A Unique Wonder of Northeast China — Cypress Mountain

Nestled within Guzhangzi Township in northeastern Jianchang County, Cypress Mountain boasts rolling layered peaks blanketed with evergreen pines and cypresses. Among the dense woods stand 880,000 cypress trees, forming the largest and most concentrated cypress woodland across Northeast China.

Shanzuizi Cave within the scenic area dates back 6,000 years to the Hongshan Culture, a site where humans thrived and multiplied as early as the Neolithic Age. Two renowned temples, Longquan Temple and Qingquan Temple, rest amid its ridges. The source of the Liugu River, a river with a time-honored history, lies in two never-drying clear springs above Longquan Temple. Built clinging to the mountainside, Longquan Lake shimmers like a brilliant emerald pearl embedded at the end of Black Dragon Ridge. The single lake paired with two temples blends harmoniously with natural mountains, waters, forests and caves, forming a wealth of interwoven scenic spots of varied charms, making it a rare tourist resort.

Longquan Lake is a reservoir built to impound water from the Dragon Spring. Lush green woods and evergreen pines and cypresses line both shores. The lake surface supports water recreation activities, and the verdant waterfront land is ideal for constructing tourist resorts. Serving as the central service zone for the entire Cypress Mountain Scenic Area, it shapes the distinctive tourism layout of "One Lake, Two Temples".

The mountain peaks on the west bank stretch from southeast to northwest like a winding coiled black dragon, and an ancient bronze wine vessel from the Qin and Shang dynasties rests atop the dragon’s spine.

Longquan Temple was first erected in the 8th year of the Qianlong reign and destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Upon entering the canyon where the temple sits, visitors spot a massive natural rock formation at the valley entrance resembling a devout Buddhist devotee clasping palms to chant "Amitabha".

Qingquan Temple was constructed in the 24th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty. It carries a long history, featuring an elegant primitive style. Built against cliffs and mountain slopes, its buildings scatter in graceful tiers, adorned with carved railings and painted beams, pearl-inlaid doors and crimson windows. The temple echoes with morning bells and evening drums, the sound of wooden chimes and Buddhist scriptures drifting nonstop amid curling incense smoke, instantly stirring a longing to escape mortal trivialities.

The temple complex includes three Heavenly King Halls, five Three Saints Halls, nine monk quarters, a 400-square-meter Scripture Repository, two Bell and Drum Towers, two pairs of white marble stone lions, a 3.3-meter-tall white marble Thousand-Buddha Pagoda, and a six-ton outdoor Guanyin statue. Over forty wooden and clay Buddha statues of all sizes are enshrined here. On the east side of the temple stands a straight 20-meter ancient pine over 400 years old, symmetrically matched by an elm dragon tree on the west side — 3 meters tall and 15 meters long, sprawling and twisting like a living giant dragon. Wandering here purifies the soul, eases all worries, and casts earthly entanglements far beyond the clouds.

Walk west along the mountain trail behind the temple to reach a stone-built platform roughly 5 meters long and 2 meters high. Legend records this as the platform where General Xue Li of the Tang Dynasty deployed troops for his eastern campaign, hence its contemporary name, Troop Deployment Platform. The platform occupies a strategically vital position, ringed by sheer cliffs dozens of meters high to the east, west and north, while jagged mountain ridges stretch southwest, rendering it easy to defend yet hard to attack. Standing atop it evokes vivid visions of ancient warfare, stirring nostalgic reflections: Northern winds carry the watchtower’s gong, cold moonlight glints on iron armor;

Where have all the generals and warriors gone? Only this troop platform endures.

Spring visits to Five-Finger Lotus Mountain unveil breathtaking fairyland scenery. The mountain takes its name from five neatly arranged small peaks shaped like outstretched human fingers. In summer, the mountain bursts with lush greenery, centered on a smaller Lotus Heart Peak. Azaleas blanket every slope, contrasting vividly with dense surrounding woods to form an exquisite painting of green leaves cradling crimson blossoms, a feast for visitors’ eyes.

To the west of Cypress Mountain, follow a deep valley uphill for about 800 meters to a mountain hollow holding an isolated hill crowned with three peculiar peaks, striking whether viewed head-on or in profile. Surrounding mountains rise sheer from the ground, dotted with grotesque jagged rocks, bearing a striking resemblance to southern Chinese mountain landscapes. When mist shrouds the peaks and sunset rainbows arch across the sky, wandering among the haze feels like stepping into the immortal Penglai Paradise, filling the heart with pure joy and ease.

Every range of Cypress Mountain brims with breathtaking beauty, and its springs are equally delightful. Two natural springs nestle amid the encircling peaks. Upon entering the mountains, visitors spot an ancient well less than one meter deep yet never drying even in prolonged droughts — the origin of Qingquan Temple’s name. The second spring lies in an apricot grove 150 meters east of the temple, gushing year-round from the middle of a steep cliff to form a perpetually frozen gully locals call Ice Ditch. Ice and snow linger here even on the Dragon Boat Festival. The spring water is crystal clear and icy cool even in the sweltering three fu months of summer. Tourists often pause here to rest, sipping the sweet spring water for supreme comfort.

As a local poem aptly describes the scenery: Golden wine goblets line Longquan Lake’s shore, Coiled golden turtles lock the dragon spring’s core. Two ancient temples hide deep in Cypress Mountain’s fold, We laugh and quench our thirst at the twin dragon springs of old.