Fujian Travel: A Misty Journey through Taimu Mountain in Fuding (Photos)
Speaking of our trip to Taimu Mountain in Fujian, I think we should start with the hotel we stayed at in Fuding, located at the foot of Taimu Mountain.
Street view of Fuding at the foot of Taimu Mountain (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
On January 18, 2024, at 16:45 Beijing time, the Beijing Television (BATV) Happy Club Fujian tour group, which I accompanied, finished sightseeing in Fuzhou and Xiapu and drove for over two hours to reach the Liansheng Hotel in Fuding at the foot of Taimu Mountain.
Gunainai Restaurant where we had dinner (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
Since dinner was still on our own that evening, we set down our luggage and strolled through Fuding county town before arriving at a restaurant named Gunainai. Unexpectedly, the dining style was the same as Zui Deyi in Fuzhou the previous night. We ordered three dishes: Yu Xiang Rou Si (fish-flavored shredded pork), handmade tofu, and mountain radish clay pot. Rice, fruit, milk tea, and snacks were still unlimited self-service. In the end, the total bill was 87 yuan. Although this restaurant was slightly inferior to Zui Deyi from the night before, the price was reasonable and it was still a tasty and affordable dinner.
Night view of Badu Bridge (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
When we left Gunainai Restaurant, the city lights were already on. We strolled around to enjoy the night scenery of Fuding county town and leisurely walked to Badu Bridge. Upon climbing the bridge, we found a couplet on the corridor pillars: "Carved railings and jade inlays full of antique fragrance, mountains in love with clear blue waves. A gentle breeze stirs the heart; one does not know spring until reaching Badu."
Photo at Badu Bridge (Photo by a passerby)
Crossing Badu Bridge to the other side of the river, we saw a traffic roundabout where the words "All white tea in the world originates from Taimu" were prominently illuminated in white characters. Unexpectedly, before even visiting Taimu Mountain, we gained new knowledge about it: this is the hometown of white tea, known as the "Holy Land of White Tea."
Night view of Fuding roundabout (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
Back at the hotel, I looked up information online and learned that Fuding white tea has a long history, dating back to the Sui and Tang dynasties. The "Classic of Tea" by Lu Yu from the Tang Dynasty quotes the "Yongjia Illustrated Records" from the Sui Dynasty: "Three hundred li east of Yongjia County is White Tea Mountain." According to tea experts Chen Chuan and Zhang Tianfu, White Tea Mountain is Taimu Mountain in Fuding. As the saying goes, "All white tea in the world originates from Taimu"; the land's advantages are bestowed by nature, and the mountain's advantages make the tea naturally good.
Night view of the hotel (Photo by Wang Jue)
I thought our Taimu Mountain trip had a good start, so a smooth tour should follow. However, fate had other plans. Unexpectedly, the weather took a turn, and the next day, when we began our journey to Taimu Mountain, we encountered a heavy foggy day with extremely poor visibility.
Group photo at Taimu Mountain (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
On January 19, 2024, at 8:00 Beijing time, the BATV Happy Club Fujian tour group, led by team leader Chen Jing and local guide Zhang Ronghui, arrived at Taimu Mountain Scenic Area. At the entrance, while the fog was still relatively light and visibility acceptable, the team took the second group photo of the trip.
Photo at Taimu Mountain (Photo by Liu Jun)
After entering the Taimu Mountain Scenic Area, the team took a scenic shuttle bus for about ten minutes to the foot of the mountain, where there was a sign reading "Welcome to Taimu Mountain, the Fairy Capital on the Sea." From there, stone steps led up to the mountaintop along a sightseeing boardwalk. After climbing a section of the gradually ascending stone steps, the path turned into a winding wooden boardwalk leading upward.
Taimu Mountain climbing boardwalk (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
During the climb, guide Liu Ronghui began introducing relevant information about Taimu Mountain Scenic Area. The scenic area is located in Fuding City, Ningde City, in northeastern Fujian Province, approximately near longitude 120°E and latitude 27°N.
Taimu Mountain scenery in the mist (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
The main peak of Taimu Mountain is 917.3 meters above sea level. It is a famous national natural heritage site and a UNESCO Global Geopark. It has a subtropical marine climate with abundant rainfall, no severe heat in summer, and no severe cold in winter. The environment is complex, and biological resources are rich. There is also a legendary story about how Taimu Mountain got its name. According to legend, during the time of Emperor Yao, an old woman grew orchids in the mountains. She met a Taoist priest and ascended to immortality, so the mountain was named "Taimu Mountain" (Mother Mountain). During the Western Han dynasty, the character "mu" was changed to "lao," and the mountain was officially named "Taimu Mountain."
