Pingliang|Kongtong Mountain|Explore the beauty of ancient architecture.
Kongtong Mountain is a mountain range located in Pingliang City, Gansu Province, China. It is also the fortress of the ancient Silk Road's westward exit from Guanzhong. It has the titles of "the first mountain in the West" and "the wonder of the West Town".
- Geographical location: Kongtong Mountain is located in Kongtong Town, Kongtong District, Pingliang City, with an altitude between 1456 and 2123.5 meters, a vertical height of 667.5 meters, and an overall planned area of 84 square kilometers.
- Geology and landforms: Kongtong Mountain is a branch of Liupan Mountain and is a natural kingdom of plants and animals. There are more than 1,000 species of plants and more than 300 species of animals, with a forest coverage rate of more than 90%. Its landform is a typical Danxia landform, with towering peaks and forests, abrupt cliffs, crisscrossing ravines, culverts, and rugged rocks. It is both the beauty of the North and the beauty of the South.
- History and culture:
- Taoist Holy Land: Kongtong Mountain is one of the birthplaces of Taoism. It is said that the Yellow Emperor once asked Guangchengzi here. Since then, many emperors such as King Mu of Zhou, Qin Shihuang, and Emperor Wu of Han have also visited Kongtong Mountain in person, or to seek immortality and ask questions. , or hold a Zen ceremony.
- Cultural landscape: The cultural landscape of Kongtong Mountain has a long history. Pavilions, pavilions, Buddhist temples, temples, ancient pagodas and bells have been built throughout the past dynasties, all over the peaks. There are scenic spots on the mountain known as the "Twelve Scenic Spots of Kongtong", including Chaotianmen, Shangtian Ladder, Imperial City, Zhongtai, Leisheng Peak, etc. Through renovations in recent years, Kongtong Mountain has basically restored the 42 architectural complexes that were historically known as the "Nine Gongs, Eight Terraces and Twelve Courtyards".
- Cultural relics: Kongtong Mountain has 1 national key cultural relics protection unit, 2 provincial-level cultural relics protection units, 2 county-level cultural relics protection units, and 85 general cultural relics. Most of the existing buildings are from the Song Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty. There are 16 major ancient buildings in total. The ancient building complex consists of three parts: the Imperial City Building Complex, the Lei Shengfeng Building Complex and the Lingkong Tower. It is mainly the architectural remains of the Song Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty. The Qing Dynasty once Repaired to varying degrees. Among them, the Imperial City Building Complex was built during the Qiande Period of the Northern Song Dynasty and is the first of the palaces in Kongtong Mountain. The Leishengfeng Building Complex was also built during the Qiande Period of the Northern Song Dynasty. It is called "a classic in the history of architecture" because of its steepness. "The Lingkong Tower was built in the seventh year of Tiansheng in the Northern Song Dynasty. It is an octagonal seven-level pavilion-style hollow brick tower without a base. There are nearly 200-year-old pine trees growing on the top of the tower, forming a scenic spot of "ancient pagoda with pine trees".
- Travel information:
- Opening hours: 06:30 - 16:30 all year round.
-Ticket price: 107 yuan
- Transportation guide: You can take the train and get off at Pingliang Station, which is close to Kongtong Mountain. There are many bus lines in the city that can directly reach Kongtong Mountain Scenic Area.
- Tour route: Tourists can choose to start from Zhongtai, visit Chaotianmen, Shangtian Ladder, Imperial City, Lei Sheng Peak and other scenic spots in sequence, and finally return to Zhongtai. If you have enough time, you can also visit scenic spots such as Xiangshan and Danzheng Lake.
- Featured landscape:
-Natural scenery: Kongtong Mountain has different scenery throughout the four seasons. In spring, the mountain flowers are blooming, in summer, the trees are shaded, in autumn, the forests are dyed, and in winter, they are covered with snow. Climbing up Kongtong Mountain, you can see the peaks gathering together when you look up, and you can see the crystal clear lake water when you look down. The mountains and rivers complement each other, creating this place of health and well-being outside the world.