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Dragon and Tiger Mountain (Longhu Mountain)
is a famous Taoism mountain with a long history. 16 km (about 9.94
miles) south of Yingtan City, Jiangxi Province, the mountain has
been noted as the 'Residence of Celestials' and 'Blest Earthly Abode'
because of its beautiful scenery. As a cradle land of Taoism, Dragon
and Tiger Mountain has been regarded as a Holy Land to which many
pilgrimages are made every year.
According to the record of Taoism, in the middle
of the East Han Dynasty (25-220), Zhang Daoling, the first Tian
Shi (a Taoist priest), started to distill elixirs at this historic
mountain, originally named 'Mount of Splendid Clouds'. As the elixirs
were made, a dragon and a tiger would appear. Then the mountain's
name changed and became a birthplace of Taoism.
Shangqing Palace in Shangqing
Old Town Scenic Area, first built in East Han Dynasty,
is the place for Tian Shi to pray and the place where all gods received
their official ranks. It was as large as the royal palace, but one
Chi (about 1.094 feet) lower to show the respect for the royal prerogative.
Apart from the sacred place for Taoism, Dragon
and Tiger Mountain is also full of beautiful and special landscapes.
As a typical Danxia landform characterized by its cliffy scarp,
the red terrestrial clastic rock can be seen everywhere in Celestial
Water Rock Scenic Area. There are a total of ninety-nine
peaks, twenty-four boulders, one hundred and eight natural and artificial
sights and over twenty wells, ponds, streams and waterfalls. 'Ten
cannot' rocks in this area are famous for the vivid guise and attractive
stories. They are: the nun carrying monk cannot pass by; the jade
comb that cannot comb the hair; the water lily that cannot be wore;
the test-sword stone that cannot be put to the test; the celestial
peach that cannot be eaten; the stone drum that cannot be beat;
the splendid silk that cannot be wrapped; the fairy cannot be married;
the scoop that cannot be used and the Taoism Hall that people cannot
sit in. Sitting in a raft and drifting in the winding Lu Xi River
which meanders westwards through the whole mountain area and links
sights scattered along the banks, visitors can take in all the beautiful
scenes, blue skies, white clouds, green water and red mountains.
Another marvelous sight in Dragon and Tiger Mountain
is the Cliff Tombs. Most of the tombs are about
50 meters (160 feet) above the water, and some are more than 300
meters (984 feet) high. Floating in the Lu Xi River, Cliff Tombs
of the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC) and the Warring States
Period (476-221BC) can be seen along the river banks. Because of
its expansive area, large quantity, dangerous location and unique
shape, the tombs got the title 'the best natural archaeological
museum of China'. No one is quite sure why or how the ancient site
was built, so it's still a mystery waiting for you to discover.
| Admission Fee: |
CNY 30 Shangqing Palace
CNY 145 Celestial Water Drifting
CNY 33 Tian Shi Fu |
| Bus Route: |
Tour bus at Yingtan Railway Station Square (05:30 to 17:30) |
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