A 300-Meter Mountain in Changsha, Hunan – Why is it Famous Worldwide?
Changsha, Hunan, known as the ‘City of Entertainment’, has attracted countless tourists. The bustling May 1st shopping area, the foodie-filled Pozi Street, and the fan-hunting ‘Hunan TV’… these popular attractions have all become very desirable places. And in the land of heroes and delicacies in Changsha, coexisting with modern civilization, there are also many well-known attractions that integrate humanity and nature – Yuelu Mountain!
Recently, a homeowner near the Yuelu Mountain Scenic Area in Changsha, Hunan, was suspected of digging mountains and destroying forests and building a private airfield, which has triggered ongoing discussion. It is said that the builder claimed that the renovation had begun last year and wanted to use the wasteland to build a park ‘for practicing Tai Chi and running’. The latest news is that Yuezhong (Yuelu District) officially responded that the area where the house was located does not belong to the Yuelu Mountain Scenic Area. Why is this the case? Actually, there is no particular reason, it's just that after traveling to many places, when seeing the latest information about attractions online, you’ll naturally pay attention to them. So, let’s return to the main topic: how beautiful is Yuelu Mountain, which is attracting so much attention?
Yuelu Mountain, named after ‘Surrounding Yuelu Mountain for eight hundred miles, with the Return Eagles as the leader, and Yuelu as the foot’ in the Southern Song Dynasty’s ‘Record of Yuelu’, is a legendary mountain. Yuelu Mountain is uniquely located within the Nanhu Range of the Hengshan Mountains. Ancient people listed Yuelu Mountain as the last of the seventy-two peaks of Yuelu Mountain, calling it ‘Linglu Peak’ – the Spirit Peak.
To encounter Yuelu Mountain before traveling to Changsha, you’ve probably heard of it. But after visiting it, many people, including myself, will have questions: How little is the altitude of this mountain hidden within the city – only 300 meters, not the incredibly magnificent and stunning image you imagine? What makes it famous worldwide?
When I entered it and went deep into it, the answer seemed to become clearer. Yuelu Mountain’s entrance is free, with a single-way ticket for the sightseeing bus at 20 yuan per person. If you don’t want to climb the mountain or take the sightseeing bus, it’s recommended to enter the scenic area from the South Gate, because most of the attractions are concentrated in the South Gate.
‘Mountain in the City’ Yuelu Mountain is a precious gift from nature to the people of Changsha. Entering the scenic area is like entering a wonderful world. The air is fresh, the forest is dense, the mountains are deep, the peaks are majestic, the birds are chirping… Everywhere on the mountain exudes a quiet atmosphere, allowing visitors to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy the tranquility and beauty of nature.
When you reach the summit, you can have a fantastic view of Changsha, ‘a city of mountains, water, and islands’, and know that Yuelu Mountain is one of the rare national 5A-level tourist resorts integrating ‘mountain, water, island, and city’! Even standing at a 300-meter mountain peak, you can achieve ‘overlooking all the mountains small’ and ‘owning the Jiangshan’ (national territory) – a sense of fulfillment.
‘Literature adorns scenery, scenery names literature’, Yuelu Mountain is truly worthy of its name, with ‘one scenic point for every three steps, and one level for every five steps of literature’ integrated. At the foot of the mountain, there is one of the ‘Four Famous Academies’ in ancient China, and the best-preserved ancient academy – ‘Yuelu Academy’. There’s also the Weilan Pavilion, named after ‘Parking and admiring the maple leaves in the evening’, and it gathers twenty-odd universities and colleges, including Central China University of Science and Technology, Hunan University, Hunan Normal University, and Hunan Provincial Party School – a renowned Yuelu University Town.
A Yuelu Mountain, half a modern history. In Yuelu Mountain, many people often find numerous tombs and ancestral graves hidden in the deep forest. These are the tombs of 62 deceased intellectuals and righteous men with verifiable histories, including Huang Xing and Cai E – many righteous heroes are buried here.
Yuelu Mountain is not only a natural scenic area, but also encompasses the cultural connotations pioneered by historical figures and literati in Yuelu Mountain, as well as the deep cultural foundation of ‘faithful burial of bones’. It is a truly legendary mountain that you cannot miss when traveling to Hunan and Changsha!