Photo at Baolongtan (Photo by Wang Jue)
Taimu Mountain stands majestically by the East China Sea, with mountains and sea complementing each other, known for its "grand mountain and sea scenery." Legend says that the immortals of the East Sea often gather here, earning it the reputation of "Fairy Capital on the Sea." To the north lies Yandang Mountain in Zhejiang, and to the west lies Wuyi Mountain in Fujian. These three mountains form a tripod-like position. People in Fujian call Wuyi and Taimu the "dual wonders," while people in Zhejiang regard Yandang and Taimu as siblings, making them the three famous mountains of Fujian and Zhejiang.
View of Yingke Peak in the mist (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
As we climbed higher, the fog grew thicker. Our route for the day was: Couple Peak Square, Couple Peak Viewing Platform, Baolongtan, Xincangshi, Shegui Chudong (Snake and Turtle Emerging from Cave), Jushi Ban (Sawing Stone), Lanxi Cave, Yixian Tian (A Line of Sky), Baima Cave, Tongtian Cave, and finally back to Couple Square via the Sea Viewing Boardwalk.
View of Xianzhang Peak in the mist (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
When we reached the Couple Peak Viewing Platform and looked out toward Couple Peak, we saw nothing but a vast expanse of white. We had to content ourselves with looking at the pictures on the platform. After that, as we passed several scenic spots on the climb, the foggy weather was inconsistent, but the fog never left us, sometimes thicker, sometimes thinner.
During the climb (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
Fortunately, along with my companions Liu Jun and Zhou Changman and his wife, I managed to capture photos from different angles of Baolongtan, the popular photo spot "Yes, I also really like Taimu Mountain," the Heart of Taimu, Yingke Peak where immortals play chess, Immortal Sawing a Board, TV Screen Rock, Lanxi Cave, Yixian Tian (A Line of Sky), and the Sea Viewing Boardwalk. We even took pictures at some places.
Photo at the popular photo spot (Photo by Chen Jing)
Especially when passing through Yixian Tian (A Line of Sky), we had to turn sideways and squeeze through an extremely narrow crevice. It was thrilling but not dangerous.
TV Screen Rock scenery (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
Yixian Tian is one of Taimu Mountain's famous scenic spots. A huge rock stands imposingly, with a narrow crack cleaved in the middle like an axe split. Looking up inside the cave, a line of clear sky appears like a white ribbon, hence the name "A Line of Sky." This stone section is over 20 zhang (about 66 meters) long, only a bit more than one chi (about 0.33 meters) wide, and about 200 meters deep. Many sections are extremely narrow, allowing only one person to slide sideways while brushing against the cliff. Some parts are so narrow that there is no room for a foot; climbers have to support themselves with limbs against the cliffs, moving forward alternately. Near the exit of Yixian Tian, a section of the crevice is only about three to four chi high and a bit more than one chi wide, forming a crescent shape. Only by turning sideways and bending low can one pass through the dangerous pass.
Photo while passing through Yixian Tian (Photo by Zhou Changman)
When you squeeze sideways into the middle of the crevice and look up along the several-zhang-high cliff, the boundless sky turns into a blue line. It truly lives up to its name! Inside Yixian Tian, water flows all year round, and the cliffs are wet and feel dirty. But strangely, even though people squeeze through wearing all kinds of clothes, they come out clean without a trace of dirt.
Photo after exiting Yixian Tian (Photo by Liu Ronghui)
The scenery of Yixian Tian is peculiar and magnificent—truly captivating! Ming Dynasty poet Jiang Fang, when visiting Taimu Mountain, described the steep and majestic Yixian Tian with these lines: "When was this ancient opening carved? In between, there is another sky. Clouds penetrate through the narrow crevice, and light leaks in at dawn. Dangerous rocks seem ready to fall, steep cliffs appear to connect. Where is Qiu? A jade staff leans by the mountain side."
Overlooking the Sea Viewing Boardwalk (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
Although visibility was extremely poor on the Sea Viewing Boardwalk, making it hard to see the surrounding mountain scenery and even harder to gaze at the mesmerizing sea views described by others, just walking along the boardwalk suspended on the mountainside was still an experience worth the trip.
