The Shennong Mountain Resort

The Shennong Mountain Resort

Name:The Shennong Mountain Resort Class:AAAA Area:Jiaozuo Tel:23 kilometers from Northwest of Qinyang City Tel:0086-400-666-0166 Email：henantour@gmail.com Skype：karenzheng2004 The Shennong Mountain Resort lies 23km from the northwest of Qinyang City at the foot of the Taihang Mountain. Covering an area of 96 square kilometers, it consists of eight major scenic areas and other 136 scenic spots. It is recognized as a Grade A preserved area both by the Global Geological Park and the World Natural Fund Organization. Also it is a national natural sight of Grade AAAA as well as a natural resort for rhesus monkeys under state protection, and a provincial base for scientific research meanwhile. The place abounds with numerous natural and historical attractions. The main peak Zijin Peak, 1,028 meters above sea level, stands magnificently in the area. It is also the right place which our great ancestor Yandi (Shengnong) once set his feet on to search for hundred kinds of herbs for curing diseases. Moreover, it is also the place for ancient people to worship the Heaven and the founder of Taoism Laozi is said to have distilled pills of immortality and then become an Immortal here, too. A large number of emperors, ministers, literati, such as Emperor Li Longji of Tang Dynasty, the famous poets in Tang Dynasty Han Yu and Li Shangyin, had worked out classical pieces when they visited here. Two other tourist attractions are the grand Zijin Altar and the unique White-crane Pine Mountain, which is overgrown with over 15,600 white-crane pines standing elegantly over the high cliffs. They rank the top among the Five Beauty Pines in the world. The place is also rich in rare plants with a variety of 1,912 among which over 300 can be used as Chinese herbs and about one hundred of them are very expensive and rare herbs. That is why the mountain is also called natural botanical garden. A popular saying is widely spread here, “Any disease can be cured as long as you reach the Shennong Valley.” Apart from its rich plant resources, there are 216 species of animals, especially the Taihang Mountain Rhesus Monkey, whose number reaches as many as over 3,000. They like to jump over the mountain, climb high onto the trees and play with each other, bringing many joys to the place. With so many natural and historical attractions, the Shengnong Resort is definitely a good place for holidays, natural explorations and scientific researches. The place also enjoys a good geographical location with convenient communications. Jiaoke Highway and Jiaoliu Railway cross it with Jinluo Highway interconnecting between them. The tourist facilities in accommodations provide you a comfortable environment. You can also feel the distinctive and native life styles of different peoples in China. Welcome all the tourists from all over the world to the fascinating spectacle of Taihang Mountain---- the Shennong Mountain and the White-crane Pine Mountain! Erxian Temple Erxian Temple, literally the temple of two immortals, surrounded by beautiful views, is situated at the eastern part of the entrance to the Xianshen River. The name of the temple is associated with a legend in the early Tang Dynasty. It is said that the first emperor of Tang Li Yuan had ever fled to the place with his son Li Shimin before his reign over China. At that time, they were faced with army provision crisis. Then two immortals came out from a cave and gave them instructions on how to overcome the crisis. Thanks to their help, Li Yuan and his son managed to solve the problem. After Li Yuan became the emperor, he ordered a temple to be built in honor of the two immortals. That is how the temple gets its name of “Er Xian”, referring to the two immortals exactly. The cave is over 1,500 meters long and about one hundred meters wide. In the front, there are five gates one after another; in the interior, many tablets ordered to be built by the emperor; at the back lie statues of different divinities and Buddha’s warriors as well as the bell-drum tower and five double-eave-roof towers. On the 3rd day of the 3rd month of the lunar year, thousands of people, men or women, old or young, come here to worship the immortals. Visitors to the temple may also marvel at a fancy rock here called the Heaven Rock, towering in isolation to about ten meters. There is a crack in the middle, where a dressing table for the two immortals is set, accessible by winding stages. A myth also goes with the rock: Laozi (called Li Er), who is also named Laojun in Chinese Taoism, has ever fought with the two immortals on the very rock. Moreover, many lines of words are found on the rock, such as the teachings carved by one of the emperors in Song Dynasty, and the inscriptions during the Ming and Qing dynasties. An interesting phenomenon discovered here is that when tourists travel here, they will toss a stone through the crack to foretell the sex of their would-be child by the location where the stone falls. The Xuan’gu Temple The Xuan’gu Temple lies on the Xuan’gu Mountain, which is more than sixty-six meters high. To the left rests the Mingyu Spring dug in the Sui Dynasty. The spring water tastes cool and sweet all the year round; besides, drinking the