Fuzhou Gu Mountain Scenic Area (Gu Shan Fengjing Qu)

The Gu Mountain Scenic Area is located about 17 kilometers east of downtown Fuzhou, beside the Min River. A big drum-shaped rock on the top of the main hill is said to give off a drumbeat-like sound in wind and rain: hence the mountain is called Gushan, which means "drum mountain."

Yongquan Temple is located at the foot of the White Cloud Peak of Gushan Mountain, 455 meters above sea level. Built in the Five Dynasties period, it tops the list of the five Buddhist temples in Fuzhou and it is well-preserved. Nestled under the peak, the temple seems to be hidden and visitors can not see it whether they approach by foot, bus, or cable car. Even after entering through the temple gate, they still can not see the whole temple. This has given rise to a saying: "Once you enter the mountain, you can not see the temple; while entering the temple, you cannot see the mountain."

The temple houses three invaluable state treasures. The first is the pair of 7-meter "pottery pagodas" flanking the temple, which were built in the Song Dynasty and feature over 1,000 images of the Buddha. The second treasure is the collection of nearly 10,000 Buddhist classic printing plates from the Ming Dynasty onward. The third is a collection of 657 copies of classics written in blood by monks through the ages. The monks pricked their fingers and wrote the classics with their blood.

One of the other attractions is a cave which lies northwest of Gu Mountain over 700 meters above sea level. White clouds frequently float into the cave and fill it with dense mist.