Huaguo Mountain－seen as the birthplace of the Monkey King, or Sun Wukong, the hero of Journey to the West－is big draw for visitors

Every Chinese child knows about the Monkey King and its hometown－the Huaguo Mountain. The mountain, whose name means "flowers and fruits", attracts millions of tourists every year thanks to its mythical status and beautiful scenery.

The mountain, seen as the birthplace of the Monkey King, or Sun Wukong, the hero of one of the most famous Chinese novels, Journey to the West, covers an area of 84.3 square kilometers.

The novel written by Wu Cheng'en (1501-82) has been adapted into cartoons, TV dramas and films in China and is immensely popular, especially among Chinese children.

Huaguo Mountain, also called "the No 1 fairyland in East China Sea", features grotesque rocks, endless white clouds shrouding its valleys and little monkeys in the trees.

The mountain also has many scenic spots for fans of the Monkey King, including Water Curtain Cave, the Sanqing Palace and the 72 Caves site.

Meanwhile, the nearby seaside city of Lianyungang also has many scenic attractions, such as Liandao Island and Yuwan Bay.