Guanyan Mountain

　　    Situated within the jurisdiction of Huangzhai Town, Pujiang County, on the southern bank of the Puyang River, Guanyan Mountain is a scenic landmark in our county. Exploring this historic site allows visitors to enjoy the beautiful landscape while also gaining insight into its profound historical and cultural significance. While many are familiar with the natural scenery of Guanyan Mountain, few are acquainted with its rich history and culture. Song Lian wrote "The Record of Guanyan Temple." Guanyan Mountain, also known as Kanghou Mountain or Luofeng, has an elevation of 391 meters and features rocks that are all dark reddish-black, representing a classic Danxia landform.

　　    The mountain features abrupt peaks and gorges, with sheer cliffs on the southern slope and large, round rocks on the northern side. Viewed from the east or west, the formations take on various shapes—like an upside-down bell, a curly beard, or a person crouching with their head turned sideways. From a distance, it resembles a crouching lion gazing up at the sky. The entire Guanyan Mountain scenic area consists of over ten attractions, including cliffs, Guanyan Temple, Hu Gong Shrine, Thin Blade Ridge, and Vulture Peak Pavilion.

　　    Located on the southeastern edge of the Puyang Basin, 12 kilometers from the county seat, the area spans 5 square kilometers and includes more than 20 scenic spots. Guanyan Mountain, also called Kanghou Mountain or Luofeng, stands 391 meters tall with rocks that are uniformly dark reddish-black, forming a typical Danxia landform. Its abrupt peaks and gorges stand firmly on the southern bank of the Puyang River. The southern slope features jagged cliffs, while the northern side is marked by large, rounded rocks. When viewed from the east or west, the shapes vary—resembling an upside-down bell, a curly beard, or a person crouching with their head turned sideways. From afar, it looks like a crouching lion raising its head toward the sky.

　　    Stone Cliff

　　    Following the western foothills past Dinglong Bridge, climbing over a thousand stone steps, and passing through Vulture Peak Pavilion, you’ll reach the southern plateau of the cliff. The steep cliffs stretch like a screen, about a hundred zhang high, with the cliff edge tilting outward and the inner wall sharply carved. Even during torrential rain, within ten meters of the base, the rain pours down like a curtain but not a single drop touches the ground. The cliff face is dotted with caves, where black falcons nest—a rare sight in central Zhejiang, but quite common here.

　　    Guanyan Temple

　　　　       According to Song Lian’s records, during the Xiantong era of the Tang Dynasty (860–874 AD), Master Zudeng came from Shangyu and resided in the cliff. During a drought, he climbed alone to the summit, sacrificing himself by throwing himself off the cliff to pray for rain. That year, there was abundant rainfall. After his cremation, five-colored relics were found, and the people, moved by his virtue, built "Guanyan Temple" against the cliff. After nine reconstructions and expansions during the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties, it became a widely renowned monastery. Today, the mountain gate, Mahavira Hall, rear hall (Flat Pole Cave), monks' quarters, and over 50 statues of deities still remain.

　　    Hu Gong Shrine

　　    Covering an area of over ten acres at the top of Guanyan Mountain, the Hu Gong Shrine was established as early as the Song Dynasty. Beside the shrine is a clear spring that neither increases during heavy rain nor decreases during severe drought. In the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty, the Hu Gong Shrine was relocated to the 30-meter-long, 6-meter-high Flat Pole Cave in the second cliff—now the rear hall of "Guanyan Temple."

　　    Thin Blade Ridge

　　    On the northern side of the cliff, between two rocks less than 10 meters apart, lies a precipitous drop, extremely steep and dangerous. From a distance, it looks as if cleaved by a giant’s blade. Looking down from the summit, it appears as a bottomless abyss, shrouded in darkness year-round, with all rocks dark brown.

