Wangwu Mountain Scenic Area in Jiyuan

　　The Wangwu Mountain National Key Scenic Area is located 35 kilometers from downtown Jiyuan and is one of the nine most famous mountains in ancient China. During the Han and Wei dynasties, it was ranked as the foremost of the Ten Great Taoist Caves, known as the "Number One Cave Heaven Under Heaven." Its main peak, the Temple of Heaven, stands at an altitude of 1,715 meters and is the place where the ancestor of the Chinese nation, the Yellow Emperor (Huangdi), is said to have offered sacrifices to heaven. It is widely referred to as the "Pillar Supporting Heaven." This is a national-level mountainous scenic area that boasts cultural relics spanning ten thousand years and a millennia-old flourishing Taoist tradition. It uniquely blends culture and nature, offering a highly refined experience.

　　Wangwu Mountain is the hometown of the Foolish Old Man (Yu Gong), whose story of moving mountains is widely known thanks to its documentation in "Liezi" and its reference by Mao Zedong in his essay "The Foolish Old Man Who Removed the Mountains."

　　The majestic and beautiful Wangwu Mountain is situated in the northwest of Henan Province, bordered by the Taihang Mountains to the east, the Zhongtiao Mountains to the west, the Taiyue Mountains to the north, and the Yellow River to the south. It earned the name Wangwu Mountain because its shape resembles the canopy of a king’s chariot. The summit of Wangwu Mountain reaches an elevation of 1,715.7 meters and is traditionally believed to be where the Yellow Emperor prayed to heaven. It is called the "Temple of Heaven."

　　The legendary site of "Yu Gong Moving the Mountains" is located on the sunny side of Wangwu Mountain. It is a long, north-south mountain ridge extending from the main peak of Wangwu Mountain. To the west of the ridge lies Yu Gong Village, and to the east is the Xiaoyou River. The villagers of Yu Gong Village had to fetch water from the Xiaoyou River every day, and this massive ridge caused them great inconvenience, prompting Yu Gong to decide to dig it away with his descendants. Today, visitors can see a large gap cleaved through the middle of this mountain ridge, which from afar looks as if it were artificially excavated. Nowadays, Wangwu Mountain features wondrous peaks, serene caves, and breathtaking scenery. Major tourist attractions include the Yangtai Palace, the Purple Tenuity Palace, the Temple of Heaven Summit, and the Queen Mother’s Cave. Climbing the Temple of Heaven Peak is a highlight of visiting Wangwu Mountain, with the entire trek stretching 50 kilometers.

　　The Yangtai Palace is located at the western foot of Wangwu Mountain, west of Yu Gong Village, and serves as the starting point of the Wangwu Mountain tourist route. The existing structures are arranged from south to north, following the mountain’s contour and rising progressively in elevation. Their staggered layout and grand momentum showcase the ingenuity of ancient Chinese craftsmen. Originally built during the Tang Dynasty, the current main structures—the Hall of the Three Pure Ones and the Jade Emperor Pavilion—were reconstructed during the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty. The most eye-catching is the three-tiered pavilion-style Jade Emperor Pavilion, which appears as if it is about to take flight, leaving visitors in awe. The dozens of carved stone pillars on the main buildings turn this religious sanctuary into a hall of stone carving art. The pillars are adorned with carvings of coiling dragons among clouds, birds facing the wind, magpies chirping among plum blossoms, Su Wu herding sheep, the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, and the Yellow Emperor battling Chiyou—all vivid and lifelike. The Yangtai Palace is covered in lush pines and cypresses, including a seven-leaf bodhi tree with a trunk circumference of nearly three meters and a height of 14 meters, said to date back to the Tang Dynasty.

　　More interestingly, if you clap your hands on the stone steps in front of the Yangtai Palace, you can hear a bird-like “DA-gong” sound. Locals say it is the call of a phoenix. The reason the palace echoes with the sound of a phoenix is said to be that it was built at the root of the phoenix’s tail. From a higher vantage point, one can observe that the Temple of Heaven Peak behind the palace resembles the head of a phoenix, calling out to the sky. The nine large mountain ridges in front of the palace are collectively called the Nine Reishi Ridges, fanning out from north to south like a circular fan, resembling the phoenix’s tail. Nearby smaller ridges resemble the phoenix’s shoulders, back, waist, wings, and heart. The local people refer to this extraordinary terrain as the “Red Phoenix Facing the Sun,” and the location of the Yangtai Palace is thus considered an immensely auspicious “feng shui treasure land.”

　　The mountain-surrounding canal halfway up Wangwu Mountain is the pride of the local people and a monument to the mountain-moving and water-taming achievements of the descendants of Yu Gong. Following the canal allows you to meander into the mountains, and by ascending along a small river, you can reach the Purple Tenuity Palace. Serving as the starting point for climbing the Temple of Heaven Peak, the Purple Tenuity Palace is said to have been where Li Daozong, uncle of Emperor Li Shimin, once lived in seclusion. Later, Sima Chengzhen also resided here. Inside the Purple Tenuity Palace stands a massive ginkgo tree, so large that it takes eight people to encircle it, earning it the nickname "Seven Floors and Eight Crutches." The tree is adorned with curtains and offerings dedicated by devotees of various faiths.

　　Address: Yugong Village, Wangwu Town, Jiyuan City

　　Type: Forest Mountain

　　Rating: AAAA

　　Recommended Visiting Time: Approximately 5–6 hours

　　Phone: 0391-6733058; 0391-6733358

　　Official Website: http://www.wwsjq.com/

　　Opening Hours:

　　8:00–18:00