The 530-meter-high peak is surrounded by cliffs. There is only narrow passageway to the top. It’s quite steep and so narrow at parts that only one person at a time can squeeze through.
Geographer Xu Xiake (1587-1641) said in his work “Xu Xiake’s Travels” that the passageway was “one of the most difficult to navigate in Wuyi Mountain.”
The view from the top of the peak is worth the painstaking trek. From there, one can view the Nine-Bend Creek and an array of other natural attractions. But beware on the descent because going down is always harder on the legs than climbing.
One-Line Sky provides a different scenery altogether on the southern side of the Nine-Bend Creek. In a valley, a giant rock called Lingyan, or “rock of spirit,” spans three caves. One is called Fuxi Cave. Inside, a visitor can see a very narrow line of sunshine creeping through a long crack, as if someone had cleaved the rock with an axe.
It is very dark and wet inside Fuxi Cave, where white-furred bats live. You might see a row of bats staring at you if you look up. Even if you don’t look, the pungent odor of bat guano will tell you the mammals are there. Have no fear. Bats don’t attack humans.
Wuyi Palace
Wuyi Palace, the most ancient Taoist temple in the area, has undergone destruction and reconstruction. Today, two 900-year-old osmanthus trees bear witness to the colorful history of the temple.
First built in about AD 742, the temple was revered by ancient emperors who worshiped Lord Wuyi, a mountain god in the area.
Ancient people also believed that Lord Wuyi was in charge of land ownership in the netherworld. A ceremony was held to worship him before graves were constructed.
Many scholars and writers were associated with the temple during the Song Dynasty (960-1276), including Zhu Xi (1130-1200), one of the most renowned philosophers of ancient China.
Wannian Hall in the temple has been turned into a museum honoring Zhu. His life is depicted there. Other halls serve as a calligraphy school.
Behind the museum is a street replicating the Song Dynasty style, but sadly there are no real relics left there.
Ruins of Minyue City
Minyue was an ancient ethnic group who lived in the Wuyi Mountain area. Their king Wuzhu, who died in 192 BC, built his capital about 24 kilometers south of the scenic area.
The ruins of the city were first discovered in 1958. Covering 480,000 square meters, the ancient city once had a palace for the lord and residences for the nobles. Outside the city wall, residences, workshops and graveyards were neatly laid out. Nothing is left apart from some foundations.
It is believed that Wuzhu was one of the powers behind a rebellion against the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC) and helped defeat the warlord Xiang Yu to found the West Han Dynasty (220 BC-AD 8). He was rewarded with a lordship by Emperor Gaozu.
The culture of Minyue was rich. More than 4,000 pieces of pottery relics were unearthed in the ruins. The city also had quite an orderly drainage system, which was a model for ancient Chinese cities.
The splendor of the city, however, was short-lived. After Wuzhu died, local nobles went to war with smaller neighboring nations. Wuzhu’s descendant Yushan even led a rebellion against the central royal court. Minyue was destroyed.
A museum sits on the ruins, where visitors can view pottery, iron and bronze relics.
If you go
How to get there:
It takes about three and a half hours by high-speed train from Shanghai to Wuyishan City. The Wuyi Mountain National Holiday Resort is about 15 kilometers from the city. The Hutao, Ximen and Nanmen bus stations all provide transport to the resort. There are three bus stations inside the resort.
To get to the ruins of Minyue City, take bus No. 6 bus from the Wuyi Mountain National Holiday Resort to the Wuyi Mountain Bus Station, where shuttle buses to the ruins are available.
