The Huaguoshan Natinoal Forest Park
| Name:The Huaguoshan Natinoal Forest Park Class:AAA Area:Luoyang Tel:49 kilometers to the west of the Yiyang County of the Luoyang City Tel:0086-371-65907709 0086-400-666-0166 Email：henantour@gmail.com Skype：karenzheng2004 Located at the southwest of the Yiyang County, the Huaguo Mountain is 90 kilometers away from Luoyang City, adjacent to the Songxian County and Luoning County. It covers 420,000 square kilometers with its main peak 1,831 meters above the sea level. As a fairyland described in Journey to the West by Wu Cheng’en, one of the four ancient Chinese classics, it has always been a famous central China tourist resort since the Jin and Tang Dynasties. It was called one of the 72 “fairylands” in ancient Chinese historical books, together with the Lushan Mountain in Jiangxi Province and the Wudang Mountain in Hubei Province.  With glacial landform features, the Huaguo Mountain is hilly and rocky. Peaks over peaks together with dense forest swaying in the wind form a beautiful picture which reminds people of a vast sea of waves. Stones here are of unusual forms. What’s more, here stands the largest klippe in China. Covering a large area with abundant scenic spots of various characters, the Huaguo Mountain Forest Park has 5 distinguished scenic areas allowing tourists to stay for several days: 1. The Huashan Area Located at the center of the park, the Huashan Area covers 810.6 hectares and many fancy and beautiful scenic spots, including the Huashan Temple, the Kissing of a Monkey Couple, the Monkey King in Discussion, the Afterglow at Sunset, Thousand Trees and Villages in the Mist, etc. 2. The Yueding Sightseeing Area The Yueding sightseeing area, lying at the east part of the park, covers 2163.7 hectares and lots of beautiful spots featured by quietness, including forests, sky ladder, pavilions, waterfalls, cliffs, springs etc. 3. Qiyu Waterfall Area Lying at the west of the park with the coverage of 938.1 hectares, the Qiyu Waterfall Area is a natural fair of numerous waterfalls in various styles featured by “mystery”. Standing in front of the splendid waterfalls rushing downward vigorously, cracking on stones, scattering numerous silver pearls with thundering sound, visitors will be impressed by their beauty. In addition, ponds, peaks, pines, cave sculptures, ancient plank roads built along cliffs will also bring visitors unusual experiences. 4. Lingshan Mountain Scenic Area Lingshan Mountain scenic area is 7 kilometers away from the Yiyang County seat, covering 651.8 hectares. The main sights include the Phoenix Mountain, the Phoenix Spring, the Lingshan Overlook, the Pagoda Forest, the Lingshan Temple, the Four-sided Buddhist Pagoda, the Stele Inscriptions, etc, featured by “antiquity”. 5. Rare Animals and Plants Reserve The Rare Animals and Plants Reserve, covering 890 hectares, is located at the southwest of the park. With numerous kinds of wild animals and plants, it boasts an intact forest ecosystem. The main sights are the Maisui Hill, the Shilian Hill, the Big Stone Monkey, the Tianlang Pine, the Virgin Forest, etc. With flourishing trees, coiling age-old vines, hidden rare animals and flying fancy birds, it is an ideal place for touring and study on forest ecology, geography, hydrology, Chinese medical herbs, environment conservancy, featured by “wildness”. The natural sights The Huaguo Mountain is a quiet and beautiful place with fancy stones, rising peaks and winding springs. Dense forest and blooming flowers cover the mountain with clean ponds, rushing waterfalls, singing streams. In addition, the watch of sunrise, sunset, the sea of cloud and colorful rainbows is indeed another marvelous spectacle. Fancy peaks and odd stones Stones on the Huaguo Mountain are mostly granite. The crust movements over millions of years have molded strip granites into peaks and stones of various appearances. Large or small, they are either unusual or beautiful, showing the artistic side of the nature, challenging the limit of visitors’ imagination. (1) Shitu Peak (Peak of the Master and His Disciples) On the southeast top of the Huaguo Mountain, there are four upright stone peaks standing neatly in a line, looking much like Tangseng and his three disciples on their way of hardship to India for Buddhist sutras as described in one of the four widely known Chinese classics－Journey to the West. Vivid, with an extraordinary air, these stone peaks are so lifelike that people may exclaim with surprise at the sight of these masterpieces of the nature. (2) The Maisui Mountain (the Grain Ear Mountain) A prominent peak rising 1,400 meters above the sea level at the southwest is named the Grain Ear Mountain for its composition of huge rocks inset regularly into the mountain much like grains in the seed-bearing spike of a wheat crop. In the local peoples’ eyes, this natural spectacle embodies a good harvest while it is an enjoyment