Mount Huaguo

Mount Huaguo is located in the southern foothills of Yuntai Mountain in Lianyungang City, Jiangsu Province. With its 136 peaks, Mount Huaguo's main peak is the Jade Maiden Peak, which stands at 624.4 meters and is the highest peak in Jiangsu Province. The landscape of Mount Huaguo is composed of red granite, with steep mountains and unique shapes. It is a national 5A tourist area and a national geological park. Legend has it that Wu Cheng'en, a native of Huai'an, traveled north by boat, visited Mount Huaguo after passing through the Guan River estuary, and was inspired to create 'Journey to the West'. 'Journey to the West' begins with the following passage: 'In gratitude to Pangu for creating the world, the Three Sovereigns ruled, and the Five Emperors set the moral order. Between heaven and earth, the world was divided into four great continents: Dongsheng Shenzhou, Xiniu Hezhou, Nanshanbu Zhou, and Beijulu Zhou. In Dongsheng Shenzhou, there is a country called Aolai Country. Near the sea, there is a famous mountain called Mount Huaguo. This mountain is the ancestral vein of the ten continents and the dragon source of the three islands. It was established from the separation of clear and turbid elements, and formed after the division of the primordial chaos. At the very top of this mountain, there is a magical stone. Since the beginning of time, it has absorbed the essence of the sun and moon, and after a long time, it gained a spiritual awareness. Inside, it nurtured an immortal embryo, and one day it split open to produce a stone egg, as large as a round ball. Exposed to the wind, it transformed into a stone monkey. The chaos stone from which Nüwa mended the sky gave birth to Sun Wukong, who became the king of Mount Huaguo and made brothers with the great demons of the demon realm. The eldest brother, the Bull Demon King, was known as the Great Sage Equaling Heaven; the second brother, the Flood Demon King, was known as the Great Sage of the Sea; the third brother, the Peng Demon King, was known as the Great Sage Who Covers Heaven; the fourth brother, the Lion Camel King, was known as the Great Sage Who Moves Mountains; the fifth brother, the Macaque King, was known as the Great Sage Who Penetrates Winds; and the sixth brother, the Yu Ruyi King, was known as the Great Sage Who Drives Gods. This divine mountain is not only one of the 'Three Immortal Mountains on the Sea' but also the Daoist practice site of the Three Pure Ones. As the 'tail end of the Yellow and Huai Rivers,' the Yuzhou Islands are located on the north side of the estuary of the Yellow and Huai Rivers and bear the important task of suppressing the floods of the Yellow River, which is of extraordinary significance. Mount Huaguo is famous for being the home of the Great Sage Sun Wukong as described in the classic novel 'Journey to the West' and is well-known for the mythological stories of the Monkey King. Since ancient times, Mount Huaguo has been known as 'the number one scenic spot in the East Sea' and 'one of the four great spiritual mountains within the seas,' combining mountains, sea views, historical sites, and myths. The mountain gate of Mount Huaguo is guarded by four stone-carved lions, reflecting the characteristics of Mount Huaguo: there are no tigers in the mountains, and the monkeys are kings. The stone monkeys around the square are the welcoming monkeys of Mount Huaguo, originally numbering 108, symbolizing the 36 Heavenly Spirits and 72 Earthly Fiends. The plaque on the back of the mountain gate is inscribed with the four characters 