Sanxian (Three Fairy) Mountain Scenic Area is located in Penglai District, Yantai City, Shandong Province, and is a national 5A-level tourist attraction. The scenic area is elaborately built based on the three fairy mountains "Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou" in ancient Chinese myths and legends. It deeply integrates classical garden architecture with mythological culture, presenting a "fairyland" scene. Its characteristic lies in reproducing the fantasy conception of the legendary fairy mountains. The ancient buildings in the garden are magnificent, with mountains and waters reflecting each other, and pavilions, terraces, buildings, and towers scattered in an orderly manner, like a three-dimensional classical painting. Sanxian Mountain Scenic Area covers an area of about 200,000 square meters, including a water area of 100,000 square meters and a construction area of about 38,000 square meters. The overall layout follows the traditional gardening concept of "one pond with three mountains", creating a garden landscape where virtual and real interweave.
History and Culture
The cultural origin of Sanxian Mountain can be traced back to the fairy tales of the pre-Qin period. Ancient books such as "Records of the Grand Historian" and "Liezi" all have records about the three fairy mountains "Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou". It is said that there are immortals living on the fairy mountains, which are rich in elixirs of immortality. They are symbols of ancient emperors' pursuit of immortality and yearning for fairyland. Emperors such as Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han once sent people to search for the fairy mountains. This cultural image has profoundly influenced China's garden art, literary creation and other fields.
Although Sanxian Mountain Scenic Area was rebuilt in modern times (construction started in 2005 and opened to the public in 2008), it strictly follows historical records and traditional gardening techniques, and visualizes the fairy mountain conception in myths and legends. The scenic area collects a large number of cultural relics and art treasures from past dynasties, including ancient wood carvings, bronzes, porcelains, etc., many of which are fine works from the Ming and Qing dynasties. These cultural relics not only enrich the cultural connotation of the scenic area, but also provide a material carrier for tourists to understand ancient Chinese mythological culture, garden art and historical changes, making the legendary fairy mountains a tangible cultural landscape.
Main Attractions
Penglai Fairy Island
Penglai Fairy Island is one of the core landscapes of Sanxian Mountain Scenic Area, covering an area of about 35,000 square meters. It is built to simulate the scene of the legendary Penglai Fairy Mountain. There are ancient-style buildings such as Penglai Pavilion and Sanqing Hall on the island. Among them, Penglai Pavilion is 18 meters high, a three-story gable and hip roof building with carved beams and painted rafters, which is magnificent. The pavilion enshrines statues of Taoist immortals. The island is surrounded by clear lake water, with pavilions, terraces, and waterside pavilions dotted in the lake. Tourists can take a boat to tour around the island and feel the wonderful experience of "being in a fairyland". A large number of exotic flowers and rare herbs are planted on the island, with different scenery in four seasons, showing the elegance and beauty of the fairy mountain.
Fangzhang Fairy Mountain
Fangzhang Fairy Mountain covers an area of about 28,000 square meters, with the theme of "Splendid Scenery of Fanghu", showing the magnificent scene of the legendary Fangzhang Fairy Mountain. The main building on the island, Fanghu Hall, is a palace-style building with a construction area of about 1,200 square meters. The hall is decorated gorgeously, displaying many wood carvings and stone carvings. Among them, the large red wood carving "Immortals Celebrating Birthday" is 12 meters long and 3 meters high, with exquisite carvings and various expressions of characters, which can be called an art treasure. There is a zigzag bridge in the island connecting the lake bank. Willows are planted beside the bridge, and the lake water is clear to the bottom, reflecting the figure of the ancient building, creating a quiet and distant atmosphere.
Yingzhou Fairyland
Yingzhou Fairyland covers an area of about 22,000 square meters, focusing on reflecting the misty and ethereal conception of the legendary Yingzhou Fairy Mountain. Most of the buildings on the island are pavilions, terraces, buildings, and towers, with a light and flexible style, integrating with the surrounding mountains, waters, and vegetation. The core building, Yingzhou Pavilion, has a hexagonal pyramidal roof and is 12 meters high. Inside the pavilion, there are paintings depicting fairy mountain legends. Climbing the pavilion and looking into the distance, you can have a panoramic view of the scenic area. There are also many cliff inscriptions in the island, engraved with poems and verses describing fairy mountains by literati of past dynasties, adding a strong cultural atmosphere. Wandering here, you feel as if you are in the artistic conception of poems and essays.
