Yushan Mountain, originally named Ruishan, is said to have been renamed by Emperor Qin Shi Huang during his eastern tour. Seeing the auspicious aura and imperial presence, he ordered the removal of the ‘king’ radical from the left side of the character ‘Rui’ and enclosed the remaining ‘Duan’ within a square to prevent the leakage of royal aura that might threaten the eternal rule of the realm. Thus, the mountain came to be known as ‘Yushan’.
Yushan Mountain features deep ravines, tranquil valleys, grotesque rocks, towering ancient trees, and swaying bamboo groves. With 36 cliffs and 72 dangerous slopes, each step reveals a new scene, making it a traditional site for Buddhist practice. At its peak, there were dozens of nunneries. Presently, there are Xilin Temple, Dongxia Temple, Shaolong Temple, and Lengyan Zen Temple, which attract a constant stream of worshippers and believers.
The first tower of the Yangtze River – the Bao’en Pagoda, reaches for the sky, captivating and mesmerizing visitors. Yushan Mountain controls the Yangtze River’s defense and serves as the gateway to Zhenjiang and Nanjing. During the Tang Dynasty, a military post named Qiaoshan Shu was established here (later known as Zhenhai Army). The Song Dynasty built Yushan Stockade, where General Han Shizhong stationed troops to resist the Jin Dynasty. In the Ming Dynasty, it was a place to fight against Japanese pirates. In 1842, during the British invasion, the Yushan Fort’s defenders fought valiantly against the invaders, causing them to flee in terror.
The mountain is open all year round, accessible 24/7.
Yushan Mountain
Yushan Mountain, originally named Ruishan, is said to have been renamed by Emperor Qin Shi Huang dur[...]
