Mount Heng (Southern Sacred Mountain)

Overview

About

Mount Heng, the Southern Sacred Mountain, lies in Hengshan County, Hunan. Its summit, Zhurong Peak, is 1,300.2 m and the scenic area covers 85 km²; thickly wooded, it is called “the most graceful of the sacred mountains”.

The range runs “800 li” (about 400 km) from Huiyan Peak south of Hengyang to Yuelu Mountain in Changsha. Its four wonders are the height of Zhurong Peak, the beauty of the Sutra Hall, the depth of Fangguang Temple and the strangeness of the Water Curtain Cave. Its monuments include the Nanyue Temple, Zhusheng Temple, Fuyan Temple, Nantai Temple and cliff inscriptions.

It is in the first batch of national parks of China (national scenic areas) named by the State Council in 1982.

Main sights

Grand Temple of Nanyue: north of Nanyue town, where the Southern Peak was worshipped for centuries, a national protected site; eight Daoist temples flank it on the east and eight Buddhist ones on the west.

Zhurong Peak: the main summit, with the stone-built Zhurong Hall on top and views of the sunrise and the sea of clouds in clear weather.

Cangjing Hall: below Xiangguang Peak north-west of Zhurong, named after a set of the Buddhist canon said to have been given by the first Ming emperor; surrounded by old trees.

Fangguang Temple: in a valley below Lianhua Peak, founded under the Liang of the Southern Dynasties and enclosed by thick forest; the “depth of Fangguang Temple” in the saying refers to it.

Nanyue Martyrs’ Shrine: below Xianglu Peak, a cemetery for soldiers killed in the War of Resistance against Japan, built during the war; a national protected site.

Water Curtain Cave: below Zigai Peak, known in Taoism as the Zhuling Grotto-Heaven, third of the 36 Lesser Grotto-Heavens. A stream from Zigai Peak drops over the cliff here, one of the “four wonders” of Hengshan.

The Grand Temple of Nanyue has nine courtyards in four enclosures. It moved to its present site below Chidi Peak in the Sui dynasty; its present layout dates from the rebuilding of 1882. The stele pavilion holds the Kangxi Emperor's inscription of 1708 on the temple's restoration.

Travel tips

Getting there: Hengshan West station on the Wuhan–Guangzhou high-speed line is close to Nanyue town; buses and taxis go on to Nanyue. There are also buses to Nanyue from Hengyang and Changsha.

Going up: from the park entrance north of Nanyue town, shuttle buses run to Banshan Pavilion and on to the South Gate of Heaven; a cable car also links the two. From the South Gate you walk up to Zhurong Peak. Walking the whole way up takes most of a day.

Grand Temple of Nanyue: in Nanyue town, the largest group of old buildings at the foot of the mountain; visit it before or after the climb.

Zhurong Peak: the highest summit, with Zhurong Hall on top and a sunrise view in clear weather. Nearby Cangjing Hall, and Fangguang, Fuyan and Nantai temples lower down, can be added as time allows.

Time: one day covers the Grand Temple and the main sights on the mountain; to see the sunrise, spend a night on top.

Season: spring and autumn are best. In winter the summit often has rime ice and snow, and roads may close. It is much colder on top than below.

Caution: Hengshan is a busy Buddhist and Taoist pilgrimage mountain. Holidays and the 1st and 15th of each lunar month are crowded, especially the pilgrimage season in the 7th and 8th lunar months.

Where to stay: most visitors stay in Nanyue town; there are also places to stay near Zhurong Peak.

Stamps

In 1990 China Post issued “Mount Heng”, four stamps: the majestic great temple, the mountain in flight, the graceful Heng, and mighty Zhurong Peak.

Map

Photo credits: Mount Heng: 王计 (CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons)

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