Phan Mountain

　　Phan Mountain, meaning "Golden Rock" in the Dai language, is considered a "sacred mountain" and a "Buddhist mountain" by the Dai people. It is home to "Buddha imprints"—legend has it that when the Buddha was traveling and stopped to rest at Phan Mountain, he left an imprint of his palm on the cliff face. This sacred mark has been worshipped by Dai people across China and in Southeast Asia ever since.

　　Legend has it: When the Buddha was traveling and arrived in ancient Menglian, he found the land barren and decided to stay and help save its people. As he sat meditating with his back against the cliff at Phan Mountain, he was attacked by an evil dragon. The Buddha stepped forward and subdued the beast. To punish the dragon and bless the region, the Buddha transformed the dragon’s body into a river, its head into two mountains—these are now the Nanlei River, and the Golden Mountain and Silver Mountain, which are said to be the dragon’s horns. Upon hearing that the Buddha had arrived at Phan Mountain, dragons from around Menglian came to pay homage. In their haste, several dragons scraped their bellies, and where their blood spilled, lush Dragon Blood Trees grew. That’s why Dragon Blood Trees not only have long lifespans but also ooze a blood-like red sap when their bark is cut.

　　Phan Mountain stands at an elevation of 1,203 meters and covers an area of about 730 acres. It is home to century-old clusters of Dragon Blood Trees, teak, and large-leaf banyans—rare subtropical tree species—as well as five caves of varying sizes.