Wuzi Mountain

　　The Wuzi Mountain Scenic Area is situated beside National Highway 210 in Yankou Town, about 12 kilometers southeast of Xixiang County, Hanzhong City, Shaanxi Province. The Wuzi Temple on the mountain consists of three major ancient architectural complexes — the Summit Temple, the Mid-level Temple, and the Base Temple — along with over 500 Lingguan shrines. It is a provincial-level scenic spot and a sacred site of Taoism.

　　To the left of Wuzi Mountain rises a peak that soars into the sky with sheer cliffs thousands of feet high, resembling a flying phoenix about to take off. Engraved on the rocky cliff are the bold and vigorous characters “Flying Phoenix Mountain” (飞凤山), traditionally believed to have been written by Zhang Fei of the Three Kingdoms period. Beside Flying Phoenix Mountain are the three characters “Tiger Head Cliff” (虎头崖), which can still be faintly discerned today. As there is no signature, the author remains unknown. Wuzi Mountain also houses numerous precious historical relics, including Ming Dynasty statues, plaques, and the inscribed board reading “Han Nan’s Finest Scenery” (汉南胜景).

　　Wuzi Mountain features three steeply rising peaks. The Jingyang River and the Xiaoxia River flow around the mountain like two emerald ribbons. The main peak rises abruptly from the ground, reaching over 900 meters in height. The mountain preserves over 2,500 acres of primeval white-bark pine forest, a rare tree species, which is lush and spectacular. Some of these white-bark pines are over 800 years old, yet they remain verdant, vigorous, and full of life. When the breeze blows, the rustling of the pine waves sounds like a song or a poem. Several eagles can also be seen circling and soaring above the mountaintop. With a long history and numerous scenic wonders, Wuzi Mountain has, since ancient times, attracted many literati and scholars who climbed the mountain to enjoy the view and compose poetry. The mountain embodies the essence of natural landscapes. Viewed from afar, it rivals the elegance of Mount Emei; when climbed, it shares the ruggedness of Mount Hua, hence earning the reputation of being the “Little Mount Hua of Southern Shaanxi.” On the first and fifteenth days of each lunar month, visitors come from far and wide. During the first three days of the Lunar New Year and on the third day of the third lunar month, the area is especially crowded with tourists.

　　The Wuzi Temple is located on Wuzi Mountain. It is the collective name for several major temples on the mountain. The Wuzi Temple is home to tens of thousands of pine and cypress trees. The Summit Temple still retains many lively and expressive murals and reliefs, serving as valuable historical material for the study of folk art and craft. There are currently over 60 halls and rooms on the temple grounds, covering a construction area of nearly 2,000 square meters. Inside the main hall, two bronze Buddha statues cast during the Ming Dynasty have survived: one is 1.67 meters tall and 0.9 meters wide, and the other is 1.54 meters tall and 0.9 meters wide. There is also an iron-standing Buddha statue from the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty and a large iron bell from the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty. The entire complex is elegant, magnificent, and grand in scale.

　　Scenic Area Address: Yankou Town, 12 kilometers southeast of Xixiang County, Hanzhong City, Shaanxi Province