Fangyan in Zhejiang

By 2009-10-14 17:22:47

Twenty kilometers east of Yongkang city lies Fangyan, a scenic zone distinguished for its landscape in “Danxia” landform. As early as in 1985, Fangyan was approved by Zhejiang Provincial Government as a key provincial scenic resort. Fangyan abounds with breath-taking peaks and cliffs, naturally carved stone formations, caves, and lakes and waterfalls.

The 92-square-kilometer zone includes eight sub scenic spots such as Mount Fangyan, Five Peaks, the Southern Rock, the Rocky Drum, Lake Lingshan, Martyrs Mausoleum, and Number One Scholar Lake.

Fangyan boasts the typical Danxia landform, presenting rugged peaks and unique rocks, waterfalls and caves. The area is known not only for its landscape, but also for numerous spots of historical interests and cultural heritage.

Yu Dafu, a famed author and poet of the 20th-century China, wrote in his travel notes, “Previously I had the feeling that the peaks and cliffs in the traditional Chinese painting were incredibly majestic, but while I was sightseeing Fangyan, what I saw around me made me believe that these master painters in the southern Song Dynasty had not done enough in their efforts to capture the essences of nature’s peaks and stones.”

Many tourists visit Fangyan for its unique landscape. More come to say their prayers at the Lord Hu’s Temple, believing the immortal answers prayers more obligingly. For this reason, for hundreds of years, the temple has been the preferred venue for pilgrims. In front of the temple, red candles flame and joss sticks send fragrance skywards while pilgrims troop into the temple and murmur their prayers. Temple fairs in Fangyan are big annual attractions with its folk celebration activities such as Arhats and 18 Butterflies.

For years of construction and development, the Fangyan Scenic Zone is now complete with service amenities for catering, accommodation, transportation, sightseeing and shopping. The picturesque scenic spot attracts 600,000 tourists and pilgrims per year, generating excellent social and economic benefits as well as environmental benefits. The scenic zone administration gives priority to the construction of hardware and software and commits itself to “three excellences (excellent service, excellent order and excellent scenery)”. The administration commits itself to creating a safe, stylish and sanitary scenic resort. As the result of these effective measures, tourists feel highly satisfied with their visits to the zone. In a province-wide scenic spots popularity survey sponsored by a provincial tourism newspaper in 1997, Fangyan ranked the sixth of the top ten. The Five Peaks scenic zone is evaluated as a Fine Constructed Scenic Spot by the provincial construction administration. Danxia Mountain Resort Hotel is recognized as a architectural masterpiece.