geology
Lianhua Mountain was a quarry in ancient times. After hundreds of years of exploitation, it is a unique landscape that combines nature and manpower on cliffs, grotesque caves, rugged and quiet, or magnificent, which is called a must in Lingnan. The main attractions are: lotus stone, which is spacious and shaped like lotus petals; The majestic Yanzi Rock; Eight immortals rock, strange rocks all over the cave; In the sky, there are spectacular flying eagle rocks resembling artificial stone forests, as well as Luolian Cave, Sanbrown Stack, Nantianmen, Ladder, Stone Gallery, Stone Peak, bottomless pit, Bailianchi, Guanyinyan and Shenxian Bridge.
Lotus Pagoda, built in the 40th year of Wanli of Ming Dynasty (A.D. 16 12), is the representative of Lotus Pagoda scenic spot. Lotus Pagoda, also known as Wenchang Pagoda, stands at the entrance of the Pearl River, which is the coordinate to determine the direction and guide the passing ships, so it has the reputation of "the capital of China". Lotus Pagoda is an octagonal pavilion-style brick tower with a height of 50 meters and an appearance of 9 floors. It is divided into 1 1 floor, red wall and green glazed tile, and octagonal pyramid roof. Visitors can enjoy the vast and magnificent scenery of the Pearl River, watch the dawn and sunset and the ebb and flow of tides.
history
Lotus City was founded in the third year of Kangxi in Qing Dynasty (A.D. 1664), located in Lianhua Mountain, Panyu, covering an area of about 10000 square meters. It was originally used by the Qing government to reinforce the Pearl River Estuary. The vicissitudes of history are condensed among ancient cities, which makes people look back 100 years ago;
Lianhua Mountain, known as the Great Wall of Guangdong, is an important military location. During the Opium War, Lin Zexu led the troops to defend the city and established a defense line against British invasion.
The second line of defense. Now Lianhua Mountain has built a barracks imitating the Qing Dynasty, where visitors can experience the barracks of the Qing Dynasty and recall the past during the Opium War.
In Guanyin Scenic Area, lotus flowers are in full bloom, "out of the mud but not stained, clear but not demon", and the golden statue of Guanyin watching the sea is really extraordinary, which makes people feel like they are in a "pure land" and awe.
The king of South Vietnam split the mountain and took the stone.
At the end of Qin Dynasty and the beginning of Han Dynasty, Zhao Tuo was king in Lingnan, and sent people to look for building materials suitable for building palaces. People in South Vietnam were pleasantly surprised to find this piece of red sandstone stretching for thousands of meters on the edge of the lion ocean. Hard and uniform texture, high density and bright color make it the best choice for building a magnificent palace. Since then, a battle between man and nature has begun.
Today, we can't imagine how the Chibi, which is tens of meters high and perpendicular to the ground, was born with a chisel and a hammer. Starting from Lianhuayan in the south of Lianhua Mountain, it bends northward and extends eastward to the foundation of Lianhuashan Fishing Port, forming a quarrying zone with a length of about 1 0,500m from north to south, a width of 50-500m from east to west and a mining depth of 30-40m. The mining area is 330,000 m2, and about 3 million cubic meters of stones are taken from Lianhua Mountain in Panyu.
At that time, Lianhua Mountain was not connected with the land, but an island in the South China Sea. South Vietnamese have to sail if they want to quarry stones. South Vietnamese have been good at boating since ancient times, when shipbuilding technology was very high. After quarrying, they arrived at the riverside of Guangzhou by sea and transported the stones to the National Palace Office of South Vietnam.
In addition to the palace of Nanyue Kingdom, the tomb of Nanyue King discovered by 1983 in Xianggangshan, Guangzhou, was identified by the New Technology Research Office of the Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The stone used to build the tomb is similar to the sandstone of Lianhua Mountain, and the stone structure and hardness of the two are exactly the same. It is basically certain that the stones in this tomb are mainly collected from Lianhua Mountain.
