Shita Mountain stands at an altitude of 1,611 metres on the border with Gutian County, serving as the Southern Heavenly Pillar among Jian'ou’s Four Great Heavenly Pillars. As its name suggests, the mountain is dotted with exotic rock formations that rise like clusters of stone pagodas. Even so, its most renowned and enchanting feature is the sea of azaleas blanketing every slope.

Upon reaching the summit, a stunning panorama unfolds: velvety green undergrowth carpets the ground, azaleas bloom like brocade, sturdy pines stand tall, and jagged strange rocks jut out everywhere. The mountain’s climate differs drastically from that at its foot, delaying the flower season by a full month.

In May and June, azaleas of all hues burst into full bloom across Shita Mountain. The fiery azalea rhododendrons, in particular, blaze with striking vividness. Individual bushes blend seamlessly into unbroken carpets of blossoms, each plant pressed close to the next, every cluster intertwined. Bathed in the glow of scarlet blooms, even the green leaves seem brimming with renewed vitality.

Scattered throughout the flower thickets are massive bizarre stones of varied shapes. Some appear chiselled by axes and blades; several slabs stacked together form flat surfaces as smooth as tabletops, the largest wide enough for three or four people to lie side by side. Others are pockmarked and jagged, rising starkly from the earth. One rock rises several zhang high, shaped precisely like the Chinese character for “rock” — every stroke rendered perfectly, a sight truly beyond comprehension.

Amid the scarlet blossoms and colossal boulders, countless dark green pine trees stand proud and unyielding, as if acting as guardians of Shita Mountain. This interwoven scenery of flowers and pine shadows cascades down the mountain slopes, stretching all the way to the peaks opposite.