Magnificent Qingxu Mountain

Qingxu Mountain Scenic Area is located in Qijiazuo Township, 35 km north of Tang County, Baoding City, Hebei Province, and 70 km west of Baoding. Its highest peak stands at 998 meters above sea level. Three main peaks and over a dozen peak forests form the scenic area's unique landform. Within the scenic area, the Qingxu Temple Fair on the 15th day of the third lunar month fills the area with bustle; elegant peaks rise in groves, gorges are deep and secluded, towering ancient trees reach for the sky, and waterfalls cascade into sweet springs. According to the Tang County Annals, Qingxu Mountain is so named because 'its air is clear and balmy throughout the four seasons, making one feel as if entering the void and transcending the mundane world.' The mountain is largely composed of limestone, which has been weathered and eroded over time into extraordinary peaks and ridges, 'rising like green bamboo shoots, jagged like wolf's teeth, sharp like arrowheads, piercing the sky.' Qingxu Mountain, also known as Gehong Mountain after the Taoist patriarch, is a sacred Taoist site in North China and now serves as a venue for religious activities. Its bizarre peaks rise in emerald green, thrusting into the clouds, while mist and vapors curl around, and purple hazes drift ethereally. Temples, shrines, monasteries, and nunneries are scattered like stars and chess pieces. The Qingxu Temple Fair is renowned throughout Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong, and Henan. It originated in the Yuan Dynasty, flourished in the Ming and Qing dynasties, and remains full of incense and devotees to this day.