Hiking with heavy equipment on Junfeng Mountain, the “roof of eastern Jiangxi”
One of the series of unique scenery in Jiangxi
Junfeng Mountain is located at the junction of Nanfeng County and Yihuang County in Fuzhou City, Jiangxi Province. It is the highest peak in eastern Jiangxi. I heard from my junior brother in Nanfeng that on a clear day, you can see Junfeng Mountain 30 kilometers away from Nanfeng County to the west; the section near the top of the mountain is full of huge rocks and the mountain is very steep. These two points attracted me. In the fall of 2019, my companion and I completed the heavy-duty hike up Junfeng Mountain in two days.
Junfeng Mountain Profile
Altitude : 1760.9 meters
Location:The junction of Nanfeng County and Yihuang County, Fuzhou City, Jiangxi Province
Mountain range : Yushan mountain range (main peak)
Features : The top ten mountains in Jiangxi and the roof of eastern Jiangxi, with majestic mountains and broad vision
01
Junfeng Mountain: one side is tall and steep
We set off from Nanfeng County and contacted a car in advance to take us to the starting point of the mountain climbing - Dantan Village, Shishan Town. It's early autumn, and the orange trees on both sides of the road are covered with small and exquisite oranges, which are the local specialty - Nanfeng mandarin oranges. I heard from the driver that a large number of them will mature and be put on the market after a period of time; this year there has been a long drought, and the production has been reduced compared to previous years.
On the way to Dantan Village, you can always see an obvious and unique mountain peak not far away. Obviously because there are no continuous peaks around this mountain. The entire mountain stands out and stands out, which is very impressive . The master said that this is probably the Junfeng Mountain you want to climb. I couldn't believe it at the time, because the mountain looked really close. Generally, the main peaks of many other mountain ranges are hidden among the mountains, making it difficult to see them intuitively from a distance.
It is unique because the upper half of the mountain is actually gray when viewed from a distance , unlike other mountains that are lush and covered with vegetation. I once suspected that it was caused by soil erosion. In fact, after waiting a few hours, I discovered that what I saw on the road was the mountain we climbed today. The gray color is because the mountain is made of exposed rocks.
The hiking route first passes through an orange grove on a hillside. I saw an online guide author say that he got lost in the Orangery. Sure enough, we were also lost . Fortunately, there was no vegetation in the orange grove, and we were able to forcefully switch back to the normal track in a short while.
After coming out of the orange garden, you enter a dense forest. In the dense forest there are ancient ginkgo trees, bitter bamboo forests, stone paths, mechanical farming roads, Taoist temples, etc. As altitude increases, the woods thin out and pine and thatch begin to replace the trees. Where there are no trees to cover the area, the clear and huge mountain body of Junfeng Mountain can be seen from time to time. We thought at this time that we were not far from reaching the top. During this trek in the woods, the altitude increased by about 1,000 meters.
▼ When I saw the main peak of Junfeng Mountain in the woods, it seemed that it was very close at hand.
Walking out of the last forest, we found that there were no other hills blocking us from this mountain. In front of us is a flat and steep cliff, like a high wall, towering and unreachable. The slightly horizontal gaps between the rock walls are covered with grass, showing the vitality of nature. It is said that if you are lucky, you can see animals such as goats and yellow elk grazing between the rock walls.
The peak of Junfeng Mountain is hidden behind this cliff. It is almost impossible to climb directly over it. The actual route is to go around the pass on the left. From here on, due to the temperature and mountain wind, no trees can be seen, only thatch and bitter bamboo growing tenaciously in the cracks of the rocks.
From an altitude of 1,400 meters to the top of the mountain, there are steep, smooth stone walls. On this section of the road, we walked up the stone steps carved by pilgrims since ancient times. Although the peak was in sight, it seemed out of sight and was very tiring.
Finally, after a lot of twists and turns, we passed through the iconic granite structure of the mountain gate. Soon after going up, the view suddenly opened up and we finally reached the summit! At this time, looking towards the foot of the mountain, you can see the villages and roads at a glance. We are on a ridge like the back of a crucian carp, leading us to the ancient building on the top of the mountain - Junfeng Old Hall. This ridge is less than two meters wide at the top and is flanked by cliffs on either side. Especially on the west side, it drops directly from the ridge to the foot of the mountain. There is no other mountain as a buffer. The height difference is estimated to be at least more than 1,200 meters. It seems to rise from the ground, which is very visually impactful. Junfeng Mountain reflects its unique ruggedness here and is a magical creation of nature.
As the sun set in the west, I was surprised to find that the entire huge mountain of Junfeng Mountain formed a clear and contrasting shadow on the east side, which was an isosceles triangle ! The top of the mountain where we are is reflected at the vertex of this triangle. The city at the foot of the mountain was gradually submerged in shadow. I wonder if the people there can feel this change of Huiyin at this moment, and whether they will regard it as a reference for daily time. Or, if there is a giant dancing on the top of the mountain at this time, and its shaking shadow is projected on the city below, will it attract their attention?
02
Junfeng Mountain: one side is friendly
There are not a single tree around the top of the mountain, only strong grass that can withstand strong winds grows. The ancients used hard work to build a Taoist temple called the "Sanying Zhenjun Temple", also known as the Junfeng Old Hall. In fact, there are two parallel temples at the front and back, both of which are stone structures, dedicated to Duke Fuqiu and his two disciples.
