Mount Lenglong

Mount Lenglong

Mount Lenglong

Mount Lenglong is located northeast of Menyuan County. Its summit features glaciers and snow that never melt all year round. When the sun sets and the evening glow drifts softly across the sky, the glistening white snow on the mountaintop sparkles brilliantly, sometimes taking on hues of crimson, pale purple, light blue-gray, and deep blue. It resembles a jade dragon wandering through a field of blooming flowers, constantly shifting in appearance — hence the name “Sunset Glow on Mount Lenglong.” The mountain is grand, massive, and heavily ridged. Towering majestically above is the Gangshika Peak, the highest point of Mount Lenglong, with an elevation of 5,254.5 meters. Its sword-like peak stretches toward the sky, appearing silver-bright under blue skies and white clouds, yet turning wild and dark when storms rage, sometimes accompanied by sudden avalanches that roar like dragons and tigers with flying snow sweeping through the air — a truly awe-inspiring and unpredictable sight. The area combines the magnificence of modern glaciers with a complete range of vegetation zones, making it an ideal destination for scientific research, mountaineering expeditions, and tourism. During the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty, the Western Pacification Marquis Mu Ying and General Deng Yu pursued the Qiang people to this region. Historical records also note that in 345 AD, the Governor of Jiuquan, Ma Ji, told Zhang Mao of the Former Liang: “The southern mountain of Jiuquan is Kunlun. In ancient times, King Mu of Zhou campaigned westward to Kunlun and met the Queen Mother of the West here. She had the body of a tiger, the tail of a leopard, a human face, and the teeth of a tiger — her entire body was white, and she lived in a cave within the snowy mountains. This mountain is an ancient branch of Kunlun, so it is fitting to build a shrine to the Queen Mother of the West to pray for boundless blessings for the imperial court.” With Zhang Mao’s agreement, the Queen Mother Shrine was established on Gangshika Mountain and named “Kunlun.” During the Changqing era of Emperor Muzong of the Tang Dynasty (807–821 AD), an envoy named Liu Yuanding ascended the mountain while on a diplomatic mission to Tibet. The sunlight reflecting off the snow and the violet-colored mist gave it another name: “Purple Mountain.” Below the mountain lies dense shrubbery in bluish-green hues, and hence in the ancient Qiang language, it was called “Menmoli Mountain.” Among the thirteen great mountain deities revered across the vast Huare region, it is honored as the foremost deity, enjoying the prestigious title of “Amit Gangshika” (meaning Lord Snow Mountain). The local Tibetan people regard white as an auspicious color and hold it in reverence. Every year on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, they hold grand ceremonies to worship the Gangshika Mountain God. These events are not only marked by monks chanting sutras but also include horse racing, wrestling, shooting contests, and other activities. One unique ritual involves creating a large paper bird, 1.5 meters tall and 3 meters long, known in Tibetan as “Xiajieqiangqiong” (meaning “King of All Birds”), which is released high into the sky to commemorate the Queen Mother of the West and her bluebird messenger. According to the “Classic of Mountains and Seas: The Great Wilderness – Western Chapters,” “In the west there is the Queen Mother’s mountain... where three bluebirds dwell, with red heads and black eyes.” Guo Pu explained: “These three bluebirds are all messengers of the Queen Mother.” Later generations came to refer to messengers as “bluebirds,” and the origin of the poetic reference in Li Shangyin’s verse — “To the fairy mountain, the way is not far; the bluebird, diligent, goes to see her on my behalf” — comes from this legend.

“The Great Wilderness – Western Chapters”