water can relieve pain and fatigue. In front of the temple there is a place called Taihangmen. An enormous stone under the deep valley of Taihangmen is carved with regular scripts in Chinese calligraphy. Each Chinese character on the scripts is as big as one square kilometer. Over one of the gigantic stones on the Xuan’gu Mountain stands the Taiping Cliff, where there are more than 1,300 statues of Buddha, the biggest of which stands as tall as 2.5 meters, while the shortest is only 9 centimeters in height. In addition, there are 1,251 statues of Buddha in the One-thousand-Buddha Cave and each of them has a definite name. They are valuable materials for researches into Chinese Buddhism and art. Pagoda forest is located at a terrace to the west of the Yunyuan River, which lies to the east of the Qingjing Palace. There are three square-shaped sealed pagodas of 4-6 meters, built in Tang Style successively in Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Parts of the stone pillar established in Song Dynasty in 1030 AD and eight tablets are also found in some of the historical sites which are preserved till today. Zijin Peak As the chief peak in the Shennong Altar, the Zijin Peak stands high above other mountains upright to the sky with 1,028 meters above the sea level. It looks like a huge pillar between the Heaven and the Earth. Recognized as one of the top mountains in North China, it enjoys a good fame along with the Wudang Mountain in South China. On the top of it, there is a terrace of 100 square meters, the surroundings of which are high cliffs with evergreen old pines growing. Being so high, it is a good place for mountain-climbing challengers. It is also said to be the place where Laojun distilled pills of immortality. That is perhaps why the mountain top is often covered by purple smoke and glorious shining lights. Standing on the southeast of the top, you can fully appreciate the grandeur of the Taihang Mountain: chains of peaks join continuously; rivers and lakes intersect with each other; attractive spectacles are everywhere to be seen in the valleys---such a marvelous painting scroll unfolding before eyes. Connected with the Zijin Mountain only by a narrow stone path, the Sheshentai Peak stands upright near it. The flat top is only 5 square meters. A legend has it that Fuxi (an ancient tribal leader over 6,500 years ago in Chinese legend), has ever drawn the Eight Trigrams by listening to the sound of wind from eight different directions while he was sitting on the top. With tall cliffs of several hundred meters in height in the three directions, it is so frightening to stand on it that only people courageous enough dare to climb to the top. However, fences have been built now so that people can climb to the top for a wonderful sightseeing. Also, there is a huge rock on it, 2 meters long, 0.8 meters wide and about one ton in weight. It seems to have been carried here, which is, however, formed naturally. Sitting on the rock, you may even feel it shaking when the wind blows. The Lacebark Pine Mountain Being the boundary of the Yunyang River and the Xianshen River, the Lacebark Pine Mountain has nine peaks surrounded by clouds and mist with 1,020 meters above the sea level. It is 11.5 kilometers long, of which 2.5 km has been developed for tourism. The Lacebark Pine Mountain is a national protected area because of the rare plants—the lacebark pines growing on it. Moreover, it has 1,191 kinds of plants, of which 330 kinds are rare ones and Chinese herbs. The mountain is regarded as one of the unique mountains in China for five reasons. First of all, it gains its fame from the grand and steep peaks and rich resources of plants, which is due to its special geological structure. Secondly, it is also famous for its rare lacebark pines, similar to those growing on the Changbai Mountain in Northeast China but different in shape actually. Thirdly, the rocks on it are a fascinating attraction. The great piles of big rocks which look like a “natural Great Wall” seem to have been carried there, but they are in fact piled up by the Mountain Movement. Fourthly, the paths here are also unique. It is said that there were no paths in the past and the only way was the rocky stones along the mountain with high cliffs and immeasurably deep valleys on both sides. Nobody could walk on it except flying bird or some animals. It was not until the mountain was open to the outside world as a tourist attraction that the paths and railings were built for safety. Finally, the sceneries here are peculiarly wonderful, impressing you deeply with steepness and magnificence. It is a breathtaking experience to go sightseeing on such a high mountain but meanwhile you also feel excited about such marvelous views. Being a combination of adventure and attraction, the place has attracted many tourists, who feel it unforgettable and amazing to visit the place. If it is a great pity to miss the Shennong Altar Sight when touring the Taihang Mountain, it will be even more regrettable to miss the Lacebark Pine Mountain when traveling to the Shennong Altar. Therefore, it is more advisable to visit the place in person than learn about it only through second-hand experience. Address: 23 kilometers from Northwest of Qinyang City.