Malin Scenic Area

　　The Malin Scenic Area is situated in the midst of rugged mountains where the Hulu River flows through the upper reaches of Zhuzhai in the northwest of Pujiang County, at the tri-junction of Pujiang, Jiande, and Tonglu counties (cities). The Jiangyi Highway crosses over the mountain ridge (at an elevation of 688 meters). The scenic area spans 10 square kilometers and features 38 attractions.

　　This scenic area boasts peculiar peaks and fantastic rocks—some rising abruptly from the earth, some crouching low, some stretching out like curtains, and others taking on the bizarre shapes of coiled beasts. Each peak vies in charm and ingenuity, making every summit uniquely marvelous. The mountains are covered with ancient trees and draped with extraordinary vines, boasting rich vegetation. It combines “beauty, wonder, seclusion, and wilderness,” presenting an unspoiled landscape full of untamed charm and exceptional natural scenery. Renowned painters such as Ye Qianyu, Kong Zhongqi, and Jiang Baolin have visited here to paint inspired by its beauty.

　　Malin is located in the rugged mountains where the Hulu River flows through the upper reaches of Zhuzhai in the northwest of Pujiang County, at the tri-junction of Pujiang, Jiande, and Tonglu counties (cities). The Jiangyi Highway crosses over the mountain ridge (at an elevation of 688 meters). The scenic area spans 10 square kilometers and features 38 attractions. The area is home to peculiar peaks and fantastic rocks—some rising abruptly from the earth, some crouching low, some stretching out like curtains, and others taking on the bizarre shapes of coiled beasts. Each peak vies in charm and ingenuity, making every summit uniquely marvelous. The mountains are covered with ancient trees and draped with extraordinary vines, boasting rich vegetation. It combines “beauty, wonder, seclusion, and wilderness,” presenting an unspoiled landscape full of untamed charm and exceptional natural scenery. Renowned painters such as Ye Qianyu, Kong Zhongqi, and Jiang Baolin have visited here to paint inspired by its beauty.

　　　　Horse Head Mountain: At the summit of Malin, a peak rises 720 meters above sea level. Its northwest slope inclines gently, resembling a horse’s neck, while the southeast side of the peak features a steep cliff that looks like a horse’s face. The slopes are covered with mixed shrubs and fine grasses, soft and fuzzy like horsehair—hence the name Horse Head Mountain, from which Malin derives its name. Viewed from the foothills, the mountain resembles a heavenly steed galloping through the sky. Below the Horse Head Peak lies a flat slope of about one acre, making it an ideal spot to watch the sunrise.

　　　　Beauty Peak: Located on Longmo Stone Ridge west of Horse Head Mountain, this peak stands 905 meters above sea level. At first glance, it resembles a slowly rising mushroom cloud; upon closer inspection, it looks like the portrait of a fairy facing the southern sky, standing above the clouds. With distinct frontal, lateral, and back views, it is also called Incense Burner Stone, Upside-down Vase, Three-Joint Rock, or Junction Peak. It is a famous peculiar rock formation in central Zhejiang, formed 150 million years ago during the intense faulting and compression of the Mesozoic Yanshan Movement. The peak consists of three sections: the base, the neck stone, and the top stone. The base stone veins twist like a coiled dragon, making it hard to distinguish head from tail or high from low. The neck stone is 5 meters long and about 6 meters in circumference. The top stone is flat as a boulder, resting on the neck and tilting southeast, with a circumference dozens of times that of the neck and a similar height. The northwest side features steep cliffs overlooking a deep abyss—it’s truly “precarious as a pile of eggs.” Anyone standing at the foot of the peak can’t help but tremble. Poets from the Ming and Qing dynasties, such as Chen Bengu and Dai Wangping, wrote poems praising it. Folklore says that Chen Laogong (a legendary figure who became immortal) was returning to Pujiang from Fuchun River after making charcoal when he noticed his dog had gone missing at Malin. Heartbroken, he stacked three stones to stand on and look for his dog, thus forming the Three-Joint Rock. Another legend claims that 5,000 years ago, the Yellow Emperor’s daughter left her silhouette here while gathering herbs and refining elixirs on her way from Xiangu, hence the name Beauty Peak.