Photo on the Sea Viewing Boardwalk (Photo by Zhou Changman)
In fact, besides the four wonders of Taimu Mountain—steep peaks, odd rocks, secluded caves, and misty illusions—this beautiful scenic line is the elevated Sea Viewing Boardwalk. The boardwalk is 820 meters long, with an average altitude of 600 meters. Strolling along this three-dimensional, winding gallery, as long as you are generous with your gaze, you can take in the mountain and sea views of Taimu Mountain at any time.
Viewing strange rocks from the Sea Viewing Boardwalk (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
Reading online introductions to the elevated Sea Viewing Boardwalk is truly fascinating: this boardwalk is only 1.5 meters wide, built close to the cliff wall. On one side is the steep mountain rock, and on the other is a deep valley in the air. It winds like a dragon along the precipitous cliffs, a breathtaking sight. The combination of mountains, sea, and modern boardwalk makes it easier for visitors to view the mountains and sea, or simply take a leisurely stroll. If you climb the mountain early in the morning when the fog hasn't dissipated, walking on the suspended boardwalk feels like stepping on clouds, with the scene before you like a fairyland.
Sea Viewing Boardwalk in the mist (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
The unique elevated boardwalk of Taimu Mountain offers a perfect vantage point to overlook the sea and sky merging into one. Walking on this boardwalk, gazing into the distance at the East China Sea, you see a vast ocean, beautiful bays, white sandy beaches, scattered fishing boats, and islands dotted around. Many trendy young people choose to propose here, letting heaven and earth witness their sincere expressions of "eternal vows".
Photo on the Sea Viewing Boardwalk (Photo by Wang Jue)
Feeling ethereal and otherworldly is one of the four wonders of misty Taimu Mountain. Facing the East China Sea and influenced by the marine climate, the mountain has as many as 120 foggy days a year. The clouds and fog sometimes resemble the sea, sometimes flocculent cotton. Walking on the boardwalk, if you encounter misty weather, fog swirls around you, and clouds tumble beneath your feet. It feels as if rocks are moving and peaks are shifting. With every step, it's like treading on clouds, floating in the air, giving rise to boundless reverie.
Photo while descending the mountain (Photo by Liu Jun)
Since our group toured relatively quickly, Liu Ronghui suggested that if we came down early, we could visit the statue of the Taimu Goddess. So, we descended early and went to view the giant stone statue of the Taimu Goddess. We walked 480 meters downhill along the scenic road and climbed 340 steps to reach the Taimu Goddess Square. Unfortunately, the heavy fog still hadn't dispersed. Heaven didn't comply with our wishes, so we could only pay our respects to the statue through the mist.
Square of the Taimu Goddess Statue (Photo by Wang Jue)
The Taimu Goddess Statue is located in the Yuhu Scenic Area of Taimu Mountain. To its left is Wulonggang (Black Dragon Ridge), to its right is Hutougang (Tiger Head Ridge), in front it overlooks the Fuyao Islands in the East China Sea, and behind it leans against Moxiao Peak. This matches the geomancy principle of left Azure Dragon, right White Tiger, front Vermilion Bird, back Black Tortoise. On October 3, 2001, the statue's foundation was laid. When construction began, a magnificent rainbow suddenly appeared in the sky, repeating five times. Everyone present was amazed, suspecting that the Taimu Goddess had returned riding a nine-colored dragon horse.
Statue of the Taimu Goddess in the mist (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
Looking up at the Taimu Goddess Statue standing in the center of the square, we saw that it is made of 288 pieces of granite, stacked in 18 layers, with a height of 20.88 meters (including the base). The number of steps and terraces all secretly echo the number "nine," which is revered in Taoism. The statue's shape combines squareness and roundness, with squareness as the main feature. It absorbs the slender and refined features of Northern Wei dynasty cave sculptures, blends a touch of the plumpness of faces from the high Tang dynasty, and also draws simplicity and clarity from Han dynasty figurines. As a result, the statue appears sturdy, peaceful, benevolent, and wise. The statue is depicted walking slowly against the sea breeze, head slightly lowered, merciful eyes slightly open, constantly watching over the mortal world at the foot of the mountain. The left arm is bent, holding a lingzhi mushroom, bestowing care upon the world; the right hand holds a horsetail whisk, as if about to sweep away all miasma and fog from the world.
Last photo at Taimu Mountain (Photo by Zhou Changman)
Thus, after concluding our visit to the Taimu Goddess Statue, our misty journey to the Taimu Mountain Scenic Area—the Fairy Capital on the Sea in Fuding, Fujian—came to a perfect end. (Text and photos by Feng Ganyong)
