Located 15 kilometers (nine miles) east of Kaili, Leigongshan is the most intriguing scenic area of the Miaoling Mountains. It gained its reputation as a National Nature Reserve because of its abundance of overlapping mountain ridges, flourishing verdant plants, valuable and rare animals, and historical war remains.

It is the highest peak in the mountain ranges of Qiandongnan (southeast Guizhou Province), so Leigongshan is rumored as the place where the God of Thunder ("Leigong" in Chinese) lives. Every summer, thunderstorms can be heard resounding on the mountains, which is why people called it Leigongshan (or Leigong Mountain).