Gufeng Mountain Scenic Area

　　    Gufeng Mountain Scenic Area is located 8 kilometers south of Wanrong County and is a tourist destination integrating sightseeing, leisure and entertainment, and religious culture. It is both a famous scenic mountain and a historic mountain. The area was developed with an investment of over 100 million yuan by Mr. Wang Chuangquan, former General Manager of Changzhi Iron and Steel Company, and the currently open section is Phase I of the project.

　　    Gufeng Mountain got its name because it rises abruptly from the ground and stands alone in solitary grandeur. As this mountain is not connected to any other peaks and is the only one with such a majestic and solitary form, it is also referred to as Asia’s “Pyramid.” Moreover, the mountain looks the same from all sides, without the varying perspectives of “ridges from one angle, peaks from another,” thus earning the name “Square Mountain.” This is what makes the mountain unique. As Wei Runiu, Secretary of the Wanrong County Party Committee, put it, “Of the countless mountains across China, only this one dares to be called ‘solitary.’” The character “solitary” (孤) has historically been used only by the highest rulers, showing the extraordinary status of this mountain.

　　    The Gufeng Mountain massif covers an area of 24 square kilometers, and including the surrounding hills and slopes, the total area reaches nearly 100 square kilometers, with the highest peak at an elevation of 1,411.2 meters. Historical scenes of Wanquan’s Eight Scenic Spots—including “Twin Springs Flowing Azure,” “Autumn Wind at Tang Fort,” “Evening Glow over the Cypress Grove,” “Spring Sentiments in the Peach Cave,” “Carved Rocks and Snow Together,” “Distant Views above the Buddhist Clouds,” and “Moonlit Night at Fan Terrace”—are all found within the area.

　　    The scenery of Gufeng Mountain changes dramatically with the seasons: in the warm spring, mountain flowers bloom in vibrant colors; at the turn of spring and summer, apricot blossoms and pear flowers are as splendid as brocade and rosy clouds; in the peak of sweltering summer, the rustling of pine trees and chirping of cicadas sound like zithers and harps, with dense shade cooling the air pleasantly; around mid-autumn, a thousand peaks compete in beauty and forests blush with layered foliage; in the bitter cold of deep winter, snow blankets the land, frost flowers cling to branches, and the world turns silver, resembling a fairyland.

　　    Address: Wanrong County, Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province