Taimu Mountain

Taimu Mountain is the scenic centrepiece of northern Fujian: a cluster of granite peaks rising directly from the coast near Fuding, their surfaces eroded into shapes that defy description — towers, arches, balanced boulders, and narrow passages that the Chinese describe with a vocabulary of animals, faces, and mythological scenes that Western visitors have to take on faith. The highest peak reaches just over 900 metres, accessible by a combination of cable car and trail, with views across the East China Sea on clear days.

The network of hiking trails covers most of the interesting formations and passes through Lingshen Temple, a complex built into a natural cave and in continuous use since the Tang dynasty. The early morning light is best for photography and brings the granite to a warm amber colour before the midday haze sets in. The mountain is within Ningde prefecture and is most conveniently reached from Fuding station on the high-speed line — the mountain is a short taxi ride from there.

things to do sight
A story
Taimu Mountain is said to have been the home of a woman called Taimu, who during the Xia Dynasty grew peonies at the summit and taught the local people to cultivate them. The mountain's reputation for strange rock formations earned it the nickname "sea of oddly-shaped rocks" in classical literature, and Taoist and Buddhist monks have competed for centuries over which sects had the right to build temples in the most dramatic crevices and overhangs. You can still find temples wedged into positions that look structurally impossible.