China's 'Marvelous Mountain' 200 km due west of Beijing, famed for its wonder, grandeur, peril, mystery, and beauty

At the northernmost tip of the majestic 800-li Taihang Mountains stands a 'Marvelous Mountain of China' named Baishishan. Baishishan brings together five defining traits – wonder, grandeur, peril, mystery, and beauty. Here you'll find peak forests, cliffside walkways, gorges, ancient woods, seas of clouds, Buddha's light, and even stretches of the Great Wall. In summer, the temperature hovers around a cool 21°C, making it a genuine escape from the heat.

Baishishan is the 'back garden' of the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region and the Xiong'an New Area. It lies 200 kilometers due west of Beijing, about a 3-hour drive; 197 kilometers from the provincial capital Shijiazhuang, roughly 2.5 hours; 268 kilometers from Tianjin, about 3.5 hours; and only 139 kilometers from Xiong'an New Area, less than 2 hours by car.

The mountain is celebrated for its peak forest landscapes. If you have the energy, I recommend taking the grand loop, also known as the signature photography route – it includes all the essential sights of Baishishan. This path gradually climbs in elevation. Completing the full circuit not only lets you notch over 20,000 steps on your tracker, get some healthy exercise, and enjoy ever-changing views with every step, but also reveals more than a hundred free-standing peaks scattered at different heights. Among these fantastical pinnacles, ravines and gullies crisscross, and cliffs and sheer walls are cleft as though by axe and blade, their edges sharp and distinct.

They say there are fairy mountains out on the sea, hidden in the misty void. But why travel to the ocean to find a fairy mountain? Climb Baishishan in the rain, turn a corner, and you'll run headlong into a sea of clouds! What's the word for this? This… is… pure luck!

When you gaze at a mountain, it's all about form. Viewed from the side, it’s a ridge; from the front, a peak – near or far, high or low, it always looks different. Thanks to these shifting perspectives, the graceful peaks present new faces at unique spots, and people have bestowed them with lovely names based on what they see – 'Immortal Sunning His Boot,' 'Three Sages Paying Homage to Buddha,' 'Golden Turtle Peering into the Sea,' 'Dolphin Emerging from the Water,' 'Baishishan Clear Clouds,' 'Pig'sy Takes a Wife,' 'Two Heroes Guarding the Mountain,' 'Jiang Taigong Fishing'...

The 'Spirit of Taihang' is one of these singular rock formations. When I first heard the name, I imagined a towering, valiant, precipitous peak. Only when I actually stood before it did I discover that the 'Spirit of Taihang' is a small, exquisitely shaped pinnacle. Perhaps that's when you'll sigh: 'You can't judge a person by appearance – and the same goes for mountains!'

In the ancient fable 'The Foolish Old Man Removes the Mountains,' it is written: 'The two mountains of Taihang and Wangwu, covering an area of seven hundred li and soaring ten thousand ren high, originally lay south of Jizhou and north of Heyang… The Heavenly Emperor, moved by his sincerity, commanded the two sons of Kua’e Shi to carry the mountains away, placing one east of Shuobei and the other south of Yongzhou.' Could there be a deeper connection between this 'Spirit of Taihang' and those mythical sons of Kua’e Shi?

Legend has it that when the goddess Nüwa was mending the sky with five-colored sacred stones, she could find no pillars to support the heavens. So she cut off the four limbs of a giant divine turtle and used them to prop up the four corners of the world. The stone pillar at Baishishan that we call the 'Spirit of Taihang' is said to be the leg that held up the North Pole. For billions of years, this turtle leg absorbed the essence of the sun and moon, finally attaining the Dao and transforming into human form – thus becoming the 'Spirit of Taihang.'

When the lilacs bloom across the hillsides, bring a girl whose smile is as sweet and radiant as the blossoms and walk together into Baishishan. Climb the mountain to pray for blessings, to express love, to nurture health and well-being – if life holds moments like this, what more could one ask for?

Baishishan is not merely a place of romantic scenery; it is also a sanctuary for love. Lovers come here to watch the drifting sea of clouds and the sunrise in the east, and at the same time they pledge their promises of love, letting the elegant, soaring peaks bear witness to an enduring passion.

There’s a beauty on the mountain, rinsing silk by the stream, her eyes limpid pools, a smile that blooms like a flower. There’s a gifted young man, drifting on a boat by the stream, a paper umbrella in hand, his gaze brimming with tenderness. When they meet, perhaps it’s just a fleeting glance, yet for the rest of their lives they cannot forget each other.

Those who are in love believe in love, stay true to love, and trust in the mighty power of solemn vows.

The Mountain-Vow Terrace on Baishishan is named after the phrase 'a solemn pledge of love,' and shaped like a heart on one of the white stone peaks. This spot is not only a social-media photo hotspot but also revered as a sacred place where people pray for love. All the love and wishes witnessed by the Mountain-Vow Terrace are said to receive protection and blessings.

Lovers always have an endless stream of whispered secrets between them, so they tend to pause often while climbing. When their legs tire, they can stop at the Nature Corner Café, take a sip of coffee, read a good book, and watch the sun rise and set, the flowers bloom and fade, and time pass in serene tranquility.

Everyone carries a Baishishan in their heart, and everyone sees a Baishishan through their own eyes. When you visit Baishishan, be sure to slow down your pace and stroll at ease.