Mount Jugong

Mount Jugong

Originally named Yiyang Mountain, it was later renamed Ge Yi Mountain after Ge Hong practiced alchemy here, and since the Ming Dynasty, it has been called Mount Jugong due to its vast size. Located at the northernmost tip of Gupi Town, Suining County, it stretches 3 kilometers in length and 1.3 kilometers in width, serving as the boundary mountain between Suining and Pizhou.

The mountain spans 27 li and features four parallel peaks, with the western peak being the highest at an elevation of 214.7 meters, making it the tallest peak in northern Jiangsu outside of Yuntai Mountain in Lianyungang. Often shrouded in clouds and mist, it is known as "White Cloud Peak." At the summit lies the Kangxi Emperor’s Temporary Palace. Outside the palace are the Ge Xian Cave and Ge Xian Well, believed to be the remnants of the Eastern Jin Dynasty Taoist theorist, physician, and alchemy master Ge Hong’s practice site. In 1995, with strong support from the county government, Gupi Town mobilized the entire community to build the Zongshan Chan Temple. It later successfully inherited the lineage from the Shaolin Temple in Henan, the birthplace of Chan Buddhism. On April 8th of the lunar calendar during the Buddha Bathing Festival, as well as during Qingming Festival and the Spring Festival, the mountain attracts throngs of worshippers, making it currently the top choice for local residents to hike and pay Buddhist homage.