Located seven kilometers southeast of the urban Lianyungang (lián yún gǎng 连云港) with a summit of 635 meters over sea level, Huaguoshan Mountain (huā guǒ shān 花果山) is popularized in a well-known Chinese novel "Journey to the West"(xī yóu jì 西游记). It covers an area of 84.3 square kilometers, with 136 peaks. Huanguoshan Mountain is reputed as the No.1 Fairyland in East Sea Area (dōng hǎi dì yī shèng jìng 东海第一胜境). The grotesque rocks, beautiful scene of the sea and historic sites in Huaguoshan Mountain are amazing and attract a large quantity of tourists.

The Gate of Huaguoshan Mountain (huā guǒ shān shān mén 花果山山门) was completed in 1 July, 1996. It was constructed on an ancient gate in a modern way. There is the head sculpture of Sun Wukong (sūn wù kōng 孙悟空), one of the heroes in Chinese classical novel “Journey to the West”, with round patterns on the back, which symbolizes his coming to a successful issue. On the north side of the gate, there are the relief sculptures of the four heroes in the novel. At the foot of the gate, there are six engraved lions, which seem that they are the guard. Around the square, there are 109 stone monkeys welcoming the tourists. Through the gate, you can see the statue of Wu Cheng’en (wú chéng ēn吴承恩), the writer of “Journey to the West”, standing in the pinewood.

Huaguo Mountain has more than 100 scenic spots, most of which are connected with the story of the Monkey King. The chief scenic spots such as Monkey Stone (wā yí shí 娲遗石), Water Curtain Cave (shuǐ lián dòng 水帘洞), Sanyuan Palace (sān yuán gōng 三元宫), Yunu Peak (yù nǚ fēng 玉女峰) and the South Gate of Heaven (nán tiān mén 南天门) are ideal for travelers.

It is said that the Monkey King was born in the Monkey Stone. It looks like a thin-cheeked monkey’s head from a distance. The stone is situated as if to guard Huaguoshan Mountain.
As for Water Curtain Cave, it is a natural cave formed by ground fissure. In the front of the cave, there are many worthy inscriptions and carvings, such as “印心石屋"(yìn xīn shí wū 印心石屋) which is written by Emperor Daoguang (dào guāng dì 道光帝) in Qing Dynasty (qīng cháo 清朝). There are artificial tunnel inside which will lead you to the platform inside the cave, where there is a square well named Lingquan Spring (líng quán 灵泉). It is not big but always full of water, even when there is draught. It is said that the spring can lead you to the Dragon King’s Palace (lóng gōng 龙宫).

Initially built during the Tang Dynasty (táng shān 唐朝), Sanyuan Temple is the largest building in the scenic spot in Huaguoshan Mountain. Statues of three Gods, the Gods of Heaven, Earth, and Water are in the temple. Around the temple there are many maidenhair trees some over 100 years old.

Huaguoshan Mountain
Location: No.5 Yulin Road (yù lín lù 郁林路), Lianyungang City, Jiangsu Province
Admission fee: RMB 50 (December 1 to February 28)
                       RMB 100 (March 1 to November 30)
Opening hours: 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Transportation: you can take Xinpu District Bus No. 10, or Haizhou District Bus No. 5 to get there
Tips: The best time for visiting Huaguoshan Mountain is from April to October.