| Located 12 kilometres northwest of Jixian
and about 100 kilometres from the city centre of Tianjin, Mt. Panshan
is covered with exuberant forests and rich in historical and scenic
spots. It has been recoginised as one of the 15 greatest scenic spots
of China and known as "The First Mountain East of Beijing".
Mount Panshan is on the edge of the North China Plain. Less than a
thousand metres above sea level, the granite peaks rise abruptly,
featured by the many sheer precipices and grotesquely shaped rocks
and boulders. Its main peak, Guayue (Moon Hanging) Peak, though only
864 metres above sea level, rises precipitously, which makes it look
impressively tall. From the summit tourists can view the Great Wall
to the north and the Taihang Mountains to the west.
Six streams running in the valleys around Mount Panshan flow to
the surrounding plains. The scenery along the banks of the streams
is very beautiful. For instance, a stream on the south side is flanked
with green trees and there are many rocks of various shapes and
sizes in the valley. In the central Panshan area, there is a stone
bridge, on which many tourists like to sit to listen to the splashing
of the stream against the rocks.
At the foot of Mount Panshan, there is a colourfully painted arch
bearing the inscription, "The First Mountain East of Beijing".
Under the arch are stalls selling fruits and local products.
Passing through the gate leading to the mountain, a giant rock
can be seen, which carved with two characters that can best be translated
as "unsurpassed", reputed to be the writing of a high-ranking
official of the late Qing Dynasty. It is said that Mount Panshan
is noted for its beautiful natural scenery of pine trees, boulders
and waters in a mountain setting.
Among the more than 32O kinds of trees and shrubs found in the
vicinity, pines are the most numerous. There are vast dense stretches
of old pine trees around the Wansong (Ten Thousand-Pine) Temple
and the Songshu (Pine Tree) Ridge. The pine trees here have wistfully
bent trunks and coiled branches. This is because they grow on slopes
with a thin and poor layer of soil. In spite of these austere condition,
coupled with the harsh climate characterized by strong winds and
frost and snow, these pine trees indomitably adapt themselves to
the circumstances by growing close to the ground and stretching
their branches horizontally to reduce the pressure of the strong
winds and to avoid rubbing against each other. This accounts for
the different shapes of the trees and those of the same species
growing on plains.
Mount Panshan is among the 15 most famous mountains in China. As
the saying goes, most of the famous mountains are inhabited by monks,
and Panshan is no exception. In Mount Panshan, there are 72 temples
and monasteries which have been frequented by faithful Buddhist
believers for centuries.
During holidays, people rush in from Tianjin, Beijing and surrounding
areas to enjoy the beautiful scenery. Mount Panshan has become an
increasingly popular tourist spot in North China.
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