Nanxiong Guanyin Mountain

Nanxiong Guanyin Mountain

Guanyin Mountain, commonly known as Niuzishi and also called "Niu Feng Shan," gets its name from the presence of a "Guanyin" figure on the mountain. Located in Wujing Town, a key town in the northeast border area of Nanxiong City, the mountain sits within the Miaqian Village Committee, about 6 kilometers from the Wujing Town government and approximately 500 meters from Provincial Highway S342. All types of vehicles can reach the scenic area directly.

The Guanyin Mountain Scenic Area is distributed across the territories of Nankeng Natural Village and Shansha Natural Village. The entire scenic area features typical Danxia landform, with rocks in various shapes and uniquely captivating natural landscapes. Highlights include the vividly lifelike "Stone Ox," the humanoid-like "Living Guanyin," the majestic and steep "Five Generations Under One Roof," as well as the naturally carved "One-Line Sky" and "Earth God." Other scenic spots such as the "Lion in the Forest," "Noble Lady," "General on the March," "Camel Mountain," and "Heavenly General Mountain" are also highly attractive to visitors.

The Guanyin Mountain Scenic Area has a long history. Thousands of years ago, the "Chaotian Temple" on the mountain was once a place filled with incense and bustling with worshippers. The site had over 80 temple buildings and houses, but they were later destroyed in wars. Today, many ruins of the temples can still be seen in the scenic area. Some of these ruins retain remarkably intact stone walls (some walls are eight to nine meters long, built with five or six layers of long red stone slabs). Many shattered blue bricks and tiles can also be found on the mountain. The stone steps (commonly referred to as the "Buddha Path") carved out for people to go up and down the mountain in ancient times remain very well preserved. As you stroll through the area, you can almost vividly imagine the bustling scene of incense burning in the past.

The "Chaotian Temple" on Guanyin Mountain has a very long history. It originated in the same era as the nearby Luohan Rock Temple, both dating back to the Han Dynasty. As early as the Han and Tang Dynasties, it was one of the scenic highlights of the surrounding ancient villages.

During the Ming Dynasty, there was a small village in front of the temple, inhabited entirely by people with the surname Lai. Next to this small village was a path that connected Jiangxi’s Xinfeng and Taihe in the east to Wujing and Xintian in the west — it was one of the main routes linking the Central Plains. The villagers were very hospitable and charitable. Whenever travelers passed through the village, they would warmly invite them into their homes for tea, drinks, or a rest. However, at the time, no one knew where the small village was located, but everyone knew about the temple by the roadside because the temple on Niuzishi Mountain had existed for a very long time. So when travelers asked where the villagers lived, the locals would say, “We live in front of the temple.” Saying “in front of the temple” made it clear where the village was, so “in front of the temple” became a nickname for the small village. But since “in front of the temple” was a bit of a mouthful, people eventually simplified it to “Miaqian” (literally “in front of the temple”). This is how the small village of Miaqian got its name.

After the "Chaotian Temple" on Guanyin Mountain was damaged, people never gave up on the hope of rebuilding it, nor did they stop worshiping there. On the first and fifteenth of every month, worshippers continue to flock to the site. The "Rebuilding Chaotian Temple Stele" erected on the mountain today stands as strong and compelling evidence. Judging by the degree of weathering on the stele, it has been standing there for a very long time. Due to various historical reasons, the strong desire to rebuild the "Chaotian Temple" has never been fulfilled — a regrettable fact indeed.