Lüdong Mountain stands as the sacred mountain and spiritual homeland of the Miao people. Legend tells that long ago, the Miao clans clashed with foreign tribes and suffered defeat. After seven arduous migrations, they settled near present-day Lüdong Mountain to rebuild their homes under the leadership of King Lidong, the Miao ruler.

Seeking lasting prosperity, the descendants of Lidong, divided into twelve clans surnamed Wu, Long, Liao, Shi and Ma, resolved to split into separate lineages by surname. During the grand Ancestor-Worshipping Drum Ceremony, they made a solemn vow to permanently lay to rest the spirits of their primal ancestors including Chiyou, which had been sheltered inside the sacred wooden drum through all their wanderings. A sacred edict was passed down: no matter where clansfolk roamed, they must return here each year to pay homage to their forebears.

Later, Miao King Lidong was struck by two arrows and sacrificed himself in battle against invaders. Upon his passing, his spirit transformed into Lüdong Mountain, resting eternally alongside the souls of all ancestors.

(Spring Blankets Lüdong — Photographed by Wang Shiling) (Sunrise over Lüdong Mountain — Photographed by Wang Shiling)

The mist and clouds of Lüdong Mountain rank as a peerless wonder under heaven. When dense fog rolls in, it submerges thousands of peaks and gullies; when it thins, soft vapors drift leisurely among ridges and woods. The cloudscape shifts by the second: sometimes a glassy, tranquil ocean, sometimes surging billows, sometimes towering snow-white waves sweeping the sky, sometimes torrential currents rushing for a thousand li, sometimes cascading mist waterfalls caressing the valleys, sometimes purple-tinged mirages of fairyland, sometimes faintly visible divine Penglai peaks...

The static sea of fog stirs boundless imagination, while the surging dynamic cloud seas fill visitors with awe. When all mist dissipates, Lüdong Mountain reveals a breathtaking scene captured in this timeless verse: Layer upon layer of green mountains rise, Ten thousand peaks coil like mighty dragons in grandeur. Winding crystal-clear streams twist and turn, Pure waters flow on through endless bends.