Narrator:
One of China’s religious mountains sits near the city of Shangrao, in northeastern Jiangxi Province. The scenic peaks of this nationally protected mountain hold a Taoist tradition that is over 1600 years old. This sacred site is known as San Qing Mountain—or Three Clarities Mountain.
San Qing Mountain is part of the Wuyi Mountain Range. It boasts exquisite peaks formed by the movement of earth’s crust and hundreds of millions of years of erosion. San Qing Mountain may not be considered high in terms elevation–the highest point, Yu Jing Feng Peak, is only 5900 feet high. But what sets San Qing Mountain apart is its peaks, which jut thousands of feet, vertically off the ground. Many of these formations rise together, so passersby sometimes see in them the intertwined figures of fairytale characters. Still, the needle-pointed formations rise so high that nobody can really tell what mysteries hide there.
Dozens of legends have been born from the unusual and enchanting shapes of San Qing Mountain.
Hovering above the mountain is an ocean of clouds, like a crown, capping the towering rocks. The clouds are constantly moving and transforming, like the tides. Sometimes they’re as thin as the lines in Chinese ink-brush calligraphy, with mist that winds through precipitous peaks and floats above low valleys. And in other moments, thick fog engulfs the peaks of San Qing Mountain, making the entire place seem like a fairyland.
Part of what makes San Qing Mountain so enchanting is its plentiful sources of natural springs and flowing creeks. These abundant waterways tinkle a soft song that runs throughout the mountain, leading to endless waterfalls and lagoons. The clear, fresh water of San Qing Mountain is a vital life source that’s cold and sweet to the lips.
