The Painted NineHorses Mountain is located in the northeast of Xingping, a small town of Guilin. Standing by the lake, seen from far away, the 400 high and 200 wide mountain resembles a huge painted screen. If you look carefully, you will notice nine horses in different positions: lying on side, running or eating. The most famous Chinese traveler Xu Xiake portrayed the mountain, which gave the reason for the Mountain’s name: on his painting you can clearly see the colorful stones. Seen from the distance, it resembles a printed screen. As the famous attraction of Guilin and an extraordinary gift from nature, the mountain was loved by various writers and poets. Many poets such as Zouhao from Song dynasty and Xugong from Qing dynasty devoted their poems to this site. One of the biggest enthusiasts of the Painted Nine Horses Mountain was Ruanyuan, a minister from Qing dynasty. He had been to the mountain five times in six years. He expressed his amazement about the mountain in numerous poems; his work still can be found on the Cliffside. For centuries, counting the horses’ number has been a puzzle and joy for the visitors. It is said that Prime Minister Zhou and general Chenyi once visited the mountain and each of them counted a different number of horses. Prime Minister Zhou noticed 18 horses on the huge screen, including the shadows in the water. In a word, called as the Champion Mountain of Guilin, the PrintedHorsesMountain is a must-see if travelling to Guilin.
The Painted Nine Horses Mountain Story
According to the legend, the Jade Emperor appointed the Monkey King as the Protector of horses. However, the Monkey King didn’t attach any importance this job. One day, he released the horses and went back to his Water Curtain Cave, located on a cloud. Nine of these horses, curious to see the world of men, stepped down from the realm of the Jade Emperor. Having fed and watered, they ran to the river and swam down from Heaven. The world of men attracted them so much that they decided to stay there. Upset with the Monkey King, who failed to fulfill his duties, The Jade Emperor ordered “Caotou” fairy to bring the nine horses back in 7 days. Reluctant to return to the Jade Emperor’s kingdom, the horses did not come out from the mountain until nighttime. Therefore, “Caotou” faery could not find them for a long time.
One night, the nine horses decided to swim in the Lijiang River. The swim was so enjoyable that the horses stayed out long enough for the “Caotou” fairy to find them. On hearing the imperial edict announced by the fairy, they
attempted to escape, however a huge mountain prevented them from doing so. Helpless, the nine horses were captured in mountain. The “Caotou” fairy waited for seven days at the foot of the mountain, but the horses never came out again.
Afraid of the retribution the Jade Emperor would impose on her for failing the task, “Caotou” fairy decided to stay in the man’s world and guard the horses. Long time after the seven-day deadline the Jade Emperor turned the fairy into a stone to guard the horses forever. It is said that the stone behind the “Dasang” Bank is indeed the “Caotou” fairy. Overtime, more and more people wanted to see the site of this incredible story. That is how the Painted Nine Horses Mountain got its name.
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