Nanshan Mountain

Nanshan Mountain

Nanshan Mountain is located at the border between Ningxi and Yonghe, with the northern side belonging to Ningxi and the southern side to Yonghe. There are small trails on all sides leading to the mountain’s summit.

Nanshan Mountain, anciently known as Nanshao Mountain, was meant to stand in a triad with the renowned Xishao Mountain and Dongshao Mountain (i.e., Luofu Mountain) — all famous scenic spots in central Guangdong. Though not particularly high, with an elevation of only 433.2 meters, it possesses the majestic grandeur and serene beauty reminiscent of Luofu Mountain. Furthermore, it stands prominently above the flat plains, making it especially eye-catching. Its majestic presence can even be spotted from ships sailing at the estuaries of the Dongjiang and Pearl Rivers, earning it the reputation as a natural navigation landmark on the Pearl River Delta. Throughout history, poets and scholars have praised it in their verses. In the early Qing Dynasty, Qu Dajun wrote the poem: “To the west of Dongshao lies Nanshao, its lotus-like peaks marking the seas in all directions... The southern ridge warms with misty miles, while autumn waterfalls melt like snow.”

Originally situated on the mountain was the "Baihua Temple," which predates the establishment of Zengcheng County (in 201 AD) by over 100 years, hence the saying “Baihua came before Zengcheng.” In ancient times, the Lotus Academy was also built on the mountain, where the Ming Dynasty scholar Zhan Ruoshui once lectured. Aside from its cultural and historical relics, the mountain boasts many natural wonders such as the Stone Hermitage, Stone Chamber, Waterfall, and Bottomless Pool. Covered in verdant hues, visitors strolling through its slopes can fully enjoy the lush beauty of the nearby hills and the misty vastness of those in the distance, finding tranquil joy in the experience.

On Nanshan Mountain, the personally inscribed “Zhanzi Cave” by Zhan Ruoshui can be considered a stroke of genius. According to descendants of the Zhan family, the three characters “Zhan,” “Zi,” and “Cave” were originally written with “zero water droplets,” meaning just six dots. But if you count carefully, you’ll find it interestingly contains “eleven water droplets.” This is because Master Ganquan (Zhan Ruoshui), who loved mountains and water, used his specially made “Mao Long pen” to write these characters, thus transforming what should have been “six dots” into “eleven dots.”