▲ Dear travelers, welcome to Mount Fanjing, known as the "Pure Land of Brahma"! I'll be your guide as we embark on this journey together to uncover the mysterious and enchanting beauty of Mount Fanjing.
▲ The name Mount Fanjing carries profound Buddhist significance, derived from "Brahma's Pure Land." It is also one of China's renowned sacred sites of Maitreya Bodhisattva, holding a pivotal position in Buddhist culture. With a history stretching back to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, it was part of the Chu State's "Qianzhong Territory," witnessing countless historical transformations through successive dynasties.
▲ Mushroom Stone: This iconic landmark of Mount Fanjing stands like a weathered yet steadfast giant, approximately 10 meters tall with a top-heavy mushroom-like shape. Formed from 1.4-billion-year-old marine sedimentary rock through prolonged weathering, this geological wonder resembles an extraterrestrial balancing art piece. Around 6 AM when backlit by sunlight, photos taken beside the stone create silhouettes against the rock, making visitors appear like "cloud walkers" in the sky.
▲ Red Cloud Golden Summit: Towering at 2,336m above sea level, this awe-inspiring pillar-like peak is often enveloped in auspicious crimson clouds at dawn, earning its poetic name that also homophonically suggests "fortune's favor." The summit is dramatically split by Golden Blade Gorge, with Shakya Hall enshrining Buddha on the southern cliff and Maitreya Hall housing the Laughing Buddha to the north - the two temples connected by a skybridge resembling a soaring dragon. Adventurous climbers scaling the 80-degree iron chain path can still see 600-year-old footprints preserved on stone steps. When sunlight breaks through after rain, visitors might witness the miraculous spectacle of rainbow-hued Buddhist halos encircling the golden peak.
▲ Thousand-Book Cliff: The neatly stacked slate layers resemble ancient giant tomes piled together, formed by tectonic compression of slate strata. When sea of clouds rolls in, these rocks appear like flipping pages in the wind, transporting you into a dreamlike mountain of books.
