Daluahua Scenic Area

Daluahua Scenic Area is located in Taoyuan Village, Baojia Township, southern Yiwulu Mountain Range, Beizhen City. As a national AAAA-level scenic spot, it is famous for its precipitous ridges and jagged rocky peaks. The main peak stands 630.1 metres above sea level. The entire mountain rises straight toward the sky like a huge spiritual boulder, presenting magnificent momentum.

More than 200 million years ago, this area was a vast ocean. Due to tectonic movement, the Asian Plate rose, turning the seabed into coastal lowlands after the seawater receded. Reeds spread all over the mountains, and fish roe remained embedded in the soil — hence the name Daluahua, meaning "Great Reed Catkins". The reeds growing on the mountain tops still yearn for the ancient ocean. Every golden autumn, their fluffy catkins drift eastward in mountain winds, as if calling for the return of their mother sea. The fish that left their souls in the soil will miraculously revive when nourished by rainwater and mountain springs. They swim freely in brooks, re-experiencing the joy of endless roaming their ancestors enjoyed in the ocean.

Boasting a long history and enchanting scenery, Daluahua is dotted with interwoven natural and cultural landscapes. Famous temples include Yunyan Temple, Yuantong Treasure Hall, Fortune-turning Temple, Guan Yu Temple, King of Medicine Temple and Guanyin Hall for Baby Granting. Constructed across the Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, these buildings bear witness to human development and civilisation here.

Buddhist monks and Taoist priests took turns residing here through centuries of change. Though curling incense smoke and fumes from alchemical furnaces have long faded into the past, eternal blessings remain, along with devout worship and noble faith in truth, goodness and beauty. Shortly after Sakyamuni’s disciples departed with the morning sun, Qiu Chuji, follower of the Taoist master Wang Chongyang of the Quanzhen Sect, arrived here with a whisk to seek immortality. Ancestors of the Longmen Sect of Yiwulu Mountain cultivated their mind and temperament, turning this place into a blessed fairyland.

It has a steep solitary pass where "one warrior can hold back ten thousand". There are also secret escape tunnels hidden from worldly chaos. The mountain top resembles an eagle’s nest perched above a frontier fortress, visible yet unreachable, inspiring endless admiration. The bronze gilded sitting statue of Thousand-Handed and Thousand-Eyed Guanyin in Yuantong Hall of the Lower Courtyard is the largest of its kind in China. With a thousand hands to protect all living beings and a thousand eyes to observe the mortal world, it attracts streams of pilgrims with perpetual burning incense.

Since the Liao Dynasty, descendants of Emperor Abaoji of the Liao Dynasty settled on this land. They divided Yiwulu Mountain into vassal military prefectures as their private fiefdoms. The rare ancient Buddha statue of the Liao Dynasty preserved in the Ancient Buddha Hall of the Upper Courtyard of Yunyan Temple was fired in imperial kilns and enshrined in Khitan royal tents and palaces for generations. Though the Khitan people were nomads following water and grass, they regarded Daluahua as their permanent homeland and left their worshipped Buddha on this magical land.

Well-known natural attractions include the Grand Canyon of Yiwulu Mountain, the flat-topped Wonder Peak and the Three Stars Talking Stones. Daluahua combines the grandeur of northern sacred guardian mountains with the graceful beauty of southern Chinese peaks. In spring, thousands of trees turn vivid emerald green. In midsummer, thick canopies block the sunshine while brooks gurgle gently. In late autumn, the whole mountain is dyed red by colourful foliage. In deep winter, everything is wrapped in pure silver snow, just like jade and crystal.

It is an ideal destination for sightseeing, exploring ancient relics, worshipping Buddha and praying for blessings. The stunning landscapes refresh visitors’ minds and make them linger on without wanting to leave.

Thanks to the joint efforts of Ms. Yu Suying, Chairperson of Liaoning Lüshan Tourism Development Co., Ltd., and all staff members, Daluahua will surely grow into a celebrated sacred mountain renowned nationwide.