Jiugong Stockade is located in the southwest of Lu’an City, 30 kilometers away from the city center. It stands at an elevation of 342 meters and is named after nine uniquely shaped rocks on the summit that resemble human figures. Legend has it that these rocks are the transformation of nine individuals who provided building materials for a temple during the Southern Dynasties’ Liang period. The stockade features two peaks, the southern one commonly referred to as the ‘Small Stockade’ and the northern one as the ‘Large Stockade’. The ‘Gao Feng Temple’ on the summit of the Large Stockade, originally named ‘Jiugong Temple’ or ‘Jiugong Chan Monastery’, is said to be named in memory of those nine individuals.
Visitors to Jiugong Stockade primarily come for hiking and to pay respects to Buddha. Starting from the foot of the mountain, passing through the main gate inscribed with ‘Jiugong Stockade’ and the second gate inscribed with ‘Jiugong Soaring Beauty’, crossing the ‘Qingying Bridge’, one can see lush bamboo forests, a feast for the eyes. Continuing past the ‘Yingmen Temple’, which houses the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, leads to a large square with a statue of Guanyin. Behind the square, the ‘Qi Pan Shi’ (Chessboard Stone) is a must-see, with the water in the adjacent pond resembling ink, said to be the ‘Jiao Huan’s Ink Washing Pond’ from the ‘Lu’an State Chronicles’.
Passing through the ‘Nan Tianmen’ (South Heavenly Gate) and ‘Lingguan Hall’, one reaches the summit of the Large Stockade, offering a panoramic view of the scenery below. Visitors can then pay respects at the ancient ‘Gao Feng Temple’. Descending from the Small Stockade, the journey down the mountain allows one to appreciate the natural beauty of Jiugong Stockade, with many peculiar rocks such as ‘Zhuangyuan Stone’, ‘Three Turtle Stones’, and ‘Wind Moving Stone’ along the way. At ‘Wangta Cliff’, one can pause to take in the view, which includes the seven-story Song Dynasty pagoda at the Xihekou Wangjiang Temple opposite, and the distant Pi River, known as the mother river of Western Anhui.
Jiugong Stockade is abundant with tea gardens and is famous for producing the renowned tea ‘Lu’an Guapian’. In autumn, the mature chestnut trees provide an interesting activity of searching for fallen chestnuts along the forest paths. The stockade is open year-round from 08:00 to 17:00. Special policies for children: free for those under 1.2 meters (not including); discounted for those between 1.2 meters (including) and 1.4 meters (not including). For the elderly: free with a senior citizen card or ID for those 65 years old (including) and above; discounted for those between 60 years old (including) and 65 years old (not including).
Jiugong Stockade
Jiugong Stockade is located in the southwest of Lu’an City, 30 kilometers away from the city center. It stands at […]