Treasure Museum
Treasure Museum is located in Sanxian Mountain Scenic Area, with a construction area of about 5,000 square meters. It is a comprehensive exhibition hall integrating cultural relics collection and display. The museum collects a large number of precious cultural relics, covering various utensils from the Shang and Zhou dynasties to the Ming and Qing dynasties. Among them, the most striking one is a 9.9-meter-high jade Buddha made of jadeite, which is carved from a complete piece of jadeite. With exquisite craftsmanship, the Buddha statue looks serene. It is one of the larger jadeite Buddhas in China. In addition, there are a large number of ancient furniture, calligraphy and painting works in the museum. Each collection has high historical and artistic value, presenting a rich cultural feast for tourists.
Jade Buddha Temple
Jade Buddha Temple is adjacent to the Treasure Museum, with a construction area of about 3,000 square meters. It is an important religious and cultural landscape in the scenic area. The temple mainly enshrines a 12.86-meter-high reclining jade Buddha of Sakyamuni, which is carved from a 108-ton Burmese white jade. The Buddha statue has a serene posture, exquisite details, and smooth and natural clothes patterns. It is one of the larger jade reclining Buddhas in the world. The architectural style of Jade Buddha Temple integrates the characteristics of Han Buddhism temples, which is solemn and respectful. There are also places for Buddhist activities in the temple, where tourists can feel the tranquility and peace of Buddhist culture.
Food
Sanxian Mountain Vegetarian Feast
Sanxian Mountain Vegetarian Feast is a characteristic food in the scenic area, featuring lightness, health, and exquisiteness. The ingredients mainly include bean products, vegetables, mushrooms, nuts, etc., which are made by traditional cooking techniques. There are various dishes, most of which are named after myths and legends, such as "Fairy Mountain Mushrooms" and "Yaotai Vegetarian Abalone". Among them, the "Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea Vegetarian Platter" has an exquisite shape, which cleverly matches eight kinds of vegetarian dishes, symbolizing the legend of the Eight Immortals crossing the sea. It has a refreshing taste and balanced nutrition. The vegetarian restaurant has an ancient and elegant environment, which complements the "fairyland" atmosphere of the scenic area, and is a good place to experience vegetarian culture.
Surrounding Food
Penglai Braised Donkey Meat
Penglai braised donkey meat is a local characteristic food with a long history of more than 300 years. It uses high-quality local donkey meat, mixed with more than ten kinds of spices such as star anise, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and is braised for a long time. The meat is tender, with a strong aroma and moderate saltiness. It can be eaten directly or with sesame cakes. You can taste the authentic flavor in time-honored shops around the scenic area, such as "Guocheng Braised Donkey Meat". The vacuum-packed products are also convenient for tourists to carry as souvenirs.
Salted Fish and Pancakes
Salted Fish and Pancakes is a traditional delicacy of fishing communities in the Yantai area and is also quite common in Penglai. Fresh sea fish (mostly Spanish mackerel and hairtail) are marinated and dried to make salted fish, which is then fried until golden and crispy. It is served with pancakes made of cornmeal. The savory aroma of the salted fish and the fragrance of the coarse-grain pancakes complement each other, creating a rich taste. This dish is available in many restaurants run by fishing families near the scenic area and is one of the representative foods for experiencing the dietary culture of fishing communities.
Tickets
The ticket price is 120 yuan per person.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "八仙过海" to get the latest news or buy tickets online.
Opening Hours
The opening hours are: 7:30 - 18:00 from April 1 to October 31; 8:00 - 17:00 from November 1 to March 31 of the next year. The scenic area will appropriately adjust the opening hours according to seasonal changes and holidays. For example, the opening hours may be extended during the Spring Festival. It is recommended that tourists check and confirm through official channels before traveling.
