Guanyin Mountain Scenic Area, Guanyin Lake Introduction
Located at the junction of Renwu and Dashu Districts, Guanyin Mountain, formerly known as Cuiping Rock, is one of the top ten famous mountains in Kaohsiung, standing at only 177 meters high. It is ranked as number 075 in the list of the Minor Eight Thousand Peaks. The mountain's main peak resembles Guanyin sitting gracefully, surrounded by other peaks, which is how it got its name. It is a popular choice for fitness, hiking, and religious pilgrimages, attracting large crowds of visitors during weekends. The Guanyin Mountain area is vast, primarily composed of rich iron-containing siltstone, which is fine and soft, making it suitable for barefoot walking, hence it is also known as the "Barefoot Park." Additionally, it is home to the famous "Eight Scenic Views of Guanyin," which include Cuiping Sunset, Golden Bell Spirit Platform, Stone Drum Shaking the Mountains, Ancient Tree Immortal Trail, Stone Pen Opening, Guanyin Hovering in the Sky, Lotus Pond Night Moon, and Sky Cave Morning Dawn, each offering distinct beautiful scenery. There are many hiking trails on Guanyin Mountain. If it's your first time hiking Guanyin Mountain, it's recommended to plan a popular trail route. You can park at the Guanyin Mountain Public Parking Lot No. 7, and start your ascent from the "Fengyi Palace" entrance at the back of the parking lot to the main peak. Although the stone steps are steep and challenging, the views along the way become more spectacular as you ascend, allowing for rest breaks to enjoy the surrounding beauty. At the highest point of Guanyin Mountain, you will find a wartime tunnel excavated during the Japanese occupation period— the "Sky Cave," which is part of the Eight Scenic Views of Guanyin known as "Sky Cave Morning Dawn." The nearby Guanyin Pavilion is a common resting spot for hikers, and you can take photos at the viewing platform and "triangulation point," where you will see the northern peak and central peak of Guanyin Mountain. This route is the fastest way to reach the summit of Guanyin Mountain. Continuing downhill, you'll arrive at the "Environmental Protection Park," which is flat and spacious and has public restrooms. As you go further down, you'll find some vendors, where you can sit and enjoy natural Aiyu jelly, which refreshes you on hot days. The holiday market at "Dajue Temple" allows for shopping, making this route the shortest hiking trail for Guanyin Mountain, approximately 2.5 kilometers long, which you can complete in about an hour at a leisurely pace. Guanyin Lake is located to the south of Guanyin Mountain. Originally named Governor's Pond, its calm and clear waters, along with a good ecological environment, attract many migratory birds to reside here. Covering an area of 30 hectares, Guanyin Lake is divided into inner and outer lakes, serving the functions of irrigation, water storage, and flood prevention. The beautiful scenery of mountains and water makes it a must-visit secret spot after hiking Guanyin Mountain. The Eight Scenic Views of Guanyin: 1. Cuiping Sunset: At the foot of Guanyin Mountain, there is a giant rock surrounded by mountains on three sides, creating a wind-sheltered area. Legend has it that the Kangxi Emperor of the Qing Dynasty named this place "Cuiping Rock" due to its picturesque scenery. The Cuiping Sunset, one of the Eight Scenic Views of Fengshan, refers to this scenic spot. Climbing Guanyin Mountain is enjoyable during the day, but watching the sunset's stunning beauty at dusk allows one to truly appreciate the "Cuiping Sunset." 2. Golden Bell Spirit Platform: Starting from the beginning of Xuefu Road, thirty meters southeast of Huai Zhi Tang, part of it has been cut down due to road widening. You can follow the steps from the roadside to reach the ancient pavilion, which has an ancient anonymous couplet that tells the legendary story of the construction of Cuiping Rock Temple. 3. Stone Drum Shaking the Mountains: Located outside the southern wall of Dajue Temple, the three pavilions sat on top. In the 1940s, there was a mountain spring bubbling out. In the 2000s, due to renovations to Dajue Temple, the three pavilions were removed, and now an artificial waterfall has been created. Legend has it that in ancient times, before the area was developed, when the temple's lessons rang the bell and beat the drum, the sound of the stone drum echoed, shaking the mountains. 4. Ancient Tree Immortal Trail: Originally, an ancient banyan tree grew on top of the stone drum, covering a large area that could accommodate dozens of people resting. By the 1970s, as the stone drum no longer bubbled with spring water, the banyan tree began to wither, and due to pests, it decayed by the 1990s. The banyan tree currently seen was planted in the 1990s. 5. Stone Pen Opening: Located beside the ancient well of Ganquan along the northern section of the mountain trail, it rises abruptly from the basin, resembling a stone pillar, about thirty meters tall, with the end resembling a pen’s tip. Under the moonlight, the pen body reflects the moon, and the pen tip appears black, standing out alone. 6. Guanyin Hovering in the Sky: Among the three major peaks of Guanyin Mountain (Zhouzai Kengwei, Monkey Mountain, Ji Zhao Wei), Zhouzai Kengwei is the main peak of Guanyin Mountain, resembling Guanyin in a seated posture. The view extends from Anping to Fengbitou. The mountain has been flattened three times: the first during the Japanese occupation to build a fortress; the second in the 1980s for water reservoir expansion; and the third in the 1990s, when a large wooden viewing platform was built, obscuring the original form of Guanyin Mountain. 7. Lotus Pond Night Moon: In front of Guanyin Hovering in the Sky, to the north is Kezai Pond, which can irrigate forty-three hectares but has now shrunk. To the south is Dapu, which has been divided into three or four smaller ponds, formerly the large water reservoir of the old San Naitan. Therefore, the proximity to Guanyin Mountain gave this name. 8. Sky Cave Morning Dawn: Near the end of World War II, the Japanese constructed a wartime tunnel of about 100 meters on Zhouzai Kengwei, going west to east, gradually descending. From this mountain ridge, looking east, you can see layers of greenery, all basking in the morning light.