Junfeng Mountain has been a famous mountain in the local area since ancient times, attracting scholars, officials and common people to climb and visit. The Northern Song Dynasty essayist Zeng Zhiyao (Zeng Gong's grandfather) once climbed Junfeng Mountain and left "Qiyunyuan Stele" and "Inscription on the Residence of Xu Xiucai in Junshan"; the Northern Song Dynasty Prime Minister Zeng Bu (Zeng Gong's younger brother) petitioned the emperor to confer the title of Jiahui Hou on the Junfeng Mountain God and to grant it the name of Linggan Temple; Li Wanshi, a Jinshi from Nanfeng in the Ming Dynasty, wrote "Staying at the Highest Point of Junfeng"; Xu Xiake, a geographer in the Ming Dynasty, wrote "The Highest Point of Junfeng" On November 11, the ninth year of Chongzhen (1636), he climbed Junfeng Mountain and left behind the sigh, "The towering green Junfeng is the best of the eight scenic spots in Nanfeng, and I envy the friendliness of Junfeng"... Junfeng Mountain also partially witnessed the cultural prosperity of Jiangxi in history.
Junfeng Mountain was also a military fortress in ancient times and modern times. It is said that one theory about the origin of the name of Junfeng Mountain is that Liu Bang, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, sent general Wu Rui to conquer southern Guangdong and stationed troops here. When worshiping the mountain god, he saw a general leaping on his horse and drawing a sword, commanding the army to drill. If you look closely, you will not see it. It was an illusion, so the mountain was named Junshan, and later Junfeng Mountain. It also became a resting place for armies of all dynasties. The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom army fought hard against the Qing army in Junfeng Mountain for nine years. Junfeng Mountain also experienced anti-"encirclement and suppression" wars, and battles against bandits in the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
There are many ancient roads leading to the top of Junfeng Mountain. There are many historical sites on the road, including monasteries, ancestral halls, temples, altars, halls, etc. According to historical records, many famous Taoist monks have visited this place since ancient times. We also saw several earth temples and Taoist temples on the way, and saw the inscriptions next to the temples. This is a landmark site in Junfeng Mountain and is now protected as a key cultural relic. Nowadays, many pilgrims and tourists climb Junfeng Mountain every year to offer incense and enjoy the scenic views.
At night, we camped next to the old military peak temple on the top of the mountain. The area on the top of the mountain is not large, but the walls of the ancient buildings can provide shelter from the wind. The biggest advantage of this camping spot is that the view is very wide. When you lie in the tent and open the curtain of the tent, you can overlook the skyline of Nanfeng County at the foot of the mountain.
When it was completely dark, my companions and I walked out of the tent. The stars in the sky were clearly distinguishable, and a Milky Way stretched across the sky. No wonder the main peak of Junfeng Mountain is also called the Star Reaching Platform. What is even more surprising is that the lights of Nanfeng County, not far from the foot of the mountain, are displayed in front of you at a glance. The light passed through the wilderness, unobstructed by any mountains. A winding lighted avenue connects the city and leads into the distance. This was the first time I had seen the city lights clearly from a higher mountaintop. On the top of the mountain, under the dark night sky, the sound of wind beside the old Junfeng temple is getting louder; at the foot of the mountain, lights seem to be within easy reach, giving people a sense of security . These are two worlds, stimulating the senses at the same time. This is also one of the charms of Junfeng affinity.
As a 360-degree unobstructed viewing platform, it is very convenient to watch the sunrise. When the day begins to lighten up, get out of the tent and wait.
When the sun peeks out, due to the reflection of the water surface, the first thing that appears is a river running through the city like a jade belt. This is the mother river of Nanfeng - Xujiang .
The rising sun once again forms a huge shadow on the west side of the mountain, which is a more perfect iso-waist triangle. As the sun rises, the apex of the triangle moves closer to the mountain. This is one of the most spectacular triangles I have ever seen in nature. There are several villages at the foot of the mountain. Throughout the year, it is estimated that there is no direct sunlight until after ten o'clock every day.
▼A dangerous peak on the south side of Junfeng Mountain in the early morning
After watching the sunrise, we packed up our tents and went down the mountain via another road. We returned to the foot of the mountain around noon and chartered a bus back to Nanfeng city. We were already hungry at this time, so we found a Jiangxi restaurant, had a big meal, and took the bus back to Yingtan in the afternoon.
All in all, Junfeng Mountain is both steep and friendly, which is very rare. The altitude difference from the foot of the mountain to the top is more than 1,500 meters. There are no other higher peaks to set it off, and it almost rises from the ground. From the top of the mountain, you can see many small mountains all around (the surrounding mountains are low), and the villages and roads at the foot of the mountain seem to be within reach and can be counted clearly. It is very convenient to watch the stars, watch the sunrise and sunset at the top of the mountain, and watch the lights below the mountain . According to other netizens’ guides, the sea of clouds and Buddha’s light in Junfeng Mountain are also spectacular. These features all bring a strong visual experience. There are also many ancient buildings and other monuments scattered in Junfeng Mountain. Junfeng Mountain is a unique resort in the land of Ganpo and worth a lot of effort to explore.
references
[1] Gao Zhouquan: "Donkey Traces in the Landscape of Ganpo", Jilin University Press, 2015.10
[2] Zhang Ji: "The Roof of Eastern Jiangxi" Junfeng Mountain. "Forest and Humanity", 2015.12
[3] Internet information: Baidu Encyclopedia Junfeng Mountain
Attached is this itinerary for reference
Time: two days
Itinerary: The railway arrives at Yingtan Station, and the Yingtan passenger bus goes to Nanfeng. Charter a bus in Nanfeng County to Dantan Village in Shishan Town, Nanfeng County. Start hiking at about 10 o'clock, climb to the top at around 4 o'clock in the afternoon, and camp on the top of the mountain; start from the next day It takes half a day to get to Qiushan Village, Shishan Town, and return to Nanfeng County by chartered car.
Precautions
The top of Junfeng Mountain is small and unobstructed. Thunderstorms can easily attract lightning strikes. At this time, be sure to avoid going to the top of Junfeng Mountain.
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