As an important part of Yuanling National Forest Park, Phoenix Mountain is located to the south of Yuanling County. It is named after the mountain’s resemblance to a phoenix with open wings. Known as one of the “Eight Scenes of Western Hunan”, the scenic spot is full of ancient trees, teeming with life. When one climbs to the top of Phoenix Mountain, one will be able to admire the beautiful scenery and panoramic view of the county as well as the Yuan River and the You River. Zhang Zhiyao, a poet of the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912 AD), wrote a poem to describe the scenery, “The clear peak is indistinctly out of the clouds, while wild path meanders through valleys.” Besides natural sceneries, the Phoenix Mountain is also known as a famous historic site. After the Xi’an Incident, the patriotic general Zhang Xueliang was put under house arrest by Chiang Kai-shek at the Phoenix Mountain in 1938. The Phoenix Mountain was listed as a provincial scenic spot in 1993, a provincial cultural relics protection unit in 2002, the first national 3A tourist attraction of Yuanling County in 2003, and a patriotism education base in Hunan Province in 2011.

(Translated by Yang Hong)