Dachaoshan Sacred Mountain Scenic Area

　　    Dachaoshan is located southeast of Dachaoshanxi Town and is a famous mountain in the Lincang region. It borders the Lancang River to the east, leans against the Daxue Mountain to the west, and opens up to the north and south. The main peak has an elevation of 1813 meters and is only 2.5 km away from the Lancang River. Originally known as Dashí (meaning “Big Stone”), it earned its nickname due to the cluster of strange rocks on the mountain such as stone bridges, stone houses, and yin-yang stones. A ridge extending from the northeast of Dachaoshan reaches straight to the riverside, resembling a divine turtle drinking water when viewed from afar, adding to its spiritual aura. From the summit of Dachaoshan, the Dachaoshan Hydropower Station is fully visible, peaks of the Wuliang Mountains can be spotted, and the towering summits of the Daxue Mountain range rise high into the clouds. Additionally, the sunrise over Dachaoshan, the morning mist over the Lancang River, and the sea of clouds shrouding the misty mountains are breathtakingly beautiful. “A mountain needs no great height to be sacred — it is the presence of deities that brings it life.” The spiritual energy of Dachaoshan resonates far and wide. On the mountain stands an old Laojun Temple (also called Dachaoshan Temple), dating back to the Ming and Qing dynasties. Every year from the 15th to the 17th of the first lunar month, on the 8th of the second lunar month, and on the 24th of the sixth lunar month (Torch Festival), tens of thousands of worshippers from nearby counties — including those from this county, Jingdong, Lincang, Zhenyuan, Jinggu, and Nanjian — flock here to pay homage, creating a grand and lively atmosphere. Each year on the 15th of the first lunar month, it is the Yi people’s day to worship the mountain (i.e., to honor the mountain deity). Locals and Yi people from neighboring counties joyfully come to Dachaoshan for pilgrimage. On this day, the mountain is bustling with noise and excitement, with the sound of suonas filling the air. After ritually slaughtering chickens and kowtowing, people of all ages form circles to dance the Guozhuang (“circle dance”). “They dance from dawn until sunset, with only clouds of yellow dust and no sight of their feet.”