Huaguoshan Ecological Tourist Scenic Area

Huaguoshan Ecological Tourist Scenic Area

Huaguoshan, also known as Longhe Mountain, is located in the northwest of Dashengtang Village at an altitude of 1,806 meters. According to the *Taiyuan Prefecture Records* from the Ming Dynasty's Wanli era: "Longhe Mountain... lies fifty li west of Loufan Town, surrounded by steep ridges and auspicious clouds that often hover like dragons, hence the name." The most captivating sight on Longhe Mountain is the spectacular "Evening Glow of Longhe." When the sun sets and you look westward from the mountain, you’ll see the surrounding peaks cloaked in shadows, but Longhe Mountain alone is bathed in sunlight, with radiant, multicolored clouds glowing brilliantly behind it—a breathtaking scene and considered the finest of the original Eight Scenic Spots of Jingle. Yuan Haowen, a renowned poet from the late Jin and early Yuan dynasties, trekked through mountains and rivers to visit this place and composed a poem titled *Climbing Longhe Mountain*: "White rain like suspended hemp drapes over cliff layers, / As passing clouds disperse, evening light breaks through. / Could it be that climbing stirs such high delight? / My horse’s hooves have just come down from Taihang."

Huaguoshan is covered with dense pine trees and blooming wildflowers, enjoys a cool climate, and features unique scenery. Atop the mountain once stood the Qingliang Temple, built during the Tang Dynasty but destroyed during wartime. Beside its ruins lies an ancient temple made of square stones, locally called the "Monkey King Temple." In front of its gate stand two stone pillars inscribed with couplets: "Land of the Eastern Divine Continent, Former Residence of Wukong." Inside the temple is a stone sculpture of the Monkey King, and behind the statue is a line-engraved mural of Patriarch Bodhi. Amidst the towering mountains, there was once a "Water Curtain Cave," which has been damaged due to the destruction of vegetation and groundwater. The original Qingliang Temple courtyard hung a large bell cast in the 11th year of the Hongzhi reign of the Ming Dynasty, depicting the story of the Tang monk and his disciples on their journey to the West. The *Jingle County Annals* from the 39th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty recorded: "In the southern part near Longhe lies Huaguoshan, named for the abundance of flowers and fruits in spring and summer. It is sometimes associated with the 'Water Curtain Cave,' claiming Sun Wukong was a native of Loufan." The *Complete Works of Fu Shan*, written by the famous scholar and great thinker Fu Shan in the late Ming and early Qing periods, mentions that the *Jingle County Annals* of the Ming Dynasty recorded: "Sun Wukong was a man of Loufan." Experts have confirmed that Loufan is the earliest birthplace of the *Journey to the West* story. On the northern slope of Huaguoshan stand hundreds of evergreen "Twisting Pines."

The Huaguoshan Ecological Tourist Scenic Area is a comprehensive theme park developed by our county based on the "Great Sage Culture," focusing on the *Journey to the West* cultural industry. Located in Daorengou Village, Majiazhai Township, Loufan County, west of Dashengtang Village, the scenic area integrates natural landscapes with legendary cultural sights. Covering a total area of over 5,200 mu, the development includes: the restoration of cultural relics and historic structures such as the original Water Curtain Cave, Wukong Birthstone, Monkey King Temple, Laojun Temple, and Qingliang Temple; as well as the construction of new cultural landmarks including the South Heaven Gate, Imperial Horse Stables, Jade Emperor Temple, and the Longhe Evening Glow Viewing Platform. Alongside construction, emphasis has also been placed on ecological development—4,000 mu of scenic trees such as oil pines, weeping willows, mountain peaches, and mountain apricots have been planted, along with 1,000 mu of fruit orchards including peaches, apricots, pears, and plums forming a "Panshu Garden" for visitors to pick fruits themselves. Currently, the scenic area’s planning and design, road foundation, and visitor reception center have been completed, and the project has been listed as a key construction initiative of the Taiyuan Municipal Tourism Bureau during the 12th Five-Year Plan period.