Bagua Mountain

　　 Bagua Mountain is located in Jianshanwan Village, Qingshan Township, and consists of eight mountain mounds. A mound is a unique landform on the Loess Plateau, characterized by a rounded top and relatively steep slopes. These particular mounds were carved into eight angular sections through early water erosion, forming distinct terraces. Each terrace, depending on its elevation due to erosion, is marked either with “一” (representing yang) or “一一” (representing yin) in the Bagua system — thus resembling a three-dimensional Bagua diagram, hence the name Bagua Mountain. The mound situated by the roadside is the main Bagua Mountain. Legend has it that Bagua Mountain was originally the Eight Trigrams Elixir Furnace of Laozi, the Supreme Taoist Lord. As the alchemy process required non-stop operation day and night, the mountaintop was always ablaze with fire. Once the elixirs were ready, they were carried to the Heavenly Pool on a golden-maned horse to be shared among the immortals. One day, a Taoist priest from the south told his disciple, “This mountain holds treasures.” As a result, some greedy individuals attempted to dig into the mountain. Late one night, a loud explosion erupted from within Bagua Mountain, and a golden colt leaped out, carrying two golden boxes filled with elixirs on its back. The waiting Taoist master and disciple tried to seize them but were both trampled to death on the mountainside by the golden horse, which then soared into the sky and flew off to the Heavenly Palace. Since then, the fire atop Bagua Mountain has been extinguished. When viewed from afar, the other seven mounds resemble lions and tigers lying in repose, giant eagles standing alone, or immortals seated in meditation.