Travel Chronicles (47) Looking back at the climb to Qipan Mountain in Shenyang

Text/Konoha Mountain

In the autumn of 2014, I had the opportunity to visit Qipan Mountain. Qipan Mountain is very close to Shenyang City, only more than 30 kilometers away. Take a bus in the city and go straight to Shenqi Road, arriving in half an hour.

It is located in the northeast of Shenyang City, adjacent to Fushun in the east, Agricultural High-tech Zone in the west, Hunhe River in the south, and Tieling in the north.

Qipan Mountain is a remnant of Hadal Ridge in Changbai Mountain, and is located in the southwest-extending low-mountain and hilly area of ??Liaodong.

The scenery here is available all year round. In spring, the air is clear, the sky is high and crisp, cloudless, and the sky is blue. Occasionally, a few chirping birds fly by. The time and space are so quiet. Occasionally, a light breeze blows by, and you can enjoy the sounds of nature alone, giving people a sense of relaxation and joy. Standing at Gaofu, you can see the undulating green mountains in the distance. I saw green mountains, winding valleys, criss-crossing roads, and lush green vegetation. In summer, the air is cool, mostly sunny with few clouds, the vegetation is lush, the birds are singing and the flowers are fragrant. It is simply a paradise. The maple leaves in autumn are fiery red, and the forest is dyed. The white snow in winter is a beautiful scenery. There is an endless stream of people traveling here throughout the year.

We came here because it was famous. It was autumn when the maple leaves were half red. It is open and there is no entrance fee. We parked the car in the square in front of a farmhouse and prepared to walk into the mountains.

As a coincidence, I met a newlywed couple holding a wedding in front of the farmyard. The red carpet was laid on the floor, flower baskets were arranged on both sides, and there were tall color photos of the newlyweds in front of the door. There was a speaker next to the colorful photos, playing pop songs. There were several trumpet makers standing there, blowing trumpets that were so loud that the valley echoed for a long time. The host stood on the stage and gave a speech, and there were more than 30 people around him, which was extremely lively. It is a unique mood for the newlyweds to choose to get married in this farmhouse compound in the mountains, which is as ethereal as the sea. It is estimated that after the wedding, they will have dinner in this farmyard.

The environment here is indeed beautiful, surrounded by mountains, with undulating peaks, mountains and rivers reflecting each other, and red leaves covering the mountains, adding a festive touch to the wedding, making it unique. We watched it for a while, then left and went up the mountain along Shenqi Road before the wedding was over.

The scenic spot here is called "Three Mountains and One Water". The three mountains are Qipan Mountain, Huishan Mountain and Shiren Mountain. Huishan is the highest, followed by Qipanshan. The first water is Xiuhu Reservoir. There are eighteen main scenic spots, namely: Bitang Fenghe, Beiling Spring Dawn, Fragrant Grass and Sky, Xiuhu Misty Rain, Huishan Clear Snow, Chessboard Overlook, Xiangyang Red Leaves, Wangyun Temple, Xiangyang Temple, Fairy Cave, Point Jiangtai, Mama's Stone, Goguryeo Mountain Fortress, Guiling, Wanghu Pavilion, Qingxue Tower, Xanting, and Nantianmen.

What we climbed was Qipan Mountain. Everyone who comes here wants to take a look at the giant stone chessboard on the top of the mountain, and we are no exception. Follow Shenqi Road to the bottom of the mountain, and then go up Qiaoqi Road. Although the road up the mountain is steep, there are stone steps that go up the mountain vertically. We climbed the stone steps. The trees on both sides are lush and green, and wild flowers are in full bloom under the trees. After walking for more than two and a half hours, we finally reached the top of the mountain.

It is said that Qipan Mountain is the second highest peak in this scenic spot, with an altitude of 260.1 meters. From the top of the mountain, you can have a bird's eye view of the mountains. There is a body of water in the east canyon of the mountains, which is the Xiuhu Reservoir. Looking from a distance, there is a vast ocean. Like a huge pearl embedded in the mountains.

The leaves of the maple trees all over the mountain here are already red, like flames igniting in the green sea. Naxiu Lake Reservoir fills the deep canyon. Under the sunlight, it is like a bright mirror, reflecting infinite light. The reflection of the tall trees on the lake shore looks like thick ink splashed into the lake from a distance, disappearing and swimming on the shore. It left people with endless reveries.

There is a huge boulder diagonally below the top of the mountain. On the side of this boulder is engraved the four characters "Xing Luo Shi Ping". The handwriting is vigorous and the small characters of the inscription cannot be seen clearly. There are stone chessboards and chess pieces on the upper plane.

There is a legend about this huge stone. It is said that in ancient times, there was a Tianchi on Changbai Mountain. Whenever the lotus flowers were in full bloom, gods from all walks of life would go to Tianchi to bathe in the lotus and visit the mountains.

One year, two of the Eight Immortals, Tieguai Li and Lu Dongbin, took a bath in Tianchi and said goodbye to the other immortals. On the way, I suddenly found a strange mountain like snow at my feet, shining brightly and piercing my eyes. In the blink of an eye, they cleared away the clouds and mist and arrived at the cliff. I saw rocks like jade and green trees like green. The two immortals walked up the stone and suddenly saw a flat boulder, which was smooth and smooth, and smooth in all directions, like a chessboard. So the two immortals took a break from playing chess. They faced each other from noon to dusk, and they couldn't tell who was winning or losing. At night, the bright moon shone brightly, and they couldn't tell who was winning or losing.

I was discovered by a young woodcutter when he went up the mountain and saw two old men playing chess. This continued for several days. Later, the young man went up the mountain again, and there was no trace of the two old men. Only the chessboard and chess pieces on the boulder were there. Later, it was said that the immortals Lu Dongbin and Tieguai Li had fought against each other here, and Qipan Mountain was named after this.

After we slowly went down the mountain, we went around to see a few scenic spots. We were a little tired, so we had to take a nap on the road. Then keep walking. It was already past two o'clock in the afternoon, so we had to go to the farmyard to replenish some energy. By this time, those attending the wedding had already left. But there are still some sporadic tourists eating. We also had some food and then drove back to the city. Although we swam for more than six hours, we still had a lot of fun.

I also saw some shelves erected at some scenic spots. It may be under construction. What is being built? Go again if you have the chance!

Shencheng, November 16, 2021