Mount Xianglu

Mount Xianglu is located outside Jishan Water Gate, Shaoxing City, China. It is a mount of Kuaiji Mountain. There are three mountain paths leading to the summit from the south of Dayu Mausoleum. The elevation of Mount Xianglu is 354 meters. Starting from Luoshi Xuan in the north of the mount, you will go through Nanzhen Palace and several pavilions, and after going up 1508 steps, you will reach the summit, which takes the form of a censer and is lost in mist and clouds in rainy days, when watched afar. That’s why Wang Shipeng in South Song Dynasty said that it was a natural censer which could produce “smoke” by itself.

The surrounding of Mount Xianglu is splendidly beautiful. There are Half-moon Rock, Yipian Stone, Yunmen Stone, and Feilai Stone in the mountain ridge. To the east, there is a tall tower named Big Mouse Tower, at the top of which lies a massive stone. Besides, it was recorded in some ancient book that there was Luohan Pond beneath the mount, and a hole deeper than thousands of meters lay next to the pond. Yet, no one has found the pond or the hole, for it is not an easy job for human beings to get inside the mount. There is a rock, where many inscriptions were engraved. Prajna Paramita Sutra can be found there.

The biggest structure in Mount Xianglu is Lufeng Buddist Temple. It was sponsored by some oversea Chinese in 1990 and was constructed on the summit. It takes up an area of 153,000 square km, including Guanyin Hall, side halls and monastic receptions, etc. Every year, on Feb. 19th, Jun. 19th, or Sep. 19th of the lunar calendar, thousands of pious Buddhists will visit Mount Xianglu to make pilgrimages. Sometimes, the number of daily visitors reaches 50,000.