Qiyun Mountain: China's Sacred Danxia Peaks & Taoist Temples

Qiyun Mountain, where mountains are like a sea and red cliffs are covered with greenery, is located about 15 kilometers west of Xiuning County, Anhui Province, and was ancient name Baiyue. Qiyun Mountain and Huangshan Mountain face each other north and south, with beautiful scenery. It has long been known as "Huangshan and Baiyue are the best in the south of the Yangtze River". It gets its name because the highest peak, Langya Peak, "a stone pierces the sky, standing side by side with clouds". Emperor Qianlong called it "the unparalleled scenic spot in the world, the first famous mountain in the south of the Yangtze River".

Qiyun Mountain is one of the four famous Taoist mountains in China. Because it and Wudang Mountain both enshrine Emperor Zhenwu, it is also known as "Little Wudang in the south of the Yangtze River". On Qiyun Mountain, Taoist temples are scattered, palaces and temples set off each other, bells and chimes ring, and mist curls.

【Famous Taoist Attractions】

Cave Heaven and Blessed Land

After getting off the cable car, visitors enter the gate of the scenic spot - Wangxian Pavilion. After leaving the pavilion, they walk through Taohua Stream to reach Cave Heaven and Blessed Land. This scene is quite spectacular, with three cliff carvings: Qizhen Rock, Zhonglie Rock, and Shouzi Cliff. It is said that Qizhen Rock is the place where Qixia Zhenren, the earliest Taoist of Qiyun Mountain in the Tang Dynasty, practiced; Zhonglie Rock is the place to worship Guan Yu; and the "Shou" (longevity) character on Shouzi Cliff was written by Empress Dowager Cixi of the Qing Dynasty, and this huge "Shou" character has a diameter of 230 centimeters. After passing Shouzi Cliff, you will see a spacious stone cave that visitors can pass through. It is a natural creation, a "hole under the cliff", called "First Heavenly Gate". There are numerous and dazzling cliff carvings and inscriptions on the gate, forming the "Baiyue Stone Forest".

True Immortal Grotto

There are many caves under the cliff, enshrining statues of various immortals, namely Baxian Cave, Yuantong Cave, Luohan Cave, Yujun Cave, and Wenchang Cave. In the past, practicing Taoists lived in these caves. It is one of the essence scenic spots of Qiyun Mountain. Baxian Cave enshrines the Eight Immortals of Taoism; Yuantong Cave enshrines Guanyin of the South China Sea in Buddhism; Luohan Cave enshrines Emperor Zhenwu, with the Eighteen Arhats enshrined on both sides; Yujun Cave enshrines the Dragon King; Wenchang Cave enshrines the God of Literature, who is in charge of official careers. From the True Immortal Grotto of Qiyun Mountain, you can feel a strong atmosphere of the integration of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism, which is quite distinctive. There are many cliff carvings on the cliff of True Immortal Grotto, among which the most striking are the four characters "Tian Kai Shen Xiu" (Heavenly Creation of Divine Beauty) on the cliff, which are imposing and serve as a prominent symbol of True Immortal Grotto.

Yuehua Street and Taisu Palace

Yuehua Street is a place where Taoists and mountain residents live together, as well as a market on the mountain and a place for pilgrims and tourists to stay. There are 8 ancient Taoist houses on Yuehua Street, as well as many Huizhou-style dwellings, which form a dense building complex with temples and courtyards. The most eye-catching one is Taisu Palace, which covers an area of 1,600 square meters and is very spectacular. It was built in the 35th year of Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty (1556), originally named "Xuantian Taisu Palace", and was rebuilt in the 33rd year of Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty (1768). Taisu Palace was destroyed during the "Cultural Revolution". It was rebuilt according to its original appearance in 1994, and the statues were consecrated in 1997, opening to pilgrims and tourists.

Incense Burner Peak

This peak is in front of Taisu Palace on Yuehua Street. It stands independently and straight, shaped like an incense burner, hence the name "Incense Burner Peak". The base of the peak is small but stable, the body of the burner is thick, and the top is almost the same size as the base. It is said that the iron pavilion and incense burner on the top were once given by Zhu Yuanzhang, but unfortunately, the iron pavilion and incense burner were destroyed in 1958, and the current iron pavilion was rebuilt in 1983. Whenever the sky clears after rain and the clouds are misty, the Incense Burner Peak is sometimes hidden and sometimes visible. There is a poem praising it: "The mountain is like an incense burner, and the clouds are like smoke; the lofty jade temple has been hidden for a thousand years."

Little Pot Heaven

Little Pot Heaven is a stone archway of the Ming Dynasty under the Changsheng Building on Yuehua Street. It gets its name because there are three characters "Little Pot Heaven" on the stone archway. "Little Pot Heaven" is derived from the Taoist immortal "Master Pot". The doorway of the stone archway is in the shape of a gourd. After entering the door, there is a grotto 20 meters long, 3.3 meters wide, and 2.5 meters high. One side of the grotto is an abyss. Standing beside the grotto, you can feel the sense of "infinite scenery on dangerous peaks". Taking a step back, you can see cliff carvings such as "Situi Cliff", "Spring Flowing over Stones", "One-line Spring", and "Feisheng Suo" (Place of Ascension) on the cliff. It is said that this was once a place where Taoists ascended to become immortals.

Yuxu Palace

Yuxu Palace is not far west of Changsheng Building, under Zixiao Cliff. Yuxu Palace was founded in the 10th year of Zhengde in the Ming Dynasty (1515) by Taoist Wang Taiyuan, who was known as Yangsu Daoist. It mainly enshrines Emperor Zhenwu. It consists of three stone archways: "Taiyi Zhenqing Palace", "Wuxu Que". There are reliefs of divine birds and exotic animals on the stone archways, and inside the palace is a stone cave. Nowadays, Yuxu Palace is a sacred place where pious men and women burn incense and pray for blessings and longevity.

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Discover Taoist Wisdom

Taoism is China's ancient and only indigenous religion, embodying the principles of "Following Nature's Way" and "Wu Wei" (effortless action). Its ultimate pursuit is achieving immortality through spiritual enlightenment! Exploring Taoist wisdom can bring balance and serenity to modern life, and may even transform your destiny!