Xie Xie Mountain

　　   Xie Xie Mountain, located six kilometers east of Liancheng, is called Lion Mountain because three adjacent peaks resemble a lion. Covering an area of over 1,500 acres, the mountain currently retains over 1,500 acres of virgin forest, with its highest peak reaching 108 meters above sea level. According to the Shicheng County Annals, during the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty, a villager named Yang Qin went to the capital to take the imperial examination, passed with honors, and rose to the position of Hanlin editor. He contributed significantly to the court. When he resigned from his official post and returned to his hometown, the emperor bestowed upon him a pair of shoes. Upon returning home, he renamed Lion Mountain “Xie Xie Mountain” (literally “Shoe-Shoe Mountain”). At the same time, he built a study on the mountaintop where he met with friends to compose poetry, studied history and literature, and enjoyed his retirement. A natural stone chair remains on the mountaintop to this day, known as the “Hanlin Chair.” After Yang Qin passed away, the villagers, in admiration of the man and the mountain, established strict village regulations to protect the forest. As a result, the mountain’s primeval forest has remained intact for thousands of years.

　　   The most distinctive feature of Xie Xie Mountain is that it preserves China’s only remaining wild lychee forest spanning hundreds of acres. According to the popular science writer Jia Zuzhang’s article “June Lychees of the South,” “Lychees are native to China and are a specialty of the country. The presence of wild lychee forests in Hainan and Lianjiang serves as evidence that China is the origin of lychees.”

　　   The wild lychee forest on Xie Xie Mountain holds significant historical importance and is even recorded in textbooks. During the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty, there was a successful imperial examination candidate named Yang Qin who served as a Hanlin bachelor and editor. Later, he retired to his hometown, Xie Xie Village. After returning, he built a literary society on Xie Xie Mountain for his own amusement. He often invited scholars to discuss Confucian classics, read and compose poetry, and even set up a school to teach students. Traces of him can still be found on the mountain. When Yang Qin retired from office, the emperor awarded him a pair of dragon shoes and instructed someone to open a treasure chest so Yang Qin could choose one keepsake. Yang Qin only selected a bag of lychee seeds. He planted the seeds on the mountain, making the lychee grove there even more lush.

　　   The lychees of Xie Xie Mountain have a history of over two thousand years. It is said that even Liu Bang and Yang Guifei of ancient times once tasted lychees from here. The prosperity of ancient Luozhou was also closely related to this lychee forest. The lychees on the mountain ripen between June and July, varying in taste from sour to sweet. The mountain is also home to many other wild fruits such as yellow olives, black olives, wild bananas, starfruit, mangosteen, and wu guo (locally called qin yong), ensuring a nearly year-round supply of food. The mountain also contains many medicinal herbs and enjoys a rather unique climate. The negative ion content is higher than in other areas, making the air feel especially fresh. No matter how hot the weather, people don’t feel stuffy or thirsty in the mountains. Perhaps due to the influence of these herbs and the climate, there are no mountain mosquitoes or itchy caterpillars. Now, a road connecting Liancheng to Xie Xie Mountain has been completed. Shicheng Town has made the development of Xie Xie Mountain a priority in its recent plans. Soon, a Xie Xie Mountain integrating both historical and modern features will be presented to visitors.