'Dongsheng Shenzhou'. The South Heaven Gate is located above the Bamboo Joint Ridge and to the east of the Wind Gate, backed by steep ridges, strategically situated, and overlooking the Jade Emperor Pavilion and the Sanyuan Palace from afar. In 'Journey to the West', the South Heaven Gate is the outer gate of the Jade Emperor's Lingxiao Hall. Sun Wukong's entry and exit from the heavenly court and his havoc in the heavenly palace all started from the South Heaven Gate. To the south of the South Heaven Gate, there is also an octagonal green stone platform, said to be the marshal platform of the Pagoda-bearing Heavenly King Li Jing. When the hundred thousand heavenly soldiers and generals were ordered to descend to the world to capture Sun Wukong, Li Jing arranged his troops and dispatched his generals here. The Water Curtain Cave, as a famous spot in Yuntai Mountain, was originally famous for being the place where the Three Pure Ones cultivated their Taoist practices, with the Heavenly Official, the Earthly Official, and the Water Official being its original masters. The Water Curtain Cave is a representative attraction of Mount Huaguo. Long before 'Journey to the West' was written, the Water Curtain Cave was already well-known. It has been vividly described in the 'Thirty-Six Scenic Spots of Yuntai' by Gu Qian of the Ming Dynasty, as well as in travel notes and various local gazetteers by Zhang Chaorui and others. 'Journey to the West' describes: 'A white rainbow rises, a thousand feet of thunderous waves fly. The sea breeze blows incessantly, and the river moon shines and lingers. The cold air divides the green cliffs, and the remaining flow nourishes the green ferns. The murmuring waterfall is truly like a hanging curtain.' The inscription in the Water Curtain Cave in 'Journey to the West' reads 'Mount Huaguo, a land of fortune, and the Water Curtain Cave, a heavenly abode,' which has a profound connection with the 'Mount Wanshou, a land of fortune, and the Five Villages Cave, a heavenly abode' of the ancestor of earthly immortals, Zhenyuanzi. The cultural landscape of Mount Huaguo has a long history and a rich cultural heritage, with ancient buildings, historical sites, stone carvings, and the traces of literati and poets throughout the ages scattered across the mountain. During the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, temples and pagodas were built here, becoming a bustling Buddhist sacred place. As early as the 30th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Zhu Yijun decreed that the main temple of Mount Huaguo, the Sanyuan Palace, be recognized as a famous mountain monastery. Emperor Kangxi personally inscribed the words 'Commanding the Torrents from Afar' on the main peak of Mount Huaguo, the Jade Maiden Peak, to express his reverence for the divine spirits of Mount Huaguo. Chairman Mao had a deep study of 'Journey to the West' during his lifetime, and the stele now engraved on Mount Huaguo is known as the 'Mao Public Stele'. Mount Huaguo has distinctive landscape features and a mystical charm. The descriptions in 'Journey to the West' of the Water Curtain Cave and the mythological Nuwa's mending stone left behind, along with various myths and folk tales, integrate the natural and cultural landscapes, complementing each other and forming a unique scenic style. The rich natural scenery and splendid historical culture, the peculiar landscape features and colorful myths and legends, coupled with the wonderful depiction in the classic novel 'Journey to the West,' endow Mount Huaguo with a magical charm!

