Qiyun Mountain, 33 kilometers to the
west of Huangshan City (Tunxi), is situated at the foot of Huangshan Mountains,
and the Wangang (from Anhui to Jiangxi) Railway runs through the foot of Qiyun
Mountain. A stone penetrates the sky, and it is as high as the clouds, hence the
name of Qiyun Mountain (as-high-as-the-cloud mountain). It is a scenic area of
mountain with the characteristics of Taoist culture and red morning/evening
glow. Qiyun Mountain was listed as a cultural relics site under the provincial
protection in 1981, and listed by the State Council in 1994 as one of the
cultural relics sites under the national protection.
Qiyun Mountain consists of 9 peaks,
including the Qiyun Peak, Baiyue Peak, Qishan Peak, Wanshou Peak, etc. The
scenic area is 110 square kilometers. Qiyun Mountain is famous for its steep
mountain, clear water, oddly shaped stones and tranquil caves. The scenic spots
include the Yuehua Street, the Yunyan Lake and the Loushang Building. Qiyun
Mountain has 36 steep peaks, 44 oddly shaped stones, 18 tranquil caves, 27
waterfall caves of springs, 14 pools, 16 pavilions, 537 inscriptions and stone
tablets, 3 stone decorated archways, 5 stone bridges and 33 temples and
monasteries.
Fascinating Places and Happy
Lands
The Fascinating Places and
Happy Lands include the three cliff inscriptions (inscriptions on the Qizhen
Cliff, the Zhonglie Cliff and the Shouzi Cliff). As it is said, the Qizhen Cliff
is the cultivation place of Qixia Immortal in the Tang Dynasty (618-907);
the Zhonglie Cliff is the place used to fete the Guangong Immortal; and the
Chinese character Shou (longevity) on the Shouzi Cliff is the handwriting of Dowager
Empress Cixi of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The diameter of the large
Chinese character Shou (longevity) is up to 230 centimeters. After going across the
Shouzi Cliff, tourists can see and pass through a capacious stone cave that
is completely formed by nature. The cave is a hollow under the Shouzi Cliff and it is
known as the No. 1 Heaven Gate. There are many stone inscriptions and tablets
in the cave, and they are called the Baiyue Stele Forest .
Caves of Fairies and Immortals
There are many caves under the cliffs. These
caves are used to enshrine various statutes of immortals, including the
Eight-Immortal Cave, the Yuantong Cave, the Arhat Cave, the Yujun Cave and the
Wenchang Cave. The scenic spot of these caves is one of the most important parts
of scenic spots of Qiyun Mountain. The statutes of Taoist eight immortals are
enshrined in the Eight-Immortal Cave. The statue of Nanhai Kwan-yin Buddha is
enshrined in the Yuantong Cave. The statue of the Zhenwu Dijun is enshrined in
the Arhat Cave, and the statutes of the eighteen arhats are enshrined at both
sides too. The statue of Dragon King is enshrined in the Yujun Cave. The statue
of Wenqu Star is enshrined in the Wenchang Cave. From the immortal caves of
Qiyun Mountain, we can obviously feel the combination of Buddhism, Taoism and
Confucianism. There are many stone inscriptions on the cliff of the immortal
caves.
Xianglu Peak
The peak is in front of the Taisu Palace of
the Yuehua Street. The peak is tall and in the shape of an incense burner, so it
is called as the Xianglu Peak (peak in the shape of incense
burner).