Huge profits drive the prosperity of quarrying industry.
"The ancient quarry in Lianhua Mountain should be made by the state, because it needs a lot of financial resources, manpower and technical means to do it, and it is mined in a relatively concentrated period. The ancient quarrying history, standardized mining, superb technology, grand scale and beautiful heritage here are of typical significance in China and even the world. " Liu Jinshan said.
After the Western Han Dynasty, the quarrying industry in Lianhua Mountain continued from the Song Dynasty to the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties. At that time, red sandstone was the most widely used building stone, which was used in urban foundations, official halls, ancestral temples, temples, houses and other buildings.
According to Qu Dajun's Guangdong Newspeak, at that time, some "desperate traitors" gathered in Lianhua Mountain, digging stones for profit, earning "hundreds of thousands of dollars a year". It can be seen that the quarrying industry in Lianhua Mountain was in full swing at that time, driven by interests. According to the data provided by Panyu Museum, during the Song and Ming Dynasties, a large number of quarrying workers in Lianhua Mountain lived in the "Stone Site", which is the Tianbutou area of Shilou Town today.
Centuries have passed, and the pavilions of that year were lost in the dust of history. The ancient city walls that have survived to this day have witnessed this prosperous history. The red sandstone stones found on Yuehua Road in Guangzhou are similar to those mined in Lianhua Mountain, and the words "Panyu County" are printed on the side of some city bricks. In the 13th year of Hongwu in Ming Dynasty, that is, 1380, the old city of Guangzhou was expanded by Hou Zhu Liangzu in Yongjia, and the wall with a length of12,000 meters and a height of more than 6 meters was restored. Today, in Yuexiu Mountain, there are still the remains of the ancient city wall of Ming Dynasty, and most of the red sandstone used to build the city comes from the ancient quarry of Lianhua Mountain.
The debate about opening the ban is protracted.
Local residents think Lianhua Mountain is a treasure trove of geomantic omen, and they strongly oppose privately mining stones. Since the Ming Dynasty, the long-term struggle between mining and prohibition has been going on. In the seventh year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty, that is, 1579, Chen was banned for collecting stones privately. This is the first time it has been banned in historical materials. However, driven by interests, the struggle between prohibition and opening cannot be calmed down at all.
In the 29th year of Qing Qianlong (1764), Lotus City and Panyu Gong Xue (now Agricultural College) erected monuments respectively, and mining was prohibited forever. These two monuments have disappeared so far, which marked the end of the ban dispute that year.
Another important reason why the ancient quarry in Lianhuashan stopped mining in Qing Dynasty was the replacement of building materials. With the further development of production technology, the technology of mining granite in Qing Dynasty became more and more mature. Compared with red sandstone, granite is harder and less prone to weathering, and granite has always been used in the wall foundation of Qing Dynasty. In this way, gradually, the ancient quarry of Lianhuashan completed its historical mission, leaving a cliff full of gaps for future generations to mourn.
Shichang site
Man has no intention of taking nature.
One morning in early summer, bathed in bright sunshine, we came to Lianhuashan tourist area. According to Zhang Fajun, deputy director of Lianhuashan Tourist Area Office, the whole Lianhuashan itself is a quarry, and traces left by quarrying can be found in many places. Among them, there are 15 stone yards on both sides of Shiziyang, namely: Yanzi Rock Yard, Jianmen Stone Yard, Shiziyan-Guanyin Cave Stone Yard, Baifutu Stone Yard, Lianhua Mountain-Nantianmen Stone Yard, Fei Ying Stone Yard, Haixianchi Stone Yard, Baxian Stone Yard, bottomless stone yard, Shubaoshi Stone Yard and Giant Buddha Cave Stone Yard.
"Lotus" is in full bloom at the edge of the worse gate.
