Fuyao Mountain

　　Fuyao Mountain is situated 12 kilometers southwest of Taojiang County, with its main peak at an elevation of 752 meters and spanning around 48 square kilometers. The area is characterized by rolling hills and prominent peaks. Historically known as a famous mountain in southern Chu, it was referred to as the “Little Southern Sacred Peak,” and today it is a sacred Buddhist site in Yiyang City.

　　Fuyao Mountain has 48 peaks, often shrouded in clouds and mist. From afar, it appears to float; up close, it resembles a mound—hence the name Fuyao Mountain. Another legend says that during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, a man named Pan Ziliang practiced alchemy and sought immortality here. He called himself “Fuyaozi,” and the mountain was thus named after him.

　　At the summit of Fuyao Mountain stands the ancient Fuyao Temple, where both Taoist and Buddhist practices coexist. The temple complex consists of three courtyards and four halls. The front hall is the Jade Emperor Hall, used by monks for chanting scriptures and meditation. The second hall is the Longevity and Blessings Hall, funded by Lady He, the second wife of Tao Shu, Minister of War during the Qing Dynasty’s Daoguang era. The third hall is the Patriarch Hall, which originally housed a statue of the Taoist deity Xuanwu. The last hall is the Guanyin Hall, where a granite slab is inlaid on the wall, inscribed with the four large characters “Yin Xin Shi Wu” (Seal of the Heart Stone House), bestowed upon Tao Shu by Emperor Daoguang of the Qing Dynasty. Though the temple has weathered many storms and much of it has been damaged, parts have been restored and now welcome visitors and worshippers.

　　　Today, several historical relics remain on Fuyao Mountain. At the summit sits a “Flying Stone House,” a meteorite shaped like a house that is said to have fallen from the sky. The ancients carved four exquisitely detailed and vivid murals on its walls, depicting scenes such as the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea and a Red Phoenix Facing the Sun. To the left of the stone house stands a stone tablet inscribed with the characters “Dan Tai” (Alchemy Platform), believed to be the spot where Fuyaozi and other immortals practiced alchemy. Immortal alchemists were said to have boiled stones to stave off hunger, leaving behind a “Tooth Stone” bearing their tooth imprints. There is also a mystical Wind Cave on the mountain, with unfathomable depths. Legend has it that this cave passes through Yiyang City and leads straight down to Dongting Lake, though no one has ever dared to explore it firsthand.