Yandang Mountain 雁荡山

Yandang Mountain is located in Yueqing City, Zhejiang Province, with parts in Yongjia County and Wenling City. It is 297 kilometers away from Hangzhou and 68 kilometers away from Wenzhou. Yandang Mountain has long been known as "the most wonderful scenery in the world" and "a famous mountain on the sea", and is historically called "the first mountain in the southeast". It covers a total area of 450 square kilometers, with more than 500 scenic spots distributed in 8 scenic areas, famous for its strange peaks and rocks, ancient caves and stone chambers, and waterfalls and flowing springs. Among them, the three scenic areas of Lingfeng, Lingyan and Dalongqiu are called "the three wonders of Yandang". In particular, the night view of Lingfeng and the flying crossing of Lingyan are amazing. Because there is a lake on the top of the mountain, with dense reeds and grass forming a marsh, many wild geese returning south in autumn stay here, so it is named "Yandang" (Wild Goose Marsh). The Yandang Mountain range stretches for hundreds of kilometers. According to different geographical locations, it can be divided into North Yandang Mountain, Middle Yandang Mountain, South Yandang Mountain, West Yandang Mountain (Zeya) and East Yandang Mountain (Dongtou Banping Mountain). The commonly referred to Yandang Mountain Scenic Area mainly refers to North Yandang Mountain in Yueqing City. As Yandang Mountain is located in an area where ancient volcanoes were frequently active, the mountain presents unique strange rocks and stones such as peaks, pillars, mounds, caves and cliffs, which can be called a museum of landform shapes.

The largest Taoist temple in Yandang Mountain is Beidou Cave, which is located on the north side of Lingfeng in Yandang Mountain. It currently has 37 halls and guest rooms, and 12 Quanzhen Taoists, including 8 female Taoists (kundao) and 4 male Taoists (qiandao).

Beidou Cave was anciently called "Fuhu Cave" (Tiger-subduing Cave) because the entrance of the cave faces Fuhu Peak. The cave is shallow and wide, with sufficient sunlight. On the rock wall above the cave, there is a shape like a big bat; looking down from the cave entrance, there is also a rock like a big bat flying up; on the top of the cave, there is a horizontal stone like a green dragon entering the cave, and there are water marks like a white dragon soaring. There is a four-story Taoist temple built in the cave, which is quiet and elegant. Later, because Taoists worshipped Beidou Yuanjun (the Great Lord of the Big Dipper), it was renamed "Beidou Cave" (Big Dipper Cave). Beidou Cave is located on the left side of Guanyin Cave. In the early years of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty, Zhao Zhixian first built this cave, and later his disciples continued to preside over the construction. The completed Lingxiao Hall (located in Beidou Cave) has four floors, with a large courtyard in front of the hall and Baxian Building (Eight Immortals Building) in front of the courtyard. Until modern times, three halls were rebuilt on the original site of Baxian Building, renamed "Lingxiao Hall", and the back hall was renamed "Daluo Hall". The entrance of the cave is tall and spacious, with sufficient light inside. It is warm in winter and cool in summer, which is unmatched by other caves in Yandang Mountain. There are also scenes such as "Blue Stone Lying Dragon", "Golden Bird and Jade Rabbit" and "Hanging Frog" in the cave.