Huashiyao — Wanzishan

Huashiyao — Wanzishan

Huashiyao — Wanzishan

Huashiyao, also known as Wanzishan, is located in Longdong Township, Qingshui County. Situated on the mid-section of Panlong Mountain along the southern bank of the Wei River, downstream of the Jian’gou River in Tuzhai Village, Longdong, approximately 28 kilometers southeast of the county town, it lies on the southern slope of a northwest-facing spur. The highest elevation reaches 1,823 meters, and just five li downhill across the mountain lies National Highway 310. This place boasts overlapping mountain ridges, verdant cypress groves, clear springs, flowing streams, and vibrant seasonal blooms, hence earning the name “Wanzishan” (Ten-Thousand Purple Mountain). It is also called Huashiyao (Flower-Patterned Cliff) due to its steep cliffs and colorful patterns on the mountain rocks.

Huashiyao has a long history. It is said that temples were built here before the Tang Dynasty. In the third year of the Jianlong era of the Northern Song Dynasty (967 AD), the Yuhuang Hall on the Second Terrace was renovated, with a plaque (destroyed during the Cultural Revolution) recording the event. Currently, there are two stone caves from the Ming and Qing dynasties, featuring painted sculptures, murals, and a plaque inscribed with the title from the Yongzheng reign year of Bingwu. Huashiyao is divided geographically into the “East Cliff,” “West Cliff,” with the “Phoenix Head” at the top, the “Three Forks Junction” where streams converge at the bottom, and the “Three Immortals Terrace” in the middle, making up five main sections. The East Cliff features rolling peaks and overlapping stone cliffs sloping upward, with a cave known as the “Huangmulang Cave” situated on a perilous cliff. The cave entrance is about three meters wide, the terrain is treacherous, and the depth of the cave is unknown. The West Cliff rises precipitously with bizarre rock formations. On a massive boulder on the cliff face is a smooth, light yellow patch that gleams brightly when the moon rises at night, resembling a suspended moon, hence the name “Moon Cliff.” At the northern end, the cliff swells upward with a round-topped, isolated rock resembling a phoenix’s head. Overlooking the surrounding landscape, it appears as if a young phoenix is gazing toward the Wei River from the sky, hence the name “Phoenix Head.” Downhill, the valleys to the east and west are filled with rushing streams and serene beauty, where three small creeks converge, hence called “Three Forks Junction.” All structures are built along the mountain terraces following the terrain, and can be broadly divided into four main parts: the “Grinding Needle Hall,” “Main Hall Courtyard,” “Jade Emperor Summit,” and “Thunder Sound Cliff.” Starting from the valley floor and ascending the mountain, there is a giant rock that rises abruptly from the ground, about 50 meters high, with a flat top surface of approximately 10 square meters, called the “Grinding Needle Hall.” Inside the hall are two statues from the Sui Dynasty, both Ming and Qing works.

Ascending the mountain, the first terrace features the “Fairy Crossing Bridge,” “Fairy Ascension Pavilion,” “Quiet Stone Platform,” and “Azure Dragon Cave.” The second terrace is the “Ancestral Master Hall.” In front of the hall is a sheer cliff about a hundred zhang high; behind the terrace, a large rounded boulder rises, hence called the “Heaven’s Heart Stone.” The third terrace is reached by climbing up through rock crevices. The cliff top tilts precariously, resembling a tiger’s mouth, thus called the “Tiger’s Mouth.” On the cliff top is the “Laughing-at-the-Sky Stone,” and there is a cliffside hanging ladder. By climbing the ladder and passing through a cave, one can reach the “Guanyin Shrine,” which houses three Ming Dynasty statues. Further along, hugging the cliffside along a winding path with railings, one descends knee-bent to another hanging cave called the “Thunder Sound Shrine,” containing a Ming Dynasty statue with a full, expressive face — a fine piece of cave artistry.