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A broad flight of grey stone steps climbing between low walls under green trees, with the three characters of the mountain's name laid out in white stone across the steps and several monkeys sitting on the stairs

Jiangsu · The Monkey King's Mountain

Flower and Fruit Mountain, Lianyungang (花果山)

A wooded coastal mountain in Lianyungang that is usually identified as the home of Sun Wukong in the novel Journey to the West, with macaques on its steps.

Quick Facts

The Short Version

What it isA mountain scenic area on the Jiangsu coast linked to the Monkey King, Sun Wukong, of Journey to the West
WhereLianyungang, on the northern coast of Jiangsu
In the novelThe mountain is Sun Wukong's birthplace, with a Water Curtain Cave behind a waterfall where the monkeys make him their king
Time neededHalf a day
WildlifeWild macaques live on the mountain and gather along the main steps
ListedA national 5A scenic area

Why Go

A Real Mountain for a Novel's Mountain

1. A place from Journey to the West

Journey to the West, written in the Ming dynasty, begins with Sun Wukong, a monkey born from a stone on Flower and Fruit Mountain. He finds a hidden cave behind a waterfall, the Water Curtain Cave, and the other monkeys proclaim him king.

Several places in China have been linked with the mountain, but the one in Lianyungang is the place usually identified as the novel's source, and the scenic area is built around that story.

2. Monkeys on the steps

The mountain has a real population of wild macaques, and they are the clearest reminder of the story. They sit on the stone benches and on the broad stone steps, where the three characters of the mountain's name are laid out in white stone.

Statues of monkeys on a rock at the entrance area carry the theme. Beyond them, the path climbs through green forest to the temples and the viewpoints higher up.

A group of painted statues of monkeys clambering over a large rock with red characters and a dark cave opening below, with a temple roof at the left
Monkey statues on a rock at the entrance area, with a cave mouth below.
Several macaques sitting on stone benches beneath a twisted tree on a paved terrace, with stone steps at the right
Macaques on the stone benches under an old tree.
A stone staircase flanked by dark metal railings and green trees, with a dozen macaques sitting along the steps and the white characters of the mountain's name laid in the stone
The macaques gather along the stairs.
Wide stone steps beside an old stone retaining wall in dense green forest, with a few macaques on the steps and the white mountain-name characters laid across the treads
The stairs run beside an old stone wall.

Practical

Things Worth Knowing

Keep food out of sight

The macaques are used to visitors and will grab bags and snacks.

Do not feed or touch them

They are wild animals with strong jaws.

Bring the story

Knowing Journey to the West makes the names and caves meaningful. Children often arrive with the story ready.

Wear sturdy shoes

The main route is paved steps and some paths can be damp.

Nearby

Other Stops on the Same Trip

Where to Base

Lianyungang (连云港)

The mountain is on the northern edge of Lianyungang and is reached by road or bus from the city. Many visitors treat it as a half-day trip from a base in the city.

Go for the Monkey King story and the macaques, keep food in the bag, and give it a half day.

Photo Credits

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