What is the charm of Jiufeng Mountain? Frequent safety accidents

On November 7, 2023, nine hikers from Chengdu and Guizhou lost contact while climbing Jiufeng Mountain in Pengshi Prefecture, Sichuan Province. Eight of the missing persons were not found until the morning of November 9, and one person fell off a cliff and his whereabouts are unknown. In recent years, safety accidents have continued to occur among hikers in Pengzhou Jiufeng Mountain. What kind of mountain is this? What is the charm that attracts so many hikers? Why do hikers venture into Jiufeng Mountain? Pengshi Prefecture, a county-level prefecture under the jurisdiction of Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, is located at the junction of the northwestern Sichuan mountainous area and the Chengdu Plain. The Longmen Mountains extend from Motianling in Guangyuan City, Sichuan Province to the southwest and end at the Minjiang River. It is like a natural screen, stretching across the northwest edge of the Chengdu Plain. It is the dividing line between the Sichuan Basin and the western Sichuan Plateau. The Longmen Mountains are composed of Danjing Mountain, Yinchanggou Mountain, Jiufeng Mountain, and Mazongling Mountain. The highest peak, Taizicheng, is 4,812 meters above sea level. According to legend, Dayu "carved Longmen, cast nine tripods, and controlled floods", hence the name Longmen Mountain. Jiufeng Mountain is located in the middle section of Longmen Mountain Range. "There are nine strange peaks standing tall against the sky, which is the crown of all the mountains in Pengyi", so it is named Jiufeng Mountain. The nine peaks, Qinglong, Zhuque, Flame, Tianya, Beiguang, Xianren, Huanglong, Yuanwu and Baihu, stretch out in a long and winding way, with tall trees, strange rocks and steaming clouds. Jiufeng Mountain is a popular place for mountaineering, snow viewing, adventure, sea of ​​clouds viewing and sunrise viewing, which is close to Chengdu city. It belongs to Longmenshan Town, Pengzhou City. It was called Dabao Town before 2002 and Dabao Township before 1992. Wild animals such as giant pandas and monkeys can be seen in the mountains from time to time. In recent years, waves of outdoor enthusiasts have come here from far away to adventure here. In the eyes of local people, Jiufeng Mountain is extremely sacred. "It is the crown of all mountains in Pengzhou, a sacred and mysterious area, and a place shared by Taoism and Buddhism. Ancient pilgrims said that those who are not sincere will often encounter wind, rain, thunder and lightning, and will not survive or have a good end." Currently, the open area of ​​Jiufeng Mountain Scenic Area can only climb up to the Zushi Hall and cannot go any higher. Jiufeng Mountain is adjacent to Wenchuan County, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. It was severely squeezed, deformed and collapsed in the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. The rocks became loose and the mountain became unstable, causing a series of geological hazards. On November 7, 2023, nine hikers climbed the Flame Peak of Jiufeng Mountain, which is 3,315 meters above sea level. It has strange peaks and dangerous rocks, and the ridge is steep with a slope of more than 70°. The narrowest part of the ridge can only accommodate one person. The rocks underfoot are loose, the terrain is dangerous, there is a blind spot for signals, and wild animals are present. It is an unopen wild mountain, so climbing is prohibited. The nine hikers were almost all novice mountain climbers. They did not enter the Jiufeng Mountain Scenic Area from the main gate, but took a detour through Yushigou to go up the mountain, crossed the Golden Summit, and finally lost contact while passing through the Flame Peak route. After an emergency search, even using a helicopter to search, the missing hikers were found on the evening of November 8, but due to the steep terrain, they could not be approached. It was not until the morning of November 9 that the eight missing persons were found and escorted down the mountain. Another person fell off a cliff and his life or death is unknown. There is still no news about the last hiker who fell off the cliff and lost contact, and his whereabouts are unknown. In Jiufeng Mountain, there was an accident in 2023 where a hiker fell off a cliff and died while climbing. On January 19, 2023, a man and a woman lost contact while climbing a mountain. On January 20, rescuers found the two and confirmed that they had fallen off a cliff and died. On May 19, a group of seven people were climbing a mountain when two of them got separated. They called the police for rescue at around 3 a.m. on May 20, and the rescue was successful at 10 a.m. on the same day. On May 20, three college students went into the mountains to watch the sunrise the next morning. As there was no cell phone signal on the mountain, their classmates at school could not get in touch with them for a long time and thought something had happened, so they called the police for help. Rescuers found the three college students safe and sound, and it turned out to be a false alarm! As autumn turns to winter and mountain climbing and snow viewing arrive, a large number of hikers will venture out to enjoy the scenery. There are risks behind the scenery. Please do not venture into dangerous areas. Life safety comes first.