mysterious ripples and reflections — some twisting like silver snakes, others shooting out like arrows, some flickering like phosphorescence, others appearing suddenly like will-o’-the-wisps... The dazzling array of lights and colors makes one feel as though entering a labyrinth.

On Longma Mountain, there is also a natural wonder — the Little Stone Forest. The mountains of the Little Stone Forest are truly remarkable: each peak is delicate and graceful, some resembling exquisitely carved incense burners, others like layers of colorful silk, or lotus buds on the verge of blooming... Their countless shapes and splendid beauty make one wonder if they are not natural formations but rather meticulously crafted potted landscapes by master artisans. The mountains of the Little Stone Forest are truly towering: they rise and fall continuously, piercing the clouds. Looking down from the mountaintop, the clouds float beneath one’s feet, making it seem as if one is a celestial being riding the mist, drifting away leisurely. The mountains of the Little Stone Forest are truly precipitous: each jagged peak stands steeply, with grotesque rocks and sheer cliffs as sharp as if cut by a knife, nearly forming ninety-degree vertical drops.