Wangwushan Scenic Area

Wangwushan Scenic Area

Name:Wangwushan Scenic Area Class:AAAA Area:Jiyuan Tel:40 km to the northwest of Jiyuan Tel:0086-400-666-0166 Email：henantour@gmail.com Skype：karenzheng2004 Covering an area of 265 square kilometers , Wangwushan scenic area is located 40km to the northwest of Jiyuan City. Wangwushan Mountain is one of nine famous mountains in ancient China. Legend has it that once an old man removed two giant mountains in front of his house, of which one of them is Wangwushan Mountain. Tiantan peak, with a height of 1,715 meters, is the place where Xuanyuan emperor, the ancestor of Chinese people, once built an altar to worship the heaven. The whole area is covered with forest with a coverage rate of 98%. The most precious plants are maidenhair trees with an age of more than 2000 years, which are called living fossils. Taoism was very popular in the history of China. A famous Taoist of the Tang Dynasty, Sima Chengzhen once cultivated himself at Wangwushan Mountain and made Taoism widespread in the area. In one of Sima’s works, he called Wangwushan Mountain the No. one landscape under heaven. Legend has it that the story of removing the mountains took place in the south of Wangwushan Mountain, where there was a north-south ridge extending from the peak. Yugong, the old man who removed the mountains, lived in the west of the ridge with Xiaoyou stream running in the east. The ridge prevented people from fetching water, so Yugong led his sons and grandsons to remove the barrier.  The main attractions in Wangwushan Mountain are as follows: Yangtai palace, Ziwei palace, Tiantan peak, Quyang lake and Wangmu cave. Standing to the west of Yugong village, the Yangtai palace is the starting point of Wangwushan traveling route. The existing buildings, looking magnificent, were constructed along the mountain, from south to north, from the lower to the taller. The Yangtai palace was built in the Tang Dynasty and the main existing buildings, Sanqing Hall and Yuhuang (Jade emperor) pavilion, were renovated during the period of Zhengde (about 500 years ago) in the Ming Dynasty. The most attractive building is Yuhuang (Jade emperor) pavilion with three layers of eaves in traditional Chinese architectural style. Besides, dozens of stone pillars in the main buildings make the religious place a hall of stone carving arts. On the pillars are carved flying dragons in clouds, birds praying to phoenix, eight immortals crossing the sea, Huangdi (Yellow Emperor) fighting against his rival- Chi You, etc. All of them are vivid and lifelike. In the Yangtai palace are many old green pine trees, cypresses and others, of which a Bodhi tree, which is said to be planted in the Tang Dynasty, is 14 meters tall with a perimeter of 3 meters. Being part of Wangwushan scenic area, Jiuligou resort borders it to the west, neighboring Manghe natural preservation area of Shanxi Province to the north. It covers an area of 85 square kilometers with more than 80 scenic spots. The resort is featured by fancy landscapes, dotted with Taoist culture. Visitors will have a feeling of returning to the nature with fancy peaks, flying waterfalls, deer and macaques, clouds around them. The Jiuligou resort has the following spots: Yanshou steps, Tongyou pavilion, Lu Tong teahouse, Jiulong waterfall, Macaques domestication garden, Chantang Temple, Jinlu peak, east Wangmu cave, Shilang village, etc. The Yanshou Steps The Yanshou steps, literally steps of extending lifespan, as the name indicates, the taller one climbs, the longer life one expects. There are altogether 108 steps, which are divided into three grades: 88, 99 and 108 steps. Each step represents one year in life. We wish you a long life. The Tongyou Pavilion The Tongyou pavilion, literally means tranquil pavilion in deep valley. In the county annals of Jiyuan recorded the deep valleys in Jiuligou with tall peaks around. Visitors seem to go back to the nature from here. You can free yourself from the bustle and hustle of the city, from the trouble of life while enjoying the running streams, the twittering of birds and the fragrance of wild flowers. Lu Tong Teahouse  Lu Tong, assumedly named Yuchuanzi, was born in Sili village of Jiyuan. As a poet and tea immortal in the Tang Dynasty, Lu Tong is famous for his ability of sampling and assessing tea. He spent his whole life studying tea and tea ceremony and worked out The Book of Tea which is preserved in Beijing Library. Many teas of Jiyuan area were developed by Lu Tong, such as rabdosia tea, which can wet whistle, be antipyretic and treat cancers. Another stone tea, growing on the steep cliffs of Jiuligou, after being processed, can be antipyretic and diuretic. Legend has it that Lu Tong often made tea and composed poetry in Jiuligou. His tea songs developed into tea ceremonies or cha-no-yu in Japan. Thus, Lu Tong is acknowledged as the creator of tea ceremony and had been famed in Japan long time ago. The Jiulong waterfall Various waterfalls are found in Jiuligou, such as Taohuoya, Beianling, Shicao waterfall, etc. of which Jiulong waterfall is the most typical one. In rainy seasons, Jiulong waterfall has a width of 26.9 meters and a fall of 36.9 meters. It is amazing to see several torrents fall from steep cliffs, echoing in the deep valley. What is more amazing is the colorful rainbow appearing between 15:00 and 17:00 on clear days. To the west of Jiulong waterfall is the Qishu valley in which there is an immortal cave. Legend has it that immortals used to gather here and play chess. An S-shaped ditch is formed by long-term running torrent of a stream in a valley of hundreds of meters. The waterfall is winding down from above with white water spraying. It is really a spectacle. On summer days, taking a rest here will free one from fatigue and make one have a pleasant feeling. The Macaque Domestication Garden The Macaque domestication garden is the place where macaques live. Living in the valleys or on the cliffs, they are good at climbing and can move swiftly. There are five groups of macaques with a total number of about 600. Sometimes they walk in groups in the mountains and forests. Though wild and raised freely, three groups of macaques can meet visitors after a period of domestication.  The Chantang Temple  At one end of Jiuligou valley, among the towering peaks stands a tiny temple—Chantang Temple. The Taoist temple was built according to the landform in the Tang Dynasty and had gone through numerous renovations. In the temple, there is a stone niche with a length of 59 meters and a width of 26 meters. It is said that a famous Taoist, Liu Haichan, once cultivated himself here. The main buildings of the temple include the Yuhuang (Jade emperor) mansion, the Tianwang hall, the Five dragons hall, etc. There is a dragon cave behind the Five dragons hall with measureless depth. In the cave it is as cool as in the winter. Legend has it that the cave links the east sea with flowing springs never returning. The Candle Peak Just opposite to the Chantang Temple stands Candle peak which is named after a legend. When the Chantang Temple was under construction, the disciples worked day and night. The famous Taoist priest, Liu Haichan, was moved by their sincerity and loyalty. To help them, priest Liu lighted a candle here for illumination. Later the candle developed into a peak—Candle peak. Eastern Wangmu Cave  The buildings here are characterized by stone materials, such as stone walls, stone tiles, stone windows, stone thresholds, etc. The one-thousand-year stone door can still open and close freely. The style of the architecture mirrors the Taoist culture—to achieve harmony between human and nature by tiny structures and simple decorations. Add： 40 km to the northwest of Jiyuan.