of beauty to visitors. (3) The Shilian Hill (The Stone Curtain Hill) Five hundred meters to the northeast of the Maisui Mountain, there stands the Shilian Hill of more than one hundred meters tall. Made up of strip stones with a prolonged exposure to the weather, it looks like a frozen waterfall hanging high that rushes downward to the ground. With its clear, smooth, grassless surface, it is so charming; especially in autumn when the crystal sky seems to be so far away with pale clouds wandering around and amorous maples waving their red leaves nearby in the cool wind. (4) The Luohan Peak (Arhat Peak) On the flanks of the Huaguo Mountain, there is a cluster of 18 peaks, named “the 18 arhats”, which circle around the Huashan temple from the north to the south. With steep peaks, splendid halls and beautiful sceneries, it is a bewitching place. (5) The Tangseng Stone (The Stone of Tang Sanzang, a famous monk of the Tang Dynasy) The Tangseng Stone facing west stands alone in a steep stone slope 400 meters to the north of the Huashan Temple. It got its name as a crude statue of the famous monk of the Tang Dynasty, Tang Seng, who had experienced unimaginable hardships on his pilgrimage journey to India to fetch the Buddhist sutras in order to relieve people from sufferings. (6) The Monkey King in Discussion In the middle of the Huaguo Mountain at 1,400 meters above the sea level, there stands a large stone monkey of 10 meters tall on the flat chine, facing a group of stone monkeys in tidy lines. It looks much like a meeting being held by the Monkey King, to discuss military affairs before a combat, which reminds people of the righteous, brave and powerful image of the Monkey King who were always ready to overwhelm the evil as described in one of the four Chinese classics named The Journey to the West known to nearly every Chinese, written by Wu Cheng’en in the Ming Dynasty. (7) The Kissing of a Monkey Couple On a southeast hill of the Huaguo Mountain, there are two stone monkeys standing close to each other face to face, like a couple in love, whispering, kissing and embracing after a long departure, forming a romantic scene. Springs, Ponds and Waterfalls The Huaguo Mountain is a place of dense forests and rich water sources. Rains and springs mingle together and rush down over stones, forming waterfalls, later ponds, then creeks. Red peach blossoms in springs and scarlet maple leaves in autumns form a wonderful landscape painting of the nature together with the green mountains standing tall and upright. (1) The Winding Brook of Dali The Dali Valley to the west of the Yueshan Mountain is a fairyland with a brook at the bottom running along. Originating from the Huaguo Mountain, the brook winds along for more than 10 kilometers, hidden in the dense green forest and steep peaks standing one over another beside its banks. (2) The Qiyu Gully Originated from the Maisui Mountain, the Qiyu Gully winds itself along the deep valley for about 20 kilometers, through steep cliffs, across green meadows. Rambling along the gurgling spring, visitors will find thundering waterfalls spraying and green ponds here and there. It’s such a pleasant feeling, especially with the accompaniment of twittering birds and singing cicadas in the green woods. (3) Hanging Waterfalls Waterfalls on the Huaguo Mountain are characterized by large quantity, continuity and various forms. First, a large quantity of waterfalls can be found here, distributed densely. Second, waterfalls here keep running all the year round and that’s what “continuity” here means. Third, waterfalls here are of a great variety in appearances. More than 20 waterfalls scattering in the Qiyu Gully and the Dali Valley fall into five different categories in forms. (4) The Shuilian Cave (Water-curtain Cave) Located at the Huashan Temple, the Shuilian Cave of the Huoguo Mountain is 6 meters deep, 15 meters long, 2.5 meters high with a narrow passage half closed by a large stone which has a crack in the middle, allowing only one person to pass for its tiny width less than 1 meter. However, inside the cave, it's much more spacious with a capacity of 40 people. A waterfall pours down in front of the mouth of the cave, looking like a beautiful curtain. Outside into the crossing gullies and valleys, with green meadows and a constant moderate temperature, it is really a fairyland under the heaven. Natural Sights (1) Sunrise at Yueshan Moutain (one of the eight sights of Yiyang) It’s an unusual enjoyment to watch the sunrise at the top of the mountain. With dense forest extending around and a height of 1,643 meters above the sea level, the Yueshan Mountain, (Taishan Mountain in ancient time), the second tallest peak standing at the northeast part of the Huaguoshan Scenic Area, is just an ideal place. Visitors will be impressed by the spectacular sunrise here. (2) The Sea of Clouds on the Huaguo Mountain The Sea of Clouds is one