Mount Zhenwu, also known as the Mini Wudang

👌🏻Leaving the ancient Fenglin Ferry, I arrived at Mount Zhenwu, located outside the west gate of the ancient city of Xiangyang. The ancient city of Xiangyang is built on a bend of the Han River, surrounded by water on three sides and mountains on one side, forming a natural barrier. There is also a wide moat on three sides, making it easy to defend but hard to attack, and it has always been a strategic location coveted by military strategists. Mount Zhenwu is situated between Mount Xian and the Han River, towering majestically like a gateway guarding the west of the city. The mountain is shaped like a turtle, and it was previously known as Turtle Mountain. It is said that this is one of the places where the True Warrior Emperor practiced and ascended to immortality. ✔️At the foot of the mountain, there is a stone archway with the words 'Mount Zhenwu' inscribed on it. Passing through the archway and crossing a small bridge, you come to a straight flight of stone steps leading up the mountain. Climbing these steps leaves you breathless, and after a short rest, turning right and climbing another flight of steps brings you to a platform halfway up the mountain, where the Jade Emperor's Treasure Hall is built. From here, you can already see the Taoist temple at the top of Mount Zhenwu. ✔️The stone steps next to the Treasure Hall are the only way up the mountain. Due to recent snowfall, the steps are covered with icy snow, making them very slippery. You need to carefully hold onto the railing as you ascend and enter through the mountain gate of Mount Zhenwu. The mountain gate is built just below the summit platform, resembling a cave and adding a touch of mystery. ✔️Emerging from the cave, the view suddenly opens up. There is a square built on the mountaintop, and at the end of the square is the courtyard gate of the Mount Zhenwu Taoist temple. The view from this platform is extremely broad, offering a full view of the beauty of Xiangyang City, with the Martyrs' Tower on the neighboring Yanghu Mountain just a stone's throw away. ✔️After climbing a few more steps, you enter the Mount Zhenwu Taoist temple, which is indeed a hidden paradise. In the courtyard, there is a life-release pond with an arch bridge built over it, and ancient trees planted beside it, resembling a fairyland on earth. Passing through the Sanfeng Hall, you face the True Warrior Hall, built on the peak, where the True Warrior Emperor is enshrined, with the Longevity Hall and the Parents' Hall built on either side. Zhenwu, also known as Xuanwu, is the god of the north, and Wudang Mountain is his Taoist site. This is an excellent viewing platform, where the high-rise buildings on both banks of the Han River, reflected against the blue sky and white clouds, unfold like a beautiful painting. ✔️Mount Zhenwu has always been a sacred place for the propagation of traditional Taoism in China. Before the Song and Yuan dynasties, the Taoist temples on the mountain were called Laojun Temple and Jianfeng Palace, and together with the eight palaces on Wudang Mountain, they were collectively known as the Nine Palaces. This place was also called Jiugong Mountain and is considered the starting point of Wudang Mountain. During the Yongle period of the Ming dynasty, Emperor Chengzu Zhu Di ordered the construction of the 'Eight Palaces' of Wudang. When the ships carrying building materials were moored at the Han River below Mount Zhenwu, an unusual phenomenon appeared in the sky. People believed it was a manifestation of the Xuan Emperor, so Jianfeng Palace was renamed Zhenwu Temple, and the mountain was renamed Mount Zhenwu, also known as 'Mini Wudang' and 'Mini Golden Summit'. 💰Cost: Free admission