Brief Introduction to Guanzhai Mountain and Shimen Lake in Liancheng, Longyan

Guanzhai Mountain lies on the eastern outskirts of Liancheng County, merely 1 kilometer from the downtown area. In the Song Dynasty, it was known as Dongtian Stone; in the Yuan Dynasty, it was renamed Lianfeng Mountain. Huang Gongfu, a distinguished scholar of the Ming Dynasty, carved two powerful large characters Guanzhi (Zhi is the archaic form of zhi) 2 meters tall on Dishuyan Cliff.

According to legend, the xiezhi was a mythical divine beast capable of distinguishing right from wrong, goring wrongdoers with its horn. In ancient times, judicial officials wore the xiezhi crown. Since the symbolic meaning of the xiezhi crown perfectly matched the long-standing aspiration of local people in Liancheng for impartial law enforcement and an honest, upright society, the name Lianfeng Mountain gradually faded away, and Guanzhai Mountain became the official title.

Starting the ascent from the front slope, after climbing over a hundred gentle steps, you will see a sturdy centuries-old pine standing atop the mound, known as the Guest-Greeting Pine. Further along the winding mountain path, steep cliffs rise on both sides, forming a narrow gorge with gurgling mountain springs called Cangyu Gorge. Past the gorge, ascend more than 300 stone steps to reach a four-pillar pavilion with a tiled roof for visitors to rest, named Songfeng Pavilion. Another hundred meters uphill stands Banyun Pavilion. Adjacent to the pavilion, a dozen stone steps are chiseled vertically on the precipice like a ladder, forcing travelers to climb clinging to the rock face. This passage is named Danti Cloud Plank Road.

Pass Yunfeng Barrier Gate and follow the twisting trail to Dishuyan Cliff. With towering steep rock faces, this cliff gathers the finest cliff carvings across the whole mountain. Further ahead stands Ningbi Mountain House, a two-story square timber building built against the cliff. It features elegantly carved pillars, beams and lattice windows with bright colors, green glazed tiles and upturned flying eaves, presenting a classic and magnificent view. On the high ground north of the building stands Yangyun Pavilion.

The two main peaks atop Guanzhai Mountain are Ganoderma Peak and Five Elders Peak. Ganoderma Peak rises 660.8 meters above the surrounding terrain, the highest summit of Guanzhai Mountain. It resembles a thousand-year-old ganoderma lucidum fungus, hence its name. To its southwest lies Five Elders Peak. After trekking the rugged trail, you will arrive at a spacious flat summit large enough to hold hundreds of people. Standing on top, you can overlook the indistinct county town, scattered villages and endless green farmland stretching westward. To the east, rolling mountain ridges surge forward like ocean waves.

Between Ganoderma Peak and Five Elders Peak runs a natural rock fissure known as One-Line Sky. Steep sheer cliffs tower thousands of feet high, leaving only a narrow slit of blue sky overhead. At the entrance sits a square well called Golden Character Spring, whose sweet spring water makes excellent tea. Heading east from One-Line Sky along Ant Centipede Trail, you will reach God of Longevity Ridge, which looks just like a hunched elder with a round head walking forward. Climb the railings to reach Longevity Pavilion on the ridge top. On the sheer cliff south of the pavilion is the huge cliff inscription Man Lives Long carved by Luo Dan, with the ridge, pavilion and calligraphy setting off one another perfectly.

Descend the precipitous stone ladder from the ridge and walk through the dense shady valley, and you will suddenly catch sight of a towering stone pillar standing firmly in the deep valley, rising 54.1 meters high. Ancient people named it Heaven-Illuminating Candle, while modern visitors call it the Root of Life for its masculine momentum. Right next to it, massive fallen boulders are stacked together to form Lotus Cave, a deep and spacious cavern filled with delicate stones. Inside are natural stone tables and benches. Clear spring water seeps out from rock cracks and flows into a pool. The cave stays cool in summer and warm in winter. Outside the cave entrance stand five interconnected rocks named Five Sister Stones. Near Ganoderma Peak is a triangular cave of roughly 10 square meters piled up with collapsed rocks, known as Snow Cave. It is always cool and breezy, with white speckles scattered on the rock walls just like falling snowflakes.

