Siming Mountain

Siming Mountain is the major mountain range in eastern Zhejiang. Its main peak stands north of Huangze Town, 25 kilometres from the urban area, with an altitude of 1,012 metres. The mountain top features gentle rolling terrain, while its surrounding edges are precipitous, forming a natural barrier for eastern Zhejiang. It has long served as a strategic military stronghold and was one of the revolutionary base areas in eastern Zhejiang.

Liu Changqing, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, wrote these lines: Gray crags stand propped against the sky,

Slabs of rock spread like roof beams high.

Delicate openings pierce the stone,

Four bright vistas spread before our eyes alone.

Hence the mountain was named Siming, meaning "Four Bright Views". Boasting peaks, rocky outcrops, mountain streams, grottoes, waterfalls, ancient temples, pools and lakes as its highlights, it houses more than thirty scenic spots in total.

Enter the mountain via the canyon from Jiaqing Village, Huangze Town, and walk north for nearly an hour to reach the pool. Carved as if chiselled by hand, the clear turquoise pool takes the shape of a half-moon. One or two fish glide leisurely among the underwater stones, greatly enhancing visitors’ delight. Above the pool loom exotic rock formations dubbed Coiled Dragon Stone, Official Hat Stone, Stone Toad and Dragon Tongue. The pool is ringed by elegant peaks, dense lush woods and fragrant wild blossoms.

Hike roughly half an hour upstream along the canyon from White Dragon Pool, and two sheer precipices will come into view, facing each other majestically at a height of nearly 100 metres. The towering, imposing formation is known as the Military General, while the shorter one with softer outlines is the Civil General.

Proceed up the canyon to an elevation of 800 metres, where a natural stone chamber can hold forty to fifty people. Legend has it that there were originally ninety-nine stone chambers of varying sizes, all stacked from massive boulders and adorned with carved beams and painted rafters. Due to centuries of neglect, most have collapsed. Amid the overgrown weeds around the chamber, fragments of broken stone pillars and steles still bear legible inscriptions such as "the 23rd year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty" and "Green pines nurture purple hues through the ages". The shattered pillars are carved with vivid, exquisitely crafted dragon and tiger patterns. Nearby lie other attractions including Thousand-Person Cave, Giant Stone Chamber, Buddha Character Rock and Dragon Phoenix Pool. This spot also offers an unobstructed panoramic view of General Rock.

First built in the Ming Dynasty, the temple faces south with its back to the north, consisting of the Mahavira Hall and the Hall of Ksiti Garbha Bodhisattva. The Mahavira Hall adopts an overhanging gable roof structure. At sunset, the crimson sun and rosy glow cast shifting light across the mountain summits, presenting an endlessly gorgeous view. When the weather shifts between sunshine and mist, soft sunlight shimmers over the cliff faces, veiling them in faint golden haze. Upon closer observation, a faint silhouette of the Chinese character "Fo (Buddha)" emerges on the sheer rock wall, a spectacular natural wonder.

With the growing popularity of outdoor sports, Siming Mountain has become a top destination for self-guided alpine travel for tourists from the city and beyond.