The Huaguo Mountain Gate is guarded by four stone-carved lions, which fully embodies the characteristics of Huaguo Mountain: ‘In the absence of tigers, monkeys reign as kings.’ As the hometown of the Monkey King, Sun Wukong, the presence of tigers would unsettle the monkeys. Above the main gate is the image of Sun Wukong, who replaces Tang Sanzang as the leading male character in ‘Journey to the West’ by Wu Cheng’en, ultimately achieving enlightenment and being honored by Buddha as the ‘Victorious Fighting Buddha.’ Above the north gate is a relief depicting the four disciples of Tang Sanzang on their journey to retrieve the sacred scriptures, fearlessly facing countless dangers and demons. The stone monkeys surrounding the square are the welcoming monkeys of Huaguo Mountain, originally numbering 108, symbolizing the 36 heavenly stems and 72 earthly branches. However, upon completion, one extra monkey was found. The construction team explained that an extra stone monkey, lonely in storage, secretly joined the group at night, resulting in a total of 109 monkeys now. The plaque on the back of the mountain gate inscribed with ‘Dongsheng Shenzhou’ was written by Mr. Shen Peng. The gate is open all year round, accessible 24 hours a day, with specific business hours subject to daily operations.
Huaguo Mountain Gate
The Huaguo Mountain Gate is guarded by four stone-carved lions, which fully embodies the characteris[...]
