Yushan Mountain locates at Yushan Road, Gulou District. The whole mountain is shaped like a giant fish. Yushan Mountain is 52.2 meters high above sea level. The mountain is rugged with rocks and towering trees, forming beautiful landscape. In 2016, it was selected as the National 4A Class Scenic Area.
According to the legend, a group of people from Yuyue Family in the Warring Kingdoms Period (475BC-221BC) settled here, so it is called as Yushan Mountain. Wu Zhu from Minyue Tribe in 334 BC had a banquet here on September 9, so the mountain is also called as Jiuri Mountain. During the Han Dynasty (220BC-8AD), there were nine brothers from Linchuan, who cultivated the alchemy here and it was also called as Jiuxian Mountain. The name was changed to Yushan Mountain in 1977.
Main attractions at Yushan Mountain
There are many small scenic spots scattered in the mountain, including the White Pagoda, Jiuyue Terrace, Pingyuan Terrace, Alchemy Well, Guran Terrace, Qi Jiguang Memorial Hall and Former Residence of Yu Dafu. In addition, there are many small exquisite pavilions such as Vientiane Pavilion, Suicui Pavilion and Bushan Jingshe in the mountain. These pavilions are fascinating and attractive among pines, bamboos and flowers. There are more than 100 rock carvings on the cliff since the Song Dynasty.
The most famous scenic spot is the White Pagoda at the foot of the mountain. It is painted gray white, hence the name. White Pagoda was originally named Dingguang Pagoda, which was built by Wang Shenzhi in 904 of Tang Dynasty. Originally, it was a seven-floor, brick-core and wooden tower with a height of 66.7 meters. The arches, columns and railings on each floor had been decorated with exquisite carvings. Buddha statues were painted on the walls and gates. In 1534, the pagoda was destroyed by lightning. In 1548, it was rebuilt and now it is only 41 meters high at present. The appearance of the pagoda is really beautiful, suitable for taking pictures. From the top of the tower, people can see a panorama view of the scenery.
The White Pagoda Temple, namely Dingguang Pagoda Temple at the same time. It was one of the famous temples in Fuzhou. Most of the main buildings in the temple were destroyed during the Japanese Invasion. The existing buildings were rebuilt in late Qing Dynasty. The temple was divided into three main halls, including Tianwang Hall, Daxiongbao Hall and Fayu Hall. There are also the Huafeng Hall, the abbot's room, the living room and the monastery.
The Qi Jiguang Memorial Hall was built in 1918 in commemoration of the troops led by the renowned patriotic general Qi Jiguang. The memorial hall covers an area of 4,100 square meters.