　　　　Thread-the-Needle Bamboo Shoots: On the western slope of Longmo Stone Ridge, there are two perforated stone bamboo shoots, one above the other, only a few dozen meters apart. Each bamboo shoot is 100 meters tall, standing shoulder to shoulder, with lush pine trees on top resembling Huangshan pines. The cliffs are steep and imposing. Viewed from below, they resemble two stone doors. From the ridge above, they look like two spring bamboo shoots pushing through the earth. Each bamboo shoot has holes near its middle and lower sections, opening toward each other, allowing people to walk through. Seen from a distance, the holes resemble needle eyes, hence the name Thread-the-Needle Bamboo Shoots, also called “Thread-the-Needle Cave.”

　　　　Divine Turtle Asks the Sky: This formation consists of three parts: the turtle’s side view, neck, and back. Its head is tilted upward, mouth agape, highly lifelike—also called the Sky-Gazing Turtle. Walking gently uphill from Longmo Stone Ridge past the turtle’s neck leads to the flat cliff top opposite the turtle’s back. The top offers a smooth, table-like stone surface perfect for sitting, drinking, playing chess, or admiring the surrounding peculiar peaks and rocks. The turtle’s back is a gently sloping plateau with soft, lush grass.

　　　　Dragon Grinding Stone Ridge: At an elevation of 954 meters and approximately one kilometer in length, this winding ridge resembles a celestial dragon descending from the heavens. Its head lies east of Beauty Peak, and its tail stretches beneath the Sky-Gazing Turtle rock. The dragon’s neck is as narrow as a crucian carp’s back, where visitors can walk and enjoy views of the surrounding mountains. Looking westward, you can see Filial Son Peak, which features twin stone coffins and, to their south, a stone figure kneeling in front of them, known as Filial Son Stone. Legend says a filial son sorrowfully turned to stone after being unable to find land to bury his parents' coffins. Nearby is Mingyang Peak, whose summit is covered with jagged rocks resembling a stampeding herd of bleating goats. Even closer are rocks resembling a crouching tortoise and a monkey—the tortoise appearing to flee the monkey’s pursuit, while the old monkey gazes blankly, seemingly puzzled by the prey’s location, creating a lively and amusing scene. To the north, you can see Ship Mountain, Penholder Mountain, and Golden Cat Washing Face Peak, with their crisscrossing “masts.”

　　　　Fragrant Torreya Grove: West of Dragon Grinding Stone Ridge lies a grove of fragrant torreya trees, all over a century old.

　　　　General’s Cave: Malin’s rugged terrain has long made it a strategic military site in central Zhejiang. Historical records state that Sun Ce and Sun Quan of the Wu Kingdom, who established their rule from Eastern Wu, began their campaign from Maji, extending into Meishan’s Jiashi in Mu Zhou, then marching through Malin to Lu Zhou. In the late Northern Song Dynasty, during the Fang La uprising in Mu Zhou, legend says rebel forces camped at Malin to resist the Song Dynasty. Beneath the northern slope of Malin’s summit lies General’s Cave, also called Cave Gate, featuring nearly a hundred stone steps. These steps descend toward Jiande’s Suizhou, extremely steep and towering, like the Hundred-Step Cloud Ladder of Huangshan’s Yuping Tower. At the top of the steps, verdant bamboo flanks either side, while the cave gate stands astride the ridge like a fortress gate—remnants of battles between the Taiping Rebellion’s King Dai Huang Chengzhong’s forces and Qing troops over control of Malin.

　　　　Thousand-Man Pool: East of General’s Cave lies a mountain hollow called “Thousand-Man Pool.” When the Taiping Army was defeated, its soldiers—dead or alive—were thrown off the cliffs by Qing troops. With sheer cliffs all around, none survived, hence the name “Thousand-Man Pool.”

