Xuanwu Mountain Tourist Area is located in the northern suburbs of Jieshi Town, a renowned historical and cultural town in Guangdong Province. It is a national 4A-level scenic area and a provincial-level scenic spot. The area abounds with cultural relics and historic sites, including time-honored Yuanshan Ancient Temple, Fuxing Stone Pagoda, an ancient opera stage, a giant mountain gate and exquisitely carved memorial archways. There are also peculiar rock formations and cliff carvings such as A Mountain Need Not Be Tall, Three Terraces for Protection, Kylin Rock and Dragon Gate Rock, as well as famous Chinese plaques including Enduring Spiritual Power of Water and Spiritual Fame Spreading Far and Wide.

As one of the largest ancient religious temples in eastern Guangdong with the best-preserved cultural relics, Yuanshan Temple was designated a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level by the State Council on June 25, 2001. In 2016, it was nominated to become a provincial-level standard tourism demonstration zone.

Originally named Xuanwu Temple, Yuanshan Temple was first built in 1127, the first year of the Jianyan reign of the Southern Song Dynasty. It was expanded during the Ming and Qing dynasties when the local garrison was established, forming an ancient architectural complex featuring the imperial architectural style of the two dynasties. The entire compound consists of 99 buildings in total, including the mountain gate, main hall, front hall, middle hall, side halls, corridors and monks’ quarters. The number 99, a homophone for "everlasting" in Chinese, symbolizes peace, good fortune and lasting prosperity.

The temple features winding paths connecting all parts, with a well-organized layout and solid structure. It is decorated with layered bracket sets, lofty ridges, upturned eaves, and ornately painted beams and carved rafters. The outer walls are inlaid with traditional porcelain inscriptions depicting classic stories from Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Journey to the West and Tales of the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms, showcasing distinctive local characteristics.

The main hall enshrines statues of both the Supreme Lord Xuantian (Taoist deity) and Sakyamuni Buddha, making it a temple integrating Buddhism and Taoism. This unique combination has deep historical roots. Historical records show that Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty respected both Buddhism and Taoism, so both religions flourished across the country in that era. In the Qing Dynasty, Buddhism was favored while Taoism was restricted. During the Qianlong reign, the power of Taoist celestial masters was curtailed. In the Daoguang reign, the official title of the Taoist Grand Master Zhengyi and his privilege to attend the imperial court were revoked, triggering Taoist uprisings against the Qing government.

In the Xianfeng reign, an imperial edict was issued to demolish Taoist temples associated with the rebellions, and many such buildings were burned down in wars. Under the jurisdiction of Jieshi Garrison, Yuanshan Temple stood in a remote coastal area. Locals adopted a tactful approach: they placed statues of Sakyamuni Buddha, Patriarch Bodhidharma, Maitreya Buddha and Guanyin Bodhisattva in the main hall, with monks presiding over religious rituals. They claimed to uphold the orthodox Buddhist lineage, which kept the temple in line with the imperial policy at that time.

More than 40 plaques inscribed by imperial officials of successive dynasties hang in the main hall. Two of them are recognized as Famous Chinese Plaques. One is Enduring Spiritual Power of Water, written by Lin Zexu, Imperial Envoy and Viceroy of Liangguang, when he came to Jieshi to supervise coastal defense. The other is Spiritual Fame Spreading Far and Wide, inscribed by Liu Yongfu, leader of the Black Flag Army and twice-appointed military commander of Jieshi. There is also an imperial plaque Prestige Resounding Across the South, personally written by Empress Dowager Cixi and bestowed by Emperor Tongzhi of the Qing Dynasty.

Fuxing Stone Pagoda was constructed in 1578, the sixth year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty. Initially built with mud and lime, it was reconstructed into an eight-sided three-storey pavilion-style stone pagoda in 1865, the fourth year of the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty. Destroyed in 1969, it was restored in 1981. The pagoda stands 18.8 meters high with a base perimeter of 24 meters, assembled from 5,340 granite blocks, representing an exquisite monumental stone structure.

Standing on the highest point of the old Jieshi Garrison, the pagoda commands a panoramic view. On a clear day, the sky stretches vast and the sea merges with the horizon, presenting the full beauty of the ancient garrison town. This scenery is known as Viewing the Sea from Jieshi Terrace, one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Lufeng. An ancient poem depicts the view: I climb the height to overlook the vast sea;

Its rippling waves seem to float mid-air.

Beyond red railings lie misty isles;

Green haze veils divine peaks fair.

Clouds drift to cover sea monster’s lair;

The rising sun glints on underwater palaces rare.

Distant sails of merchant ships appear;

Calm waves carry favorable winds everywhere.

A bright lamp atop the pagoda once guided warships patrolling the coastal defense and fishing boats from Jieshi Port, earning it the reputation of Buddha’s Light Guiding the Way.

The ancient opera stage was first erected in the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty and rebuilt in the 15th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty. Standing 1.5 meters high and 22 meters wide, it features a simple yet grand style and superb architectural craftsmanship. Its wood and stone carvings of figures, flowers, birds, fish and insects are vivid and lifelike. The central plaque Literary Splendor on the Stage was inscribed by Li Wentian, the third-place scholar in the imperial examination held in the Yihai year of the Guangxu reign.

This is the oldest and largest temple opera stage in Guangdong Province. During major temple festivals and traditional holidays, opera troupes performing Zhengzi Opera, Chao Opera, Baizi Opera and Xiqin Opera from Lufeng and neighboring counties would take turns putting on shows day and night, sometimes lasting for over a month. Back then, Jieshi Garrison housed over 5,000 soldiers together with their families and local residents. The stage echoed with rhythmic gongs and drums, while the area below was packed with audiences, creating a scene of prosperity and joy.

Dragon Gate Rock is an elongated weathered stone on the mountain, shaped like a carp leaping over the dragon gate. Scientific tests prove the rock is over 100 million years old. In the sixth year of the Wanli reign, Hou Jigao, hereditary military officer of Jinshan Garrison in Zhili, supervised the renovation of Yuanshan Temple and carved the three characters Rising Dragon Rock on a boulder beside Dragon Gate Rock.

The tourist area has long attached great importance to ecological protection and afforestation. Lush trees, green lawns, ancient banyan trees and graceful bamboo groves cover the land, where birds sing all year round. Enjoying a spring-like climate in all seasons, Xuanwu Mountain Tourist Area is truly a shining pearl of tourism in eastern Guangdong.