Hengshanisasubtropicalmonsoonhumidclimatewithlongfrostfreeperiodandshortfreezingperiod.Ithasthecharacteristicsofcoolsummerandcoldwinter,abundantrainfall,foggyandwindy,andobviousverticaltemperaturechange.GoodnaturalconditionshavecreatedHengshan'scharacteristiclandscapeofnomountain,notree,noplace,nogreen.Therearemorethan600familiesand1700kindsoftreesinHengshanMountain.Thescenicforestareais300000mu,theprimarysecondaryforestareais57000mu,andtheforestcoveragerateismorethan80%.AccompaniedbytherarewildanimalssuchasCaragana,bamboopheasant,bigheadedturtle,etc.,HengshanMountaincanbecalledanaturaltreasurehouseofbiologicalresources!
HengshanrisesabruptlyfromthesouthernHunanbasin,formingasharpcontrastwiththesurroundingareas,andalsocontributingtomanywonderfulandpeculiarclimatelandscapes.Hengshansceneryisknownas"FourSeas",namelyseaofflowers,forest,cloudandsnow.ThefourseasonssceneryofHengshanischaracterizedbyflowersinspring,cloudsinsummer,suninautumnandsnowinwinter.Amongthem,Hengshancloudisworthmentioning."Hengshancloud,Huangshanpine"hasbeentalkedaboutbypeoplesinceancienttimes.Hengshan'scloudschangeatfouro'clock,springcloudsarecoveredtogether,summercloudsarelikefeathers,autumncloudsarelikewaterfalls,andwintercloudsarelikeink;Intheearlymorningorevening,themountainwindblowsthroughthepineforest,carryinglayersofcloudstothevisitors.Thesoundofthepinesisfaintandfrightening.Butassoonastheyarrive,theyturnintocountlessgossamersandfloataway,whichmakespeoplefeeldepressed.Nowondertheancientsoncesighedthat"theseaofcloudsswaysmyheart"!
ThebeautyofHengshanliesintheforestandtheculture.NanyueisatreasurehouseofChineseculture,knownasthe"civilizedOlympicarea".Therearemanyhistoricalrecordsofemperors,princesanddignitariescomingheretoworshipinthepastdynasties,especiallythevisitsofscholars,scholarsandscholars.Theysetupsteles,builtancestraltemples,visitedancienttimes,recitedpoemsandwroteFu,whichleftHengshanpreciousmaterialandspiritualwealth,andalsomadeHengshanafamousmountainofHuxiangculture.
IfwesaythatBuddhismmakesHengshanasbrightasthemoon,BuddhismmakesNanyueasbrightasthesun.InthesouthernandNorthernDynasties,duringthereignofLiangTianjianintheSouthernDynasty,from502to519A.D.,monkHuihaiwentdownfromtheNorthernWeiDynasty,preachedatthefootofLianhuapeak,andbuiltFangguangtempleforthefirsttime.Sincethen,BuddhismhasbeenhandeddowntoNanyue.Later,masterXiDunandmasterHaiYincametoHengshantopreach.In567A.D.,thefirstyearofChenGuangdaintheSouthernDynasty,monkHuisibuiltaPrajnaBuddhisttempleinHengshantopublicizeBuddhism,makingBuddhismofficiallytakechargeofHengshan.FromChenDynastytoTangDynasty,BuddhismhasbeenwidelydevelopedinHengshanfromMingDynastytoQingDynasty.HuisiandZhixucreatedTiantaiSect,huairangcreatedNanyuesect,xiqianpassedonQingyuansect,chuyuankaiHuanglongsect,huinankaiYangqisect,Chengyuansect,fazhaosectandHuikaisectalltookplaceinNanyueMountain.Inparticular,underthevigorouspromotionoffamousmonkssuchashuairang,xiqian,Mazu,Daowu,Weiyan,andnature,ZenBuddhismhassuccessivelyderivedfivesects,namelyLinji,caodong,Yunmen,fayan,andJiyang,whichspreadthroughoutthecountryandeveninKorea,Japanandotheroverseasareas.Itisagrandsightandisknownas"fiveleavesandoneflower"inthehistoryofBuddhism.