Qingyuan Mountain Scenic Area is located in Fengze District, Quanzhou City, Fujian Province. It is a national key scenic area and a national 5A-level tourist attraction, covering a total area of 62 square kilometers. Composed of three major parts, namely Qingyuan Mountain, Jiuri Mountain and Lingshan Holy Tomb, the scenic area is famous for its 36 caves and 18 scenic spots. With its main peak reaching an altitude of 498 meters, it gets its name from the clear springs running through the mountain. Integrating natural landscapes and cultural heritage, it serves as both an ecological barrier and a cultural landmark of Quanzhou City.
The scenic area houses 3 national key cultural relics protection units and 6 provincial-level cultural relics protection units, including the largest existing Taoist stone sculpture of Laojun (Lord Laozi) in China and the Islamic Holy Tomb. Boasting a forest coverage rate of 91% and a high concentration of negative oxygen ions, it is a comprehensive scenic spot combining religious pilgrimage, ecological sightseeing and science popularization education.
Historical Culture
The history of Qingyuan Mountain can be traced back to the Qin Dynasty. It became a famous Taoist mountain in the Tang Dynasty and witnessed the integration of diverse cultures during the Song and Yuan dynasties. The stone sculpture of Laojun, carved in the Song Dynasty, stands 5.63 meters high, 8.01 meters wide and 6.85 meters thick. As the largest existing Taoist stone sculpture in China, it represents the pinnacle of stone carving art in the Song Dynasty.
The Wind-Praying Cliff Carvings on Jiuri Mountain record the wind-praying ceremonies of merchant ships on the Maritime Silk Road in the Song Dynasty, and are an important part of the world maritime trade heritage. There are a total of 75 cliff carvings, among which 13 record the wind-praying activities, witnessing the prosperity of the ancient port of Quanzhou. Lingshan Holy Tomb is the burial place of the disciples of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and is one of the oldest existing Islamic holy sites in China. It was listed as a national key cultural relic protection unit in 1988.
Scholars and poets of all dynasties have left a large number of cliff carvings in the scenic area, with 578 pieces existing today, including 33 from the Song Dynasty, 5 from the Yuan Dynasty, 17 from the Ming Dynasty and 13 from the Qing Dynasty. Covering religions, politics, economy and other fields, these carvings are living fossils for studying the history and culture of southern Fujian.
Major Scenic Spots
Laojun Rock
As the largest existing Taoist stone sculpture in China, it stands 5.63 meters high and is carved from natural rock. With a kind facial expression and smooth folds of clothing, it showcases the stone carving art of the Song Dynasty. The stone statue, with its left hand resting on the knee and right hand leaning on a table, has a vivid shape and is a landmark attraction of Qingyuan Mountain. It was listed as a national key cultural relic protection unit in 1988.
Wind-Praying Cliff Carvings on Jiuri Mountain
Located on Jiuri Mountain, there are 75 cliff carvings in total, among which 13 record the wind-praying ceremonies of merchant ships in the Song Dynasty with the content of "sending officials to pray for wind". Documenting the wind-praying activities from the 3rd year of Chongning in the Northern Song Dynasty to the 2nd year of Xianchun in the Southern Song Dynasty (1104-1265), these carvings are important physical materials for studying the Maritime Silk Road. In 2021, they were included in the World Cultural Heritage List as a core heritage site of "Quanzhou: Emporium of the World in Song-Yuan China".
Lingshan Holy Tomb
It is the burial place of Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas and Umar, disciples of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. First built in the Tang Dynasty, the tomb is made of granite, standing 2 meters high with a circumference of 6.35 meters. Behind the tomb, there are Arabic inscriptions recording the missionary deeds of the two in Quanzhou. As one of the oldest existing Islamic holy sites in China, it was listed as a national key cultural relic protection unit in 1988.
Heaven Lake
Located at the top of Qingyuan Mountain with an altitude of 368 meters, it is an artificial lake covering an area of about 15,000 square meters. With clear water surrounded by green trees, it offers a bird's-eye view of Quanzhou City. Equipped with trails and viewing platforms around, it is an ideal place for leisure and sightseeing.
Qianshou Rock
Named after enshrining the Thousand-Hand and Thousand-Eye Guanyin, it was first built in the Song Dynasty, and the existing buildings are in the architectural style of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Inside the temple, there is a thousand-year-old camphor tree, 25 meters high with a chest diameter of 3.1 meters, flourishing with dense branches and leaves, and is one of the famous ancient trees in Quanzhou. Behind the rock stands the "Flying Pagoda", a five-story hexagonal stone pagoda with a height of 7 meters.
Mituo Rock
Named after enshrining Amitabha Buddha, there is an Amitabha Buddha statue on the rock, which was built in the Yuan Dynasty, standing 4.7 meters high and 2.5 meters wide. With a round face and a serene expression, the Buddha statue looks peaceful. In front of the rock lies the "Spring Cave Waterfall" scenic spot, where spring water flows out from the rock crevices to form a waterfall with a drop of about 10 meters.
Bixiao Rock
It houses the Yuan Dynasty Tibetan Buddhist statues of the Three Buddhas of the Three Ages, standing 3 meters high and 6.5 meters wide. As the earliest existing Tibetan Buddhist stone carvings in Fujian Province, the statues are seated cross-legged in kasaya with solemn facial expressions. On the rock, there is a cliff carving with the characters "Touhai" (Seeing Through to the Sea), from where visitors can enjoy a distant view of Quanzhou Bay.
Cien Rock
Named after being granted by an emperor of the Tang Dynasty, there is a white-robed Guanyin statue inside the rock, which was built in the Song Dynasty, standing 3.5 meters high. In front of the rock stands the "Wangzhou Pavilion", offering a bird's-eye view of Quanzhou City. There are more than 20 cliff carvings around, among which the "Quan Shan" (Quan Mountain) carving was written by Mi Fu, a famous calligrapher of the Song Dynasty.
Tour Routes
Recommended One-Day Tour Route: Take a sightseeing bus from the scenic area entrance to Laojun Rock to visit the largest existing Taoist stone sculpture in China; then walk to Qianshou Rock to admire the thousand-year-old camphor tree; proceed to Mituo Rock to view the Yuan Dynasty Amitabha Buddha statue; then go to Bixiao Rock to visit the Tibetan Buddhist statues of the Three Buddhas of the Three Ages; take a sightseeing bus to Heaven Lake to enjoy the bird's-eye view of Quanzhou City; finally, visit Cien Rock on the way down the mountain to end the trip.
Cultural Experience Route: Enter from the Jiuri Mountain entrance to visit the Wind-Praying Cliff Carvings and learn about the history of the Maritime Silk Road; then go to Lingshan Holy Tomb to experience Islamic culture; finally, head to the main scenic area of Qingyuan Mountain to visit cultural attractions such as Laojun Rock and cliff carvings. The whole journey takes about 5 hours.
Travel Tips
- The recommended travel time is half a day to one day. Spring (March-May) and autumn (October-November) with pleasant weather are the best seasons to visit. Sun protection and heatstroke prevention measures are needed in summer.
- There are many trails in the scenic area, so it is advisable to wear comfortable sports shoes. Visitors with weak physical strength can take sightseeing buses, which cost 10 yuan per person for a one-way trip and 20 yuan per person for a round trip.
- For an in-depth cultural experience, visitors can hire a scenic area interpreter at a cost of 50 yuan per time, or rent an audio guide device for 20 yuan per unit to learn about the historical background of the scenic spots.
- There are many special foods of Quanzhou around the scenic area, such as misua paste, runbing (spring roll), and earthworm jelly. You can arrange time to taste them, and it is recommended to go to time-honored restaurants near the scenic area.
Notes
- Respect the regulations of religious sites. Keep quiet and do not take photos randomly when entering temples such as Qianshou Rock and Mituo Rock.
- Some trails in the scenic area are steep, so please pay attention to safety when walking, especially for visitors with the elderly and children.
- Protect the environment of the scenic area, do not litter randomly, and do not carve on cultural relics and historic sites such as cliff carvings.
- There are many mosquitoes in the scenic area in summer, so it is recommended to bring mosquito repellent spray; the temperature difference between morning and evening is large in winter, so please keep warm.
- There are multiple entrances to the scenic area, so it is advisable to plan the route in advance to avoid getting lost. You can get a scenic area map at the tourist center.
Transportation
- Bus: Take buses No. 3, 28, 30, 45, 202, K1, etc. from the urban area to "Qingyuan Mountain Scenic Area" station, then walk about 10 minutes to the scenic area entrance.
- Self-driving: Navigate to "Qingyuan Mountain Scenic Area". There are 3 parking lots in the scenic area, namely Laojun Rock Parking Lot, Heaven Lake Parking Lot and Cien Rock Parking Lot. The charging standard is 10 yuan per time for small cars and 20 yuan per time for large vehicles.
- Tourist Special Line: There are direct tourist special buses from Quanzhou Passenger Transport Center Station to Qingyuan Mountain, operating from 08:00 to 17:00 with one departure per hour, and the fare is 5 yuan per person.
Opening Hours
Opening hours are 05:30-18:30 (summer) and 06:00-18:00 (winter). For detailed information, please refer to the announcement of the scenic area.
Ticket Price
The ticket price is 70 yuan per person.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "清源山风景区" to get the latest updates or book tickets online.
Online Booking
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