Guanshan Mountain offers rich melange of nature, history

Nestling in Linshu county – administered by Linyi city in East China's Shandong province – Guanshan Mountain is an evocative place steeped in ancient tales of immortality.

The splendid entrance of Guanshan Mountain in Linshu county. [Photo by Chen Xiaoting for chinadaily.com.cn]

Legends tells us of Zhang Liang, a brilliant strategist from the early Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) and Xu Shu, a renowned general from the Three Kingdoms period (220-280). They're said to have achieved enlightenment in the "Xianren Dong", or immortal caves, a pair of mystical caverns just meters apart in Guanshan Mountain.

Visitors ascend the mountain using the winding stone steps, as they take in a breathtaking landscape featuring lush forests, bamboo groves and the soothing sounds of babbling springs. The trail is festooned with unique rocks and a variety of trees, including oaks and ginkgos that provide a canopy of overarching verdancy.

But Guanshan Mountain isn't just a feast for the eyes; it's also rich in history.

Records reveal that Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) once visited in the early 18th century, founding a palace now in ruins.

Deep within the mountain, Changchun Temple stands as a sacred sanctuary, with a thousand-year-old ginkgo tree gracing its entrance.

Legend has it that the temple was founded by Yin Xi, a disciple of Laozi – a Chinese philosopher credited with founding the philosophical system of Taoism. The temple boasts structures like the San Qing Pavilion and a Thousand-Buddha Pagoda.

Changchun Temple is an oasis of tranquility that nestles amid lush greenery. [Photo by Chen Xiaoting for chinadaily.com.cn]

In the temple's history, mention is made of "The San Qing Pavilion having two ancient ginkgo trees." One, planted in 227 AD by a hermit called Xu Ze, is over 2,100 years old, making it Linyi city's oldest ginkgo tree. The other, planted by Yin Xi, has a remarkable tale – it miraculously survived destruction in the 1940s, sprouting anew a decade later and now stands proudly at over 20 meters tall. (Edited by Zhou Yunlai)