　　    Hometown of Xinyue

　　    Jiangzhai Village at the foot of Guanyan Mountain is the hometown of Jiang Xingyi (also known as Xinyue Master, the "Father of Japanese Seal Engraving" and founder of the Caotong School’s Shouchang Sect in Japan), who made outstanding contributions to Japanese culture after traveling to Japan in the early Qing Dynasty. To honor his homeland, Jiang Xingyi adopted the alias "Vulture Peak Wild Woodcutter, Donggao Xinyue." In 1991, Professor Suzuki Mitsuo from Japan visited Guanyan Mountain and held deep reverence for "Vulture Peak Pavilion." According to Lai Jie’s "Record of Huaguang Pavilion": "Vulture Peak Pavilion" was built in 1347 (the Dinghai year of the Zhi Zheng era of the Yuan Dynasty) by Hong Sheng and Hong Xing.

　　    Guanyan Temple is the core of the entire Guanyan Mountain scenic area. Originally built during the Xiantong era of the Tang Dynasty (860–874 AD), the local people constructed "Guanyan Temple" against the cliff to commemorate Master Zudeng’s sacrifice in praying for rain. Since the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, the temple has been destroyed and rebuilt nine times. Today, the surviving structures include the mountain gate, Mahavira Hall, rear hall (Flat Pole Cave), monks' quarters, and over 50 statues of deities. Following the western foothills, crossing Dinglong Bridge, climbing over a thousand stone steps, and passing through Vulture Peak Pavilion, you’ll reach the southern plateau of the cliff, where steep cliffs stretch like a screen, about a hundred zhang high, with the cliff edge tilting outward and numerous rock caves in the walls. According to local elders, these caves are home to black falcons—a rare species in central Zhejiang, but quite common here. The mountaintop covers an area of over ten acres, and as early as the Song Dynasty, the Hu Gong Shrine was built here. Beside the shrine is a clear spring, said to remain unchanged regardless of heavy rain or drought. In the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty, the Hu Gong Shrine was moved to the 30-meter-long, 6-meter-high Flat Pole Cave in the second cliff—now the rear hall of "Guanyan Temple." Thin Blade Ridge lies on the northern side of the cliff, with a gap of less than 10 meters between two rocks, yet it drops thousands of feet straight down, extremely steep and dangerous. From a distance, it looks as if sliced by a giant’s blade. Looking down from the summit, it appears as a bottomless abyss, shrouded in darkness year-round, with all rocks dark brown.

　　    In the early 1980s, when cultural development was highly emphasized across China, rebuilding Guanyan Temple became a top priority for enthusiastic villagers. Led by four elders, including Hong Xidi’s father Hong Xinzhi, funds were raised to reconstruct the temple—all donations came from the public. To honor the contributors, Hong Xinzhi kept detailed records, noting even donations as small as one mao or one fen. However, what impressed Hong Xidi most was that the over thousand steps from the mountain’s base to the summit were entirely funded by devotees. His father was responsible for writing the donors’ names on the steps, while he engraved them. During that time, the father-and-son duo often worked dawn to dusk as volunteers on the mountain, even bringing their own meals. Though the days of building Guanyan Mountain were tough, seeing the crowds of visitors during holidays today fills Hong Xidi with genuine joy. Xinyue’s Heart Tied to Vulture Peak Pavilion—inside the pavilion stands a stone tablet inscribed with "The Record of Rebuilding Vulture Peak Pavilion," which clearly states that the pavilion was first built during the Zhi Zheng era of the Yuan Dynasty (1343 AD) and underwent multiple renovations. During the Cultural Revolution, the temples and pavilions on Guanyan Mountain were destroyed, leaving only ruins, until they were rebuilt after the reform and opening-up period.

　　    Vulture Peak Pavilion was originally an ordinary shelter, lacking intricate design or exquisite carvings. Yet, it holds a deep sense of nostalgia for Xinyue Master, revered as the "Father of Japanese Seal Engraving." Xinyue Master, whose surname was Jiang and given name Xingchou (also known as Xinyue), traveled to Japan in the early Qing Dynasty and made remarkable contributions to Japan’s cultural development and prosperity. Far from his homeland, Jiang Xingchou often longed for his hometown and adopted the alias "Vulture Peak Wild Woodcutter, Donggao Xinyue" to ease his homesickness. Nowadays, whenever Japanese visitors come to Guanyan Mountain in our county, they hold "Vulture Peak Pavilion" in high esteem.