Mount Gu (Gushan)

Background

Mount Gu lies on the eastern outskirts of Fuzhou on the north bank of the Min River; its highest summit, Dading Peak, rises 919 meters. It is said to be named for a huge rock on the summit shaped like a drum (gu) that makes a drumming sound in wind and rain, and it has long been regarded as Fuzhou's guardian mountain. Yongquan Temple on the mountainside is an important Buddhist temple in Fuzhou. The Gushan cliff inscriptions span nearly a thousand years from the Northern Song to the present, with more than 200 concentrated around Lingyuan Cave, including Cai Xiang's "Wanggui Rock" and verses by Zhu Xi; they are listed as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level under the name "Gushan Cliff Inscriptions." The ancient mountain path is said to have been opened by Wang Shenzhi, King of Min, in 908, with more than 2,000 stone steps and old pavilions and inscriptions along the way.

Local customs

• Fuzhou locals like to hike up the old trail in the early morning or at weekends for exercise
• the climb takes about 1–1.5 hours one way, or you can ride to the halfway point and walk from there. The scenic area has sections such as the Eighteen Scenes of Bodhidharma Cave, Lingyuan Cave, Heshui Rock and Meili, and the stone inscription exhibition hall shows rubbings and digital displays.

Religion & beliefs

• Yongquan Temple is a working Buddhist monastery, and accounts of its history differ, dating its founding to the Tang or the Five Dynasties. Please dress appropriately when you enter, do not photograph the Buddha statues or make noise in the halls, and walk around the halls clockwise
• do not smoke or eat meat or fish inside the temple, and if a Dharma assembly is in progress, watch quietly from the outer edge.

Rules that apply here

Travel tips

• Allow half a day: about 1 hour to walk up the old trail, about 1.5 hours for Lingyuan Cave and Yongquan Temple, then walk down or ride back. Take a bus to the Gushan scenic area gate and walk, or take the scenic area shuttle to the mid-mountain
• parking is tight for drivers on holidays. Opening hours, shuttle operations and the stone inscription exhibition hall are subject to the scenic area's notices
• the stone steps are slippery in rain, so wear non-slip shoes. Combine with the Guling summer resort (separate transport needed), or return to the city after the descent for Three Lanes and Seven Alleys
• in summer, go up early to avoid the heat. The old trail has many steps and continuous slopes
• visitors of average fitness can ride up and walk down. Many inscriptions are high on the cliff faces, so binoculars or a telephoto lens make them easier to read. Food options on the mountain are limited, so bring water and simple food, and please carry your rubbish down.