Tour Route
After entering the scenic area, tourists can first go to the tourist center at the entrance to get a tour map, then enter from the main gate, first visit Fangzhang Fairy Mountain, enjoy the architecture and collected treasures of Fanghu Hall, which takes about 1 hour; then go to Penglai Fairy Island, climb Penglai Pavilion to overlook the panorama, take a boat to tour the lake scenery, and feel the fairy island conception, which takes about 1.5 hours; then go to Yingzhou Fairyland, walk among the pavilions, terraces, buildings, and towers, enjoy the cliff inscriptions and natural landscapes, which takes about 1 hour; at noon, you can dine in the Sanxian Mountain Vegetarian Restaurant in the scenic area to experience characteristic vegetarian food. In the afternoon, visit the Treasure Museum and Jade Buddha Temple to enjoy the jadeite jade Buddha and various cultural relics, which takes about 1.5 hours. It is recommended to arrange 5 - 6 hours for the whole tour to fully feel the cultural and landscape charm of the scenic area.
Transportation
- Bus: In Penglai District, you can take bus No. 6 or 8 to "Sanxian Mountain Scenic Area" station, and walk for about 3 minutes to reach the entrance of the scenic area; from Yantai urban area, you can take the intercity bus from Yantai to Penglai (ticket price 25 yuan), get off at Penglai Bus Station, and then transfer to bus No. 6 to go there.
- Self-driving: Starting from Yantai urban area, drive along Rongwu Expressway (G18) towards Penglai, get off at Penglai Exit, go straight along Haishi Road for about 5 kilometers to reach the scenic area. The charging standard of the scenic area parking lot is 5 yuan per hour for small cars and 10 yuan per hour for large cars.
- Taxi/Online Car-hailing: Taking a taxi from Penglai urban area to Sanxian Mountain Scenic Area takes about 10 minutes, with a cost of about 15 yuan; taking a taxi from Penglai Pavilion Scenic Area takes about 5 minutes, with a cost of about 10 yuan.
Must-visit Attractions
- Penglai Fairy Island: The core landscape of the scenic area covers an area of 35,000 square meters. The 18-meter-high Penglai Pavilion is a landmark building. You can climb the pavilion to view the scenery and take a boat to tour the lake, feeling the "fairy mountain" conception in an all-round way. The rich vegetation and buildings on the island create a strong mythical atmosphere.
- Treasure Museum: With a construction area of 5,000 square meters, the 9.9-meter-high jadeite jade Buddha in the museum is known as the treasure of the museum. There are also a large number of cultural relics and artworks from past dynasties, which is an important place to understand ancient Chinese culture and art.
- Jade Buddha Temple: It enshrines a 12.86-meter-high reclining Buddha of Sakyamuni made of Burmese white jade, which is a rare large jade Buddha in the world. The Buddha statue is exquisitely carved, and the temple has a solemn atmosphere, with high religious and artistic value.
Tour Suggestions
- It is recommended to go there in spring and autumn. At this time, the climate is pleasant and the scenery is beautiful, avoiding the high temperature in summer and the severe cold in winter, and there are relatively few tourists, so the tour experience is better.
- Most of the scenic area is visited on foot, and the area is large. It is recommended to wear comfortable sports shoes, carry sun hats, drinking water and other items. Pay attention to sun protection in summer and keep warm in winter.
- When visiting the Treasure Museum and Jade Buddha Temple, you can rent a voice guide (rental fee 20 yuan per unit) to have a deeper understanding of the stories behind the cultural relics and Buddha statues and enhance the cultural experience of the tour.
- If time permits, you can visit Sanxian Mountain Scenic Area together with nearby Penglai Pavilion Scenic Area and Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea Scenic Area, forming a "fairyland culture" themed tourist route to fully feel the mythical cultural charm of Penglai.
Matters Needing Attention
- Smoking and littering are prohibited in the scenic area. When visiting, please take good care of flowers, trees, ancient buildings and cultural relics, and do not touch or carve the exhibits at will.
- Those taking boats on the lake must abide by safety regulations, wear life jackets, follow the instructions of the staff, and minors must be accompanied by adults when taking boats.
- Please keep quiet when visiting the temple, respect religious beliefs, follow the temple etiquette, do not make noise or take photos at will (if there is a no-photography sign, it must be strictly observed).
- The prices of restaurants and commodities