Xiejiu Mountain

　　Xiejiu Mountain is located at the border between Erlang Township in Cheng County and Sajing Township in Xihe County. It lies within the mid-mature high mountainous region of the Qinling Mountains, and its geological structure belongs to the eastern section of the West Qinling Hercynian-Indosinian fold belt. The area's strata mainly consist of the Middle Devonian Anjiacha Formation. With an elevation ranging from 1,800 to 2,451 meters, it features a warm temperate continental climate. The "Jicao Ridge (Boundary of Tonggu County)" described in the great Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu’s writings refers to today’s Xiejiu Mountain (though some local scholars hold differing views). It earned its name from the abundance of xiejiu (a perennial herbaceous plant with edible bulbs) growing on the mountain. In the winter month of 759 AD during the second year of the Qianyuan era of the Tang Dynasty, the poet Du Fu, along with his wife and children, struggled to climb Jicao Ridge on their way to Tonggu. From afar, he gazed at Nigong Mountain and let out a sorrowful sigh. Upon reaching the summit of Xiejiu Mountain, one can look down upon all other peaks as small. On a clear day, to the north lies a surging sea of clouds, to the south mist gently kisses the forests, beneath your feet lies lush green grass, and birds chirp all around. Amidst the beautiful legends of immortals transforming here, one can become lost in serene rapture.

　　Jicao Ridge (Boundary of Tonggu County) by Du Fu

　　Peaks upon peaks shroud long shadows, The sun appears and disappears in turns. Rustling sounds fill the forest, Grim and dreary, the rocks seem to change form.

　　This ridge is Jicao, the path leads elsewhere, To Ming Shui County the roads differ. My journey halts, my path has reached its end, In my declining years, I tire of the seasons.

　　A place to settle is still a hundred miles away, I halt my cart and turn to noble minds. The town has a fine host, Whose kindness feels as if we’ve met before.

　　His letter speaks wondrous words, The faraway guest is moved by such deep care. He wishes not for more than fern to eat, And in his eyes sees thatched cottages.

　　Xiejiu Mountain features numerous “guokeng” (pot pits), surrounded by woods, each about 40 meters in diameter with a sunken center shaped like an inverted cone. These cones are about 5 meters high, resembling the iron pots used by farmers for cooking—hence the name “guokeng.” The bottoms of the pots are overgrown with weeds, and upon closer inspection, cracks can be seen in the centers, indicating that water from the surrounding area all drains into them. Continuing eastward, hundreds of meters apart, more guokeng emerge, varying in diameter and cone height. The larger ones span about 200 meters in diameter with cones up to 40 meters high, while smaller ones are just a few meters across. Similar guokeng can also be found in the woods. Even more intriguing are several “xuan keng” (whirlpits): their mouths are surrounded by grotesque rocks, 5 to 8 meters wide. At the edge of these pits, a bone-chilling breeze wafts up. Peering in, they resemble vertical or near-vertical wells with no visible bottom. When you toss a stone in, the echo takes a while to return. Further east along the ridge, after crossing a curved guokeng, you will reach the main peak at 2,451 meters. Looking down at the long, green guokeng bowl, it shines like a string of emeralds dangling from the neck of the main peak.

　　Lie against the rocks, with gentle breezes and white clouds brushing your face, beautiful flowers and green grass embracing you. Listen closely: tales of Taoist priests who sacrificed themselves and became immortal on Xiejiu, vapor-emitting caves where flower stems rise to the sky before thunderstorms, and medicinal herb gatherers who dropped their gourds into whirlpits only to have them found again in Lianchi Pool in Cheng County... These beautiful, age-old legends, the splendid surface features, and the mysterious aura enveloping the spacetime of Xiejiu Mountain stir the heart of anyone drawn to explore. They send thoughts soaring: the Earth’s vicinity along the 30°N latitude is scattered with wonders both natural and cultural—the Huangshan Mountains, Mount Everest, the Dead Sea, the Bermuda Triangle, the Sanxingdui site in Sichuan, the Egyptian Pyramids, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and so on. What then does Xiejiu Mountain near 30°N latitude reveal to us? Sleeping alongside the mountain, you sense its spirituality. Open your heart and gradually embrace it. Trek through verdant mountains, mostly rocky, with cliffs stretching tens of yards across chasms. Standing atop them, you feel as though you're walking on air; looking down may send chills down your spine. Look up, however, and you’ll see a small pocket of sky, cutting through the white clouds, like a rainbow lying across the heavens.

　　Xiejiu Mountain boasts magnificent karst landforms and is also extremely rich in biodiversity. Known as the “Millennial Medicine Land,” it produces over 500 types of medicinal herbs, including xiejiu, wild codonopsis, evodia, poria, scrophularia, angelica, and rhubarb. It even has rare global plants such as alpine azaleas. Protected animal species include the golden snub-nosed monkey, wild ox, cheetah, hunting dog, red deer, bear, blue sheep, and Lady Amherst’s pheasant. The term “karst” originates from a plateau region in Yugoslavia and is a globally recognized term, just like yardang and danxia landforms, referring specifically to the physical and chemical transformation characteristics of regional carbonate rock layers. The academic community generally believes that karst sinkhole clusters are rare in northern regions (the vast northwest has been under dry climatic conditions since the Tertiary period and is thus an area where karst landscapes barely develop). Yet, the karst landforms align well with the characteristics of Xiejiu Mountain, offering extremely high scientific research value—as well as tourism value—in the study of geophysical movements, geological karst activities, biological evolution processes, and climate change.