Nanquan Mountain Scenic Area

Located 1.5 kilometers south of Liping County seat, Nanquan Mountain stands at an altitude of 853 meters and covers an area of 43.4 hectares. A renowned Buddhist site at the junction of Guizhou, Guangxi and Hunan provinces, it has attracted constant pilgrims and visitors throughout history. The mountain is densely covered with ancient trees of diverse species. As recorded in the Liping Prefectural Gazetteer: “Nanquan Mountain is blanketed by layered peaks and dense forests. Three temples were built here in the Ming Dynasty, drawing an endless stream of visitors and ranking as the most celebrated scenic spot.”中国人民政治协商会议贵州省委员会

Nanquan Mountain boasts Eight Scenic Wonders, each elegantly captured in the first four characters of a poem: Tall ancient pines rise to touch the sky; Winding paths twist upward, staff in hand; Twin wells shrouded in mist, hills in grace; A stone dragon spouts water, Buddhist chants low. After rain, forest haze glows with soft light; Osmanthus blooms scatter fragrance o’er the bank. Pavilions hang in air, a thousand-mile view; Sunset reflections slant through western windows.

Nanquan Mountain Temple was initially built in the early Ming Dynasty, later destroyed by wars, then rebuilt in 1606 (the 34th year of the Wanli reign) under the initiative of Li Sizhong, Military Commander of Li-Jing Garrison, and renovated in 1796 (the first year of the Jiaqing reign)贵州省人民代表大会常务委员会. The temple complex rises tier by tier from the foot to the summit: the first tier houses the Great Buddha Hall, the second originally the Lingguan Hall, and the third the main hall of Baoding Nunnery贵州省人民代表大会常务委员会. Today, only the Great Buddha Hall remains. Not far from it stands Nanquan Pavilion, beside which a spring wells from a stone-carved dragon, its mouth pouring water into a well. The water is cool in summer and warm in winter, refreshing to drink—hence the mountain’s name, meaning “Southern Spring Mountain.” Local lore says the spring water dispels misfortune, wards off evil, and brings good luck.

Distinguished scholars and statesmen of successive dynasties left calligraphy and legends here. In the Ming Dynasty, Tianxiang Academy was established, where He Tengjiao, Prince of Zhongxiang, once studied中国人民政治协商会议贵州省委员会. Legend has it he was so absorbed in his books that he never descended the mountain. During the Dragon Boat Festival, his family sent glutinous rice cakes with a plate of sugar. Engrossed in reading, he dipped the cakes into an ink stone, smearing his face black—an amusing tale passed down through ages. The academy once housed a couplet personally written by Sun Yat-sen, the founding father of the Republic of China. Tragically, during the “Destroy the Four Olds” campaign of the 1966 Cultural Revolution, all Buddha statues, plaques, couplets and paintings in the hall were destroyed. After the Cultural Revolution, the government carried out repeated repairs and preservation efforts. Today, a Martyrs’ Memorial Cemetery and a Dong Ethnic Drum Tower have been newly built on the mountain, making it a popular destination for leisure, tourism and Buddhist worship.