❄ After the snowfall, the Huaguo Mountain is shrouded in rime, creating a dreamlike beauty that feels so unreal~ 🌟 Scenic Area Tour: The sightseeing car can only be purchased within the scenic area, ⛰ to go up the mountain it is recommended to drive directly or take the sightseeing car to the terminal station 👧 Jade Maiden Peak. For descending, follow the signposted routes, along the way there are many famous checkpoints from Journey to the West, such as the Water Curtain Cave, Monk Tang Cliff, etc. If you run out of energy, you can take the 🚌 bus down the mountain~ 🌟 The temperature at the mountain top is really cold, and the wind is strong, be sure to bring a 👒 hat, 🧤 gloves, and keep warm. For those who are afraid of the cold, prepare plenty of warm patches. The scenery of Journey to the West is absolutely beautiful, remember to bring a camera, 📷 it's great for taking photos~ 📝 On Huaguo Mountain, there are monkeys 🐒 everywhere, try to keep a certain distance, do not scare them, some of the monkeys might grab people. Along the way, there are 🏡 courtyards selling monkey food, 10-20 yuan, for the brave ones, you can feed the monkeys, they will crowd around you affectionately❗

What is winter in Lianyungang like? It's cold, it's warm, it's listening to the wind, it's stepping on the snow... Here is the Huaguo Mountain of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, many birds choose to overwinter here, Lianyungang has ski resorts, valuable hot spring resources, spending a weekend here is worth the winter! 🗺️ Weekend route sharing Day1 Huaguo Mountain—Ganyu Second Street Day2 Qingsongling Forest Park—Donghai Hot Springs—Jiagushan Ski Resort Huaguo Mountain "One Journey to the West has not left this mountain half a step, the three monks' eastward transmission is not as the novel says", Huaguo Mountain is well known for the "hometown of Sun Wukong" and the myth of the Monkey King described in the classic literary masterpiece "Journey to the West", enjoying the reputation of "the first scenic spot in the East China Sea" and "one of the four major spiritual mountains in China", here are mountains, sea views, ancient sites, myths. The winter rime spectacle is even more beautiful into a fairy tale. Ganyu Second Street Second Street was built in the fifth year of Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty. It has experienced hundreds of years of wind and rain, accumulated a rich commercial culture, is more than 200 meters long, more than 10 meters wide, paved with stone slabs, running east-west. Most of the buildings on both sides of the street are two-story buildings, brick and wood structure, with residences above and shops below. There are also many street vendors selling snacks, such as Qingkou special snacks soup noodle dumplings, crispy baked buns, hanging stove cakes, soup, thin cold noodles, etc. Qingsongling Forest Park Located in Liyao Forest Farm, Donghai County, Lianyungang, the forest coverage rate is over 85%, with many attractions such as Longquan, Diaoyutai. The park is covered with green pines and cypresses, crisscrossed with streams, beautiful environment, rich plant resources and wildlife resources, with rare plant garden, ten thousand mu of honeysuckle base, self-driving tour base three major scenic spots, Longshou Spring, Bamboo Garden, Lover's Valley, grass sliding field, Longquan, Diaoyutai, barbecue table, outdoor expansion training base, etc. Donghai Hot Springs After the snow, the Donghai Forest Hot Springs, the poetic and picturesque ice and snow river bank, the hot spring water is fluorosilicate compound thermal mineral water, known as "the first hot spring in East China". The spring water flows all year round, the wellhead water temperature is 82℃, the water quality is transparent and smooth, rich in calcium, sodium, potassium, zinc, fluorine and other more than 30 kinds of minerals and trace elements, can be used for both bath therapy and drinking therapy. Jiagushan Ski Resort No skiing, no winter! Jiagushan Ski Resort is located next to the 3A scenic spot Jiagu Holy Land, can accommodate a thousand people skiing at the same time, rich snow play projects: in addition to the basic skiing projects, there are also snow yubo ball, snow turn, snow banana ball, snow excavator, snow tank, snow flying saucer and other play projects.

Once the 'plain face' of Huaguo Mountain in winter is dressed up with the makeup of ice and snow, it surpasses the soft beauty of spring, the colorful summer and the splendid autumn. Frost spectacle, ice and snow fairy tale. The highest peak in Jiangsu, Sanqianjie, is silver and dreamlike. Recently, Huaguo Mountain is very popular. Please pay attention to safety when climbing and enjoy the scenery, and keep warm. Don't let the beautiful scenery and winter down, Huaguo Mountain welcomes you!

💰Ticket price: From now until February 2024, admission is free but you must swipe your ID card to enter the park! Perhaps it's because of my love for the Great Sage since childhood, I decided on a whim to visit the highest peak in Jiangsu. ✅Must experience: Shuttle bus one-way: 25, round trip 50 There is a bus station a short walk from the main entrance, where you can buy tickets now. Those with poor physical strength must take the shuttle bus up the mountain. Although it seems to be only over 600 meters, when I descended from the peak of Yunnv to the Water Curtain Cave, I felt like I was going to collapse from exhaustion The bus up the mountain can reach the top of Yunnv Peak. Looking at the panting tourists who walked up, I was glad I took the bus. The top of the mountain in November is already very cold, and the wind is strong, so you need to wear a down jacket. The Water Curtain Cave is just one side, the scenery of Mount Huaguo is between the mountains of the north and the south. On the way down the mountain, the pavilions I passed had some shadows of Huizhou style, but I was too tired to take a closer look. 🌟Highlight: There are many monkeys on the mountain. I don't know if it's because the Great Sage is in charge, but the monkeys on Mount Huaguo are much better behaved than those in Sichuan. They can be fed by hand, they won't snatch things, and they won't attack tourists. 📌Small Tips: You can bring more bread, bananas, etc., to feed the monkeys. 👍Most recommended: Under the blessing of the sunset, Mount Huaguo in winter is exceptionally beautiful.

Tour at Lianyungang Mountain #holidayvacation#wintergetaway#staycation#tripinspired