Golden Chicken Ridge
Presented by Leaf (Oct. 2010)
Introduction
Golden Chicken Ridge (Jin Ji Ling) is a famous Shaoguan scenic spot located in Pingshi town of Lechang City district. It is one example of the Danxia landform, the main landform being the Danxia Mountain Range of Renhua County of Shaoguan). It occupies around 1.6 square kilometres approximately 47 kilometres from Shaoguan city centre. In addition to the magnificent views, the area has many places of interest, such as
- Golden Chicken Stone
- The General Stone
- Statue of Hong Xuanjiao
- Weapons Rock
- Stone Carvings
- Peacock Stone
- Smiling Buddha
- and much more!
Golden Chicken Stone
Golden Chicken Stone is the symbol of Golden Chicken Ridge and Pingshi town itself. The peak is at an altitude of 338 metres and has a relative height of 168 meters. The rooster measures 20.8 metres long and 8.4 metres in width.
The head of the rooster is facing towards the north. It is said that the rooster eats the grains from the north and brings fortune to Guangdong Province. The Golden Chicken Stone is also called the “feng shui rooster” for this reason.
The head of the rooster is facing towards the north. It is said that the rooster eats the grains from the north and brings fortune to Guangdong Province. The Golden Chicken Stone is also called the “feng shui rooster” for this reason.
The General Stone
The General Stone (sometimes referred to as Yi Zi Peak) shares a mythical story with the Golden Chicken Stone in how they were created. It is said that an Immortal asked a general to watch over a chicken whilst he flew to heaven. Upon the Immortals return to the human world, he found that the general and the chicken became stones.
Near the top of the General Stone is the Sheng Qing Gazebo. It was built to commemorate Hong Xuanjiao, the sister of Hong Xiuquan, who led soldiers to fight against Qing Dynasty forces.
Near the top of the General Stone is the Sheng Qing Gazebo. It was built to commemorate Hong Xuanjiao, the sister of Hong Xiuquan, who led soldiers to fight against Qing Dynasty forces.
Dianjiang Terrace and surrounds
The Hong Xuanjiao Statue is built in an area called Dianjiang Terrace. Closeby is a rock called "Weapons Rock" which was used by Hong and her soldiers kept weapons hidden inside its cave. A mere 100 feet away is a magnificent observation area over a cliff face. It is commonly visited during sunrise and sunsets.
Stone Carvings
The stone carvings are 14 metres high and 20 meters wide. They are the largest inscriptions on precipices in all of Guangdong Province. The carvings consist of 3 famous characters from well-known legends: Houyi shooting down the Sun, Pangu separating heaven and earth and the character Nuwa in two different scenes, one mending the sky and the other making people from yellow clay to establish the first female and male relationships.
Other Attractions
Golden Chicken Ridge is home to many more attractions including a 5 metre long Smiling Buddha, Peacock Stone, Plum Blossom carvings, A 'footprint' of a barefoot Immortal and other interesting scenes.
Cost and how to get there
Entrance to the Golden Chicken Ridge costs 30 yuan. Pingshi township is located in a mountainous area of Shaoguan prefecture which makes driving hazardous. The easiest and most convenient way to get there is to travel by regular train from shaoguan or guangzhou. The Shaoguan to Pingshi journey is roughly 80 minutes and costs 20 yuan for a standard one way ticket.
