This tourist area consists of Jieshi Xuanwu Mountain and Jinxiang Beach, and is a Provincial Scenic Area of Guangdong.
Xuanwu Mountain Tourist Area
Located in Jieshi Town, Lufeng City, the core Yuanshan Temple stands at the southern foot of Xuanwu Mountain, covering 15 hectares. It is a religious site combining Buddhism and Taoism, a time-honored scenic spot in eastern Guangdong renowned at home and abroad (especially in Southeast Asia), and the center of Buddhist belief for people of Minnan dialect descent. The temple houses a large collection of historical artifacts and is a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level.
Originally named Xuanshan Temple, it was first built in 1127 (the first year of the Jianyan reign, Southern Song Dynasty). Dedicated to the Northern Pole True Lord Xuantian Shangdi, it shares the same lineage as the Wudang Mountain Ancestral Hall in Hubei and the Foshan Ancestral Temple. It also enshrines statues of Sakyamuni, Guanyin Bodhisattva, Maitreya Buddha, and Patriarch Bodhidharma, making it widely famous. During the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty, to avoid the character “Xuan” in the emperor’s name, “Xuan” was changed to “Yuan”, hence the name Yuanshan Temple.
Yuanshan Temple is closely linked to the history of the ancient Jieshi Garrison. Since the Ming and Qing dynasties, numerous precious cultural relics in the temple document the historical facts of the Chinese nation—especially the people along Guangdong’s coast—resisting foreign aggression and defending their homeland. Imperial envoys, officials, and dignitaries gathered here for defense meetings, sightseeing, and pilgrimages, leaving many cliff carvings and inscribed plaques.
Preserved artifacts include:
A Southern Song bronze statue of the Northern Pole True Lord
Ming Dynasty wooden statues of Sakyamuni, Bodhidharma, Maitreya, and a Xuande bronze incense burner
A large number of couplets, murals, stone carvings, traditional paintings and calligraphy
Over 40 inscribed plaques by historical figures, three of which are designated as Famous Chinese Cultural Plaques:
Weixuan Lingbiao (Proclaimed Prestige Across the Ridge), personally written by Empress Dowager Cixi during the Tongzhi reign
Shuide Lingzhang (Spiritual Power of Water Virtue), inscribed by Lin Zexu
Lingsheng Mandao (Spiritual Sound Fills the Path), inscribed by Liu Yongfu, leader of the Black Flag Army汕尾市人民政府
The main complex of Yuanshan Temple comprises 99 structures: mountain gate, main hall, front/middle/rear halls, side halls, corridors, and monk quarters. The layout is orderly, the structure rigorous, featuring layered brackets, upturned eaves, and exquisitely painted beams陆丰市人民政府.
Fuxing Pagoda & Ancient Stage
Fuxing Pagoda: An eight-sided, three-story stone pagoda within the temple, constructed from 5,340 pieces of granite陆丰市人民政府.
陆丰玄武山福星塔
Ancient Stage: Located in front of the temple, it was first built in the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty and rebuilt in 1750 (the 15th year of the Qianlong reign, Qing Dynasty). Standing 1.5 meters high and 22 meters wide, it features an ancient style and superb craftsmanship. The plaque Taige Wenzhang (Literary Splendor of the Stage) hanging in the center was inscribed by Li Wentian, the third-place scholar in the 1895 imperial examination. It is Guangdong’s oldest and largest temple stage陆丰市人民政府.
陆丰玄武山古戏台
Qilong Rock & Ancient Banyan Trees
Behind the temple lies a 100-million-year-old weathered rock shaped like a carp leaping over the dragon gate. In 1578 (the sixth year of the Wanli reign), Hou Gao, a military commander, inscribed Qilong Rock (Rock of Rising Dragons) on it, making it historically significant陆丰市人民政府. Several ancient banyan trees stand behind the temple, their drooping aerial roots acting as pillars that support the massive trunks. For centuries, they have withstood typhoons of force 12 without budging陆丰市人民政府.
The Xuanwu Mountain area now features a park, vegetarian restaurant, exhibition hall, and other supporting facilities.
Jinxiang Beach Tourist Area
Known as the Golden Coast of Eastern Guangdong, Jinxiang Beach lies at the foot of Guanyin Ridge in Jinxiang Town, Lufeng汕尾市人民政府. The 2-kilometer crescent-shaped beach is famed for its fine, soft white sand, shallow, clear, and calm waters陆丰市人民政府.
Attractions include:
Zhenhai Rock (Sea-Suppressing Rock), legendary site of Yang Wenguang’s military display
Monk and Nun Rocks
Memorial Pavilion commemorating Zhou Enlai, Ye Ting, Nie Rongzhen, and other revolutionaries who advanced into the Chaoshan region and where Zhou Enlai crossed the sea to Hong Kong陆丰市人民政府.
On Guanyin Ridge stands Shuiyue Palace, dedicated to Guanyin Bodhisattva, said to be a resting place during her journey to the South China Sea. Nestled among ancient banyans, strange rocks, and flowing springs, the palace features ancient architecture and beautifully decorated carvings of flowers, birds, and figures陆丰市人民政府.
Combining divine heritage, sea, sand, and rocks, this tourist area is truly a shining pearl of tourism in eastern Guangdong陆丰市人民政府