Walking south from God of Longevity Ridge, you will see a hill shaped like a carp. More than 300 steep stone steps are chiseled along its ridge, forming Carp Back, the only passage leading to Shimen Lake. Down Carp Back and across the grand canyon sits Bida Pavilion for rest. If you climb over 200 near-vertical stone steps on the west side, you will reach Lanyue Peak (Moon-Gazing Peak). Beneath the peak stretches a long canyon densely covered with areca nut palms, named Palm Valley. Interlacing leaves filter sunlight into dappled fantastic patterns, and tangled roots turn the sandy trail into a soft bouncy Cotton Road. A mountain stream runs through the valley and carves out three connected pools by dripping erosion, forming Three-Tiered Pond with emerald-green rippling water. Beyond the pond lies Xianglan Pavilion, the waterside dock of Shimen Lake.

Guanzhai Mountain is famous for its academies, most of which were built during the Song, Ming and Qing dynasties. Yangzhi Pavilion, an octagonal three-story circular study, was constructed by the Luo clan of Wenheng during the Chunhua reign of Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty. From 1128 to 1131, Luo Congyan, one of the four great Neo-Confucian scholars in Fujian, delivered lectures here, leaving a glorious chapter in the history of Min School. Qiu Lin and Qiu Fang, uncle and nephew, built a hut for studying beneath Five Elders Peak in their childhood, and both later passed the imperial examinations and became jinshi degree holders. Their descendants erected an academy on the site in memory of the ancestors, named Qiu Clan Academy. During the Zhizheng reign of the Yuan Dynasty, Shen Dewei built Qiaochang Mountain House on the northwest foot of Ganoderma Peak. In the Ming Dynasty, Li Qing constructed Xiuzhu Academy west of Five Elders Peak. During the Wanli reign, the hermit Xie Jun built Dongshan Thatched Cottage. In the summer of 1746 (the Bingyin year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty), Magistrate Qin Shiwang presided over the construction of Five Sages Academy below the entrance of One-Line Sky. It contained 20 scenic spots including Five Sages Hall, Zhengyi Hall, Daguan Pavilion, Zewu Spring, Dishi Studio, Tiyue Tower, Ningbi Mountain House, Kuixing Pavilion, Zhiwo and Zuishenchu. Qin Shiwang composed a couplet for the main gate: Having crossed vast seas and traveled by carriage and boat, your eyes and ears will be refreshed by this secluded scenic wonder; Ascending the East Mountain, accompanied by wind, moon, mist and clouds, you will transcend mortal worldly troubles. The lines perfectly capture the charm of Guanzhai Mountain.

The earliest cliff inscription on the mountain is the four characters Standing Steep for Thousands of Ren carved by Neo-Confucian Luo Congyan on Ganoderma Peak. The most imposing piece is the two characters Guanzhi by Huang Gongfu on Dishuyan Cliff. Other masterpieces include The Premier Scenery on the Upper Reaches by Hanlin scholar Zhu Yang of the Qing Dynasty, Ten Thousand Peaks Bowing to the Big Dipper by Xiang Nan, Man Lives Long by Luo Dan, and Nature Concentrates Divine Beauty inscribed by Zhao Puchu.

Two famous horizontal plaques are preserved in Dongshan Thatched Cottage: Following the Footsteps of East Mountain by Ji Xiaolan and Elegance of the Lower Yangtze by Lin Zexu, both listed among China’s most celebrated ancient plaques.

With thousands of towering peaks, secluded valleys and springs, Guanzhai Mountain is covered with sheer precipices and perilous trails. It served as a tourist resort in peaceful times and a natural stronghold for local residents to take refuge during wars. Many mountain passes and stockade gates were built for defense, forming a unique quasi-military cultural landscape. The stockade gates were first constructed in 1366 (the 26th year of the Zhizheng reign of the Yuan Dynasty) under the supervision of Prefect Ma Zhouqing, and renovated and reinforced by Magistrate Guan Quan in 1492. Originally four gates were erected on the east, west, south and north. Only the ruins of the South Gate remain, while the other three are well-preserved.

There are two temples on Guanzhai Mountain. Lingzhi Temple under Ganoderma Peak mainly enshrines Guanyin Bodhisattva. Fayun Temple at the front mountain entrance evolved from Hualin Temple built in the late Song Dynasty.

Praised as “No mountain surpasses its masculine grandeur under heaven, and no scenery matches its feminine grace across the world”, the red cliffs and green waters of Guanzhai Mountain have attracted countless literati, who left behind thousands of poems, essays and proses forming precious literary heritage. Outstanding works include Ode to Guanzhai Mountain by Li Hongyou and Ode to Sunset over Guanzhai Mountain. These beautifully written vivid records are valuable materials for studying the ancient appearance of the scenic area.