　　　　Red Rock Curtain: At the foot of Malin lies Malinjiao Village, with the Jiangyi Highway winding up the mountain on the village’s left. Numerous stone peaks rise west to east along the mountaintop, spanning 2.5 kilometers, with the highest peak reaching 868 meters. They resemble hanging silk curtains, hence called Stone Canopy. Along the highway, each peak takes on unique shapes, full of charm. Climbing the slope and looking up, you’ll see thick, hundred-meter-long stone-clinging vines alongside precious medicinal plants like stone leaves and copper orchids covering the peaks and rocks.

　　　　Dragon Mouth Flying Spring: At the eastern end of the Stone Curtain, two coiling dragon stones spiral upward, forming a two-tiered fountain about 150 meters long that flows year-round and turns into a waterfall during the rainy season.

　　　　Red Rock Window Shadow: On the southeast section of the Stone Curtain, a cliff with four knife-edge walls contains a natural stone window, strikingly realistic—called the “Fairy Window.”

　　　　Martial General Statue: Around a bend stands a stone figure wearing a helmet and armor, with all facial features present, resembling a border-guarding general.

　　　　Divine Tiger Cave: On the southwest section of the Stone Curtain lies Shiyefeng (Stone Leaf Peak), home to many precious stone leaf medicinal plants. Within it is a cave about 30 meters deep, once entered by herb gatherers but rarely visited by tourists. Legend says tiger roars can be heard inside, hence the name “Divine Tiger Cave.”

　　　　Coral Peak: On the western section of the Stone Curtain, a peak contains a karst cave like a window, allowing sunlight through from both north and south—called Coral Peak.

　　　　Red Rock Summit: Surrounded by stone peaks, this area forms a plateau of about 2 square kilometers, called Red Rock Summit. Pujiang’s Red Rock Summit Forest Farm is located here, covered with ancient trees, including Masson pines, Huangshan pines, and Chinese firs, exuding wild charm. There are over 1,000 century-old pines and seven 500-year-old pines.

　　　　Heavenly Pool: South of the Stone Canopy lies a small basin encircled by flat rocks, holding water year-round—called the “Heavenly Pool.”

　　　　Hundred-Zhang Deep Valley: On the western and southern ends of Red Rock, sheer cliffs form over ten deep valleys, including Shan Niu Valley, Thin Blade Valley, Coral Valley, Five-Finger Valley, and Rock Valley. At the cliffs’ summits, formations like Eagle Rock, Five-Finger Rock, and Stone Bamboo Shoot Rock compete in wonder, dotted with “welcoming pines” and covered in exotic flowers and plants, refreshing the spirit as you walk along the ridges.

　　　　Eagle Rock: On the eastern ridge of Red Rock Valley stands a rock resembling an eagle, about 30 meters in relative height, facing west toward the welcoming pines.

　　　　Welcoming Pine: Along the valley ridges of the Stone Canopy, numerous “welcoming pines” can be found, with the ten on First Rock and Second Rock being the most precious—over a century old. Visitors say they rival Huangshan’s welcoming pines.

　　　　Earth Phoenix: In Mazhen Village lies a roughly 10-square-meter patch where not even grass grows—only bowl-sized stones. The ground emits wind, cool in summer and warm in winter. Place hot water there in summer, and it turns icy; in winter, warmth radiates, making those who sit there feel cozy.

　　　　Two Treasures Tree: On the southern slope of Mazhen Village lies a fragrant torreya grove. Two trees, 500 years old, have diameters of 2 meters and 0.91 meters, heights of about 30 meters, and canopies spanning over 200 square meters—called the “Two Treasures Trees.” One of them splits and forks at the top, called the “Siblings Tree.”

　　　　Black Dragon Flying Waterfall: Located on the western cliff of Yangshuai Peak (947 meters above sea level) northwest of the Red Rock Plateau. The cliff is steep and inwardly carved, over 100 meters in relative height. At its base are two caves. During the rainy season, the cascading curtain waterfall is 1.5 meters wide at the top and 4.5 meters at the bottom, resembling a “water curtain cave”—commonly called Black Dragon Flying Waterfall.