of the wonders of the Huaguo Mountain. When it clears up after a shower in a summer morning or dusk, the moistures from the valley will rise and gather into white clouds, and then accumulate into a vast sea of clouds. Scanning around into the distance, visitors will find the peaks, establishments flicking like islands over a vast and misty sea. Sights such as “Three Islands in the Sea of Clouds” and “Peach on Clouds” are rare beauties all over China. At dusk after rain, the foggy Huaguo Mountain with the scarlet sunset on the horizon is a Chinese traditional painting. (3) Rays of morning or evening sunshine & Rainbows Colorful rays of morning or evening sunshine are frequently seen in Huaguo Mountain. For the dense forest and moisture, the colorful clouds here may often last for as long as one hour. The sky then is a misty exhibition of silk fabric of various colors. It is really an attraction. (4) The Wonderful Snow World on Yueshan Mountain (one of the eight sights of Yiyang) With an average temperature of –3.2℃, January is the coldest month during the winter on Yueshan Mountain when 2/3 of days are snowy or icy. The snow flakes blown by strong north wind cast a huge white blanket over the Yueshan Mountain where peaks zigzag their way into the distance like silver snakes and mountains stand like groups of wax elephants. A couple of days after a snowfall, the coating of ice on grasses and trees will form a marvelous crystal world of silver palaces, with ice columns hanging everywhere. Therefore, despite the coldness, it is such a wonderful tour that visitors should not miss. Cultural and Historical Sights The Huaguo Mountain, originally named the Nv'er Mountain (Maiden Mountain), has always been a place of historical sites with ancient inscriptions of poems and paintings. When the Huashan Temple was rebuilt in 1751 of the Qing Dynasty, one of the steles bore words like “Huaguo Mountain, the spot where Saint Buddha Sun Wukong (the Monkey King) became immortal”, showing its distinctness. Here, shrines of the Monkey King are worshiped almost in every local family. The natural sights on the mountain are mostly related with the Journey to the West, one of the four Chinese classics known to nearly every Chinese, written by Wu Cheng’en in the Ming Dynasty, creating a thick air of mythology. 1. The Huashan Temple Located at the west ridge of the Huaguo Mountain, the Huashan Temple is said to be built in the Tang Dyansty, at a height of 1,300 meters above the sea level, facing the Qiyu Valley with the Peaks of 18 Arhats standing behind. Circled by mountains in three directions, the Huashan Temple enjoys a peaceful and beautiful view of extending peaks and gurgling springs. Covering about 40,000 square meters, it is much valuable for studying ancient architectures and the history of religions. The temple has more than 180 rooms including several large halls, over 100 steles and many frescos describing the famous pilgrimage to India for Buddhist sutras. Despite the mournful chaos of wars that had damaged a large part of the temple, leaving only a few halls and more than 70 steles, it is still an important cultural heritage. 2. The Lingyun Pavilion Standing at the top of the Yueshan Mountain at a height of 1,600 meters above the sea level, the Lingyun Pavilion is steep and majestic with odd stones everywhere. The only passage to the Lingyun Pavilion is the 218 scaling ladders built vertically on the cliffs. Narrow as it is, the scale ladder allows only one person to walk one after another. Looking back or downward while climbing, visitors will find themselves in a dream land of clouds coiling around the waist, especially on a foggy day. 3. The Lingshan Temple (culture relic of provincial class) 7 kilometers away to the west of the county seat of Yiyang, the Lingshan Temple is said to be named after Emperor Lingwang of the Zhou Dynasty. It was first built in 1163 A.D. of the Jin Dyansty and later extended for many times. The construction clusters standing there now are mostly built in the Ming Dynasty. Major buildings of the temple on the axis are the Temple Gate, the Front Hall, the Hall of Buddha Vairocara, the Daxiong Hall, the Sutra Tower and 6 complementary halls. The Hall of Buddha Vairocara and the Daxiong Hall are 3-room wide and 3-room long, bearing a typical Jin Dynasty style with the rising single-eave roof and the system of brackets composed by wooden square blocks inserted between the top of a column and a crossbeam. The 5 Buddha statues in the Daxiong Hall built in the Ming Dynasty are the earliest clay statues kept today in Henan Province. The 61 steles kept in the temple are much valuable for the study of the Chinese Buddhism, Chinese classic architecture and ancient calligraphy. Add: 49 kilometer to the west of the Yiyang County of the Luoyang City Tel: 0379-68883630 68999085 Fax: 0379-68896530 |
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