Guanzhai Mountain Scenic Area is located in Liancheng County, Longyan City, Fujian Province, and is a national 5A-level tourist attraction. The total area of the scenic area is about 123 square kilometers, with the main scenic area covering 82.65 square kilometers. It features a typical monocline Danxia landform, boasting more than 70 Danxia stone wall groups, over 60 Danxia red cliffs, as well as unique landform landscapes such as fluvial erosion canyons, monocline peak clusters, a perennial Tianchi Lake (Heavenly Pool) and water-eroded gullies. Integrating "mountains, water, rocks, springs and temples", the scenic area serves multiple functions including sightseeing and leisure, sports activities, scientific research and popular science education. It houses ancient academies such as "Yangzhi Pavilion" and "Qiu Clan Academy" built since the Song Dynasty, with more than 40 cliff carvings preserved, where cultural and natural landscapes complement each other.
Historical Culture
According to the records of Liancheng County Chronicles, the development history of Guanzhai Mountain can be traced back to the third year of Shaoxing in the Song Dynasty (1133 AD), when Liancheng County was established, spanning over 800 years to date. It was called "Dongtian Stone" in the Song Dynasty and "Lianfeng Mountain" in the Yuan Dynasty. In the 24th year of Zhizheng in the Yuan Dynasty (1364 AD), Ma Zhouqing, the acting county magistrate, led a thousand people to open stone roads, turning it into a famous scenic spot for sightseeing. During the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, the government built an academy on the mountain top, after which literati and poets flocked here, leaving a large number of cliff inscriptions. For example, the two characters "Guan Zhai" inscribed by Huang Gongfu in the Ming Dynasty, and the inscription "The First Scenic Spot in the Upper Reaches" by Zhu Yang, a Hanlin scholar in the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, have made Guanzhai Mountain a cultural sacred place in Western Fujian.
Shimen Lake in the scenic area was excavated in the Tang Dynasty and is one of the earliest water conservancy projects in Liancheng. Fayun Temple, first built in the Yuan Dynasty, was once the Buddhist center of Western Fujian, preserving precious cultural relics such as bronze Buddha statues from the Ming Dynasty. The "Qiaochang Shanfang Academy", built in the Ming Dynasty, was the study place of Qiu Rui, a Neo-Confucianist, witnessing the prosperity of the imperial examination culture in Western Fujian.
Major Attractions
Guanzhai Mountain Main Peak
With an altitude of 661 meters, the main peak of Guanzhai Mountain gets its name from its shape resembling the Xiezhi crown (a hat worn by ancient judges symbolizing justice). It is the core area of the Danxia landform. The pictographic stone landscapes on the peak, such as "Ganoderma Peak" and "Five Sisters Stones", are incredibly lifelike. The two characters "Guan Zhai" inscribed on the cliff in the Ming Dynasty are 3.7 meters high and 4.2 meters wide, serving as the iconic landscape of the scenic area. Climbing to the top offers a panoramic view of the Liancheng Basin with a wide field of vision, making it an ideal spot to watch the sunrise.
Shimen Lake
Covering a water area of about 0.7 square kilometers, Shimen Lake was manually excavated in the Tang Dynasty, with 12 natural landscapes in the lake. Taking a boat tour, visitors can see the Danxia reflections such as "Elephant Playing in Water" and "Saddle Peak". The "Gate of Life" landscape on the lakeshore is a rare water-eroded cave in the Danxia landform, over 10 meters high, known as the "Oriental Female Reproductive Totem". The lake is surrounded by preserved water conservancy inscriptions from the Qing Dynasty, recording the history of ancient water control projects.
Zhu'an Village Fortress
Zhu'an Village Fortress is a military stronghold built in the late Qing Dynasty to resist wars, with an altitude of 660 meters. The "Heavenly Wall" inside the fortress is a magnificent Danxia stone wall over 100 meters high and 300 meters long. The "Longevity Stone" is 39 meters high, shaped like an old man, being a rare giant stone statue in the Danxia landform. The "Twin Sword Peaks" stand side by side, over 80 meters high, like two sharp swords drawn from their scabbards, making it an ideal venue for rock climbing.
Jiulong Lake
Covering an area of about 3.2 square kilometers, Jiulong Lake consists of 9 lake bays with a shoreline of 18 kilometers. The "Nine Dragons Presenting Auspiciousness" landscape in the lake is formed by the reflection of 9 Danxia peaks in the water. Taking a boat tour, visitors can enjoy attractions such as "Crocodile Entering the River" and "Golden Turtle Exploring the Water". The forest coverage rate of the lake area reaches 92%, with more than 30 species of birds such as egrets and mandarin ducks inhabiting here, making it a paradise for bird watching enthusiasts.
Tour Routes
Route A: Guanzhai Mountain + Shimen Lake <including boat ride> + Cable Car + Zhu'an Village Fortress + Jiulong Lake + Scenic Shuttle Bus, taking about 5 hours.
Route B: Guanzhai Mountain + Shimen Lake <including boat ride>, taking about 2.5 hours.
Travel Tips
- Summer is hot and rainy; it is recommended to bring sun protection products and raincoats, and wear non-slip sports shoes. The temperature difference between morning and evening in winter is large; please prepare a coat.
- The stone steps of Guanzhai Mountain Main Peak are quite steep (the slope of some sections exceeds 60 degrees). Elderly tourists and children are advised to travel in groups. Tourists with heart disease should climb the "Heavenly Ladder" section with caution.
- Tickets for Shimen Lake cruise ships need to be purchased 30 minutes in advance; group tourists can book chartered boats. The rock climbing project in Zhu'an Village Fortress needs to be reserved 1 day in advance.
- Restaurants in the scenic area are concentrated near the tourist center. It is recommended to try Liancheng White Duck Soup and Dengzhan Cake (Lampstand Cake). Bringing your own snacks can save costs.
Notes
- Smoking and littering are prohibited in the scenic area. The Danxia landform is a geological relic; carving on rocks or picking vegetation is strictly forbidden.
- Life jackets must be worn during the Shimen Lake cruise; do not stand up or play in the water. The viewing platform of the "Longevity Stone" in Zhu'an Village Fortress is a suspended plank road; tourists with acrophobia should be cautious.
- The last tourist special line bus from Guanzhai Mountain Station to the scenic area departs at 18:00; you need to take a taxi if you miss it. Do not park private cars in non-designated areas to avoid being towed away.
- Some mountain roads are slippery during the rainy season (May-June); it is recommended to follow a tour guide or travel in groups. The "Tianchi Lake" may freeze in winter (December-February); please pay attention to anti-slip.
- It is recommended to buy tickets 1 day in advance during holidays.
Transportation
- High-speed Rail: Take the Ganzhou-Ruijin-Longyan High-speed Railway to Guanzhai Mountain Station, then take the tourist special line bus directly to the scenic area tourist center after getting off the train.
- Airplane: There are flights from Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport and Fuzhou Changle International Airport to Liancheng Guanzhai Mountain Airport. After landing, take the airport bus (15 yuan per person) to the county seat, then transfer to a taxi to the scenic area.
- Self-driving: From Fuzhou and Xiamen directions, take the Changping-Shenzhen Expressway and Xiamen-Chengdu Expressway to Liancheng Exit, then drive along Guanzhai Mountain Tourism Avenue for about 15 kilometers to reach the scenic area.
- Bus: Take Bus No.1 or No.2 in Liancheng County to Guanzhai Mountain Scenic Area Station, with a journey of about 15 minutes.
Opening Hours
Open all year round. Daily opening hours: 08:00-17:30 (admission stops at 16:30). During legal holidays and summer vacation (July 1-August 31), opening hours are extended to 08:00-18:00 (admission stops at 17:00). The last Shimen Lake cruise ship departs at 17:00. Due to restrictions on rock climbing projects, Zhu'an Village Fortress stops receiving tourists after 16:00.
Ticket Price
Ticket price: 115 yuan per person.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "冠豸山景区" to get the latest updates or purchase tickets online.
Online Booking
Click here to jump to the Trip.com ticketing platform for ticket purchase.