Mount Dinghu
The Mount Dinghu Scenic Area is 18 km northeast of Zhaoqing. Its summit, Jilong Peak, is over 1,000 meters above sea level, being the highest point in the Pearl River Delta. Having been a famous tourist attraction since as early as the reign period of Qing Dynasty Emperor Kangxi (1662-1722), it is divided into eastern and western scenic areas, with a total of twenty scenic spots.
Mount Dinghu is also a location sacred to Buddhism. Its Baiyun (White Cloud) Temple was built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The Qingyun Temple was built on Sanbao Peak by a monk named Zaishen, who came in 1633 during Ming Dynasty. It ranks as one of the four famous temples of Guangdong.
With a 4,000-hectare primitive sub-forest cover, it is home to 2,000 species of wild plants and over 300 species of cultivated plants, including a rich collection of subtropical vegetation with a high proportion of woody and evergreen types. It is also home to over 170 species of birds, more than 30 species of animals and over 20 kinds of snakes, including a number of rare species under protection, such as the silver pheasant.