Starting from the sparkling Lotus Lake, you can see the pits and valleys left by an ancient stone field by walking for tens of meters to the southeast. There is water in the valley. At the narrowest part of the rock wall at the mouth of the canyon, there is a stone arch bridge with a length of about 8 meters and a width of 1.5 meters, which is euphemistically called "Xianqiao". Passing through pits and valleys, you can reach a flat land. What you see is a huge stone about 10 meters high, which looks like a lotus, and the Chinese characters "Lotus Stone" are engraved on it. I saw the Red Cliff here. It has experienced many vicissitudes, but its section is as flat as an axe, and the gray water mark left by running water is vertical.
Lotus Hill, named after Lotus Stone. Next to the Lotus Stone is the "Southern Tianmen", from which I believe I will enter a picturesque southern wonderland. In fact, it is a castle gate with a width of about 10 m and a wall thickness of nearly 10 m, which is dug in thick sandstone. This used to be the passage for masons to transport stones to the seaside of Lianhua Mountain. Walking in the "worse gate", the neat and orderly brazing marks on both sides are still clearly visible. Touching the mottled sandstone above, it seems that the voice of a chisel echoes in my ears, and the scene of the hard work of our ancestors is like in front of me.
Zhang Fajun introduced that from the area of Lotus Stone and Nantianmen, you can see the Lotus Pagoda standing at the bottom of the mountain, which is known as the "provincial capital huabiao". 1785 or so, British painter Thomas Daniel visited here and was attracted by the beautiful and unique scenery here. He specially painted a picture of Lotus Pagoda and Lotus Mountain City. This painting is now in the Hong Kong Museum of Art, which helps us understand the scenery in this area at that time.
Passing through Nantianmen and Shunjingyan, there is also a cave named after lotus: Lianhuayan. This is a huge cave with two inner doors connected. The face of the lotus rock in the past is completely different from today. The middle of the cave is like a basin, surrounded by nine holes, named after the nine holes are like nine lotus petals.
The big and dangerous Yanzi Rock.
Coming out of Lianhuayan and heading for the seaside, it won't take long to reach one of the most spectacular places in the ancient quarry: Yanziya. At the foot is the sightseeing pavilion at the top of the cliff. Overlooking the railing, you can see that the 30-40-meter-high Chibi stands shoulder to shoulder and forms a big right angle, which is spectacular when it is inserted into the lake formed by the accumulated water in the quarry pit at the bottom of the valley. There is a cliff with a rectangular hole in the middle and some stones in it. Zhang Fajun told us that it was a stone that had never been transported before. However, in the absence of heaven and land, how did the ancients mine the stones there? A mystery.
Walking along the path to the bottom of the rock, looking up from the foot of the rock, I saw Qifeng standing, and some areas were very neat, like being cut by a knife, towering into the sky, as if they were going to fall at any time, dazzling; Some are deeply immersed in it, like a huge shrine; Some lonely pillars stand, pointing to the sky. This is exactly the inscription on the wall: "Open the object, split the boulder and stand in the south of the sky." Whispering swallows are prepared for danger in times of peace, and guests are interested in them. "
On a stone wall at the bottom of the rock, nine vigorous and powerful Chinese characters "Lianhuashan Ancient Quarry Site" are engraved. This inscription was written by Xia Nai, a famous archaeologist in China. 1983, the value of Lianhuashan ancient quarry was not fully recognized at that time, and its age of existence could not be known. When Xia Lao came here, he marveled at its grandeur and concluded that "no later than the Song Dynasty". This view of Xia Lao has aroused people's extensive concern about this ancient quarry.
On these rocks, in addition to neat brazing marks, you can also find neat rows of holes with thick bowls, which are holes for inserting poles when quarrying and scaffolding. Generally, the horizontal holes are round and the vertical holes are square, so a scaffold workbench is set up on the quarrying surface to facilitate the work. This is somewhat similar to the plank road technology in ancient China, when the main tools for quarrying were only hammers and chisels. These caves later became a good place for swallows to live.
Ming shan shui xiu ba xian Yan
Leaving Yanzi Rock, walking along winding paths and passing through the Rocky Mountains will often bring you surprises. This side is still the opposite cliff in series. The sky was reduced to a patio. When you turn a corner, a pool of clear water and water lilies may appear in front of you, which will make you suddenly enlightened. Even if they are steep rocks, each has its own scenery: some are full of Gu Teng and full of vitality; Some look ordinary, but a pine tree stands out tirelessly from the cracks in the rock, bringing everything to life.
After Jianmen, Yixiantian, Bilianchi and other scenic spots, we came to Yuxianchi. In the past, after quarrying, there were many vertical joints and cracks in horizontal thick sandstone. The clear spring flowed out of the crack, gathered on a cliff and fell like a white silk. The current is not big, but it falls into this pool like a jade plate of pearls, and the water in the spring waterfall is crystal clear. It is said to be the place where immortals bathe, so it is also called "Bathing Fairy Pool". Next to Yuxianchi is the largest cave in Lianhua Mountain: Baxianyan. Strolling in, I see that it is 23 meters at its widest point and 20 meters at its deepest point. It is a cave dug by ancient masons from the outside to the inside in the world.
There is another legend about the origin of the rock: According to legend, immortals such as Zhang, Han Zhongli, Cao Guojiu, Lan Caihe, Han Xiangzi, etc. passed through Lianhua Mountain on their way back from visiting He Xiangu in Zengcheng, and when they saw the steep peaks here, they drove down Xiangyun and came to this big cave. Seeing the gurgling spring water, cool breeze and stone tables and chairs in the cave, the immortal had a rest here and sat around the cave to chat. In front of the Giant Buddha Rock is a sculpture of quarrying stones with chisels in both hands.
Watch the sea lion stone
Not far from Baxian Rock is Lion Mountain. I saw a huge stone standing in the lush forest, like a mighty lion, proudly standing on the precipice, with eyes wide open, as if overlooking the blue waves and white sails of Wan Li Lion Ocean, with his mouth slightly open, as if roaring. Because of its vivid image, the ancestors deified the lion stone, and whenever a ship crossed the ocean, it was necessary to worship and pray.
Lion stone has a long history. It turns out that the low-lying land here, Lotus Mountain is just an isolated island at sea. After thousands of years, the terrain gradually rose and the water level dropped. Lion rock was originally a rock on the island. For thousands of years, it has been constantly beaten and eroded by waves and sea breeze, and it has become the shape of today. It is the most loyal guardian of Lianhua Mountain, witnessing the vicissitudes here. Lotus Mountain, formerly known as "Lion Mountain", is named after it, and "Lion Ocean" is also named after it.
Travel tips
Tourist tickets for scenic spots
Admission: 40 yuan/person; Climb the Lotus Pagoda in 2 yuan/person, and enter the Lotus City in 3 yuan/person.
Optimal travel time
When you go in spring, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of peach blossoms. From June to August, you can not only enjoy the beautiful scenery of Lianhua Mountain with lush trees, but also play in the water park. At the same time, you can also enjoy the beautiful scenery of the "Lotus Festival" where thousands of lotus flowers are competing to bloom.
prescribe a diet
There is a good restaurant in Lianhuashan tourist area, where you can taste famous dishes such as Cantonese cuisine and Panyu snacks, and it is equipped with a vegetarian restaurant and a seven-color platter.
stay
There are many resort hotels with elegant environment in Lianhua Mountain Scenic Area, which is convenient for tourists to stay and rest.
In recent years, the Lotus Mountain Scenic Area has newly built some tourist service facilities, such as Guanyin, resort, Lianhualou restaurant, ballroom, coffee shop, barbecue field, tent camping area, racecourse, Diaoyutai, water park, shooting area and shopping mall.
Recommended tourist routes
Tour time: 3-4 hours
Suitable for people: friends
Mode of arrival: bus, self-driving
Attractions on the way: West Gate > Lotus Waterfall > Lotus Fairy > Heron Nature Reserve > Garden > Shuilian Pool > Banshan Pavilion > Shuilian Lake > Lavender Garden > Baihua Garden > Happy Paradise > Oracle Bone Inscriptions Garden > Peach Blossom Garden > North Gate > Lotus City > Lotus Pagoda > Guanyin St. Archway > Nianci Pavilion > Guanyin Pavilion > Release Pool > Pilgrimage Pavilion > Lingnan Pavilion > Guanyinyan >.
Traffic guide
Public transport guide
1, car:
Originating station: Guangzhou Dongpu Bus Station, Transfer Station: Panyu Shiqiao Bus Station, Destination Station: Lianhua Mountain Tourist Area, Panyu, Guangzhou.
Ticket price: Guangzhou Dongpu Bus Terminal-Panyu Shiqiao 10 yuan/person Panyu Shiqiao-4 yuan, Lianhua Mountain Tourist Area, Panyu, Guangzhou/person.
Frequency: Guangzhou Dongpu Passenger Station-Panyu Shiqiao15min/shift-Panyu Shiqiao-Guangzhou Panyu Lianhuashan Tourist Area 3-5min/shift.
First/last bus time: Guangzhou Dongpu Passenger Station-Panyu Shiqiao 7: 00/20: 00; Shi Yu Bridge-Lianhua Mountain Tourist Area, Panyu, Guangzhou: 7: 00/ 18: 00.
How to get to the scenic spot after getting off the bus: walk 100 meters and turn left at the intersection, and you will see the sign of welcome to Lianhuashan tourist area.
Departure station: Guangzhou bus terminal, transfer station: Panyu Shiqiao bus station, destination station: Lianhua Mountain tourist area, Panyu, Guangzhou.
Ticket price: Guangzhou Bus Terminal-Panyu Shiqiao 10 yuan/person Panyu Shiqiao-4 yuan, Lianhua Mountain Tourist Area, Panyu, Guangzhou/person.
Shift: Guangzhou Passenger Station-Panyu Shiqiao 20 minutes/shift Panyu Shiqiao-Guangzhou Panyu Lianhuashan Tourist Area 3-5 minutes/shift.
First/last bus time: Guangzhou Passenger Station-Panyu Shiqiao 5: 50-22: 30; Shi Yu Bridge-Lianhua Mountain Tourist Area, Panyu, Guangzhou: 7: 00/ 18: 00.
How to get to the scenic spot after getting off the bus: walk 100 meters and turn left at the intersection, and you will see the sign of welcome to Lianhuashan tourist area.
2. Subway:
Destination Station (Line 3): Panyu Shiqiao Station.
Destination exit: Shiqiao station exit B.
Shift: Line 3 has a shift of 5 minutes.
How to get to the scenic spot after getting off: Go to Shiqiao Bus Station, where there is a bus to Lianhua Mountain at any time, usually every three to five minutes. Buy 4 yuan/Ren's ticket on the bus, walk 100 meters when you get to the station, then turn left at the intersection, and you will see the sign that Lianhuashan Tourist Area welcomes you.
Destination station (Line 4):
Exit of destination station: Shiqi Station
Shift: Line 4 has a shift of 5 minutes.
How to get to the scenic spot after getting off: Go to Shiqiao Bus Station, where there is a bus to Lianhua Mountain at any time, usually every three to five minutes. Buy 4 yuan/Ren's ticket on the bus, walk 100 meters when you get to the station, then turn left at the intersection, and you will see the sign that Lianhuashan Tourist Area welcomes you.
Autopilot traffic guide
Travel route on the road:
(1) Mode: Guangzhou downtown-Yun Ke Road entrance-Qinghe exit station of Nansha Port Expressway, drive eastward along Qinghe East Road for about 10 km, and reach Lianhua Mountain.
Time required: 1 hour
(2) Guangzhou City-South China Express Entrance-Panyu Bridge, take Yingbin Road, turn to Shi Lian Road or Qinghe East Road, drive eastward for about 10 km, and reach Lianhua Mountain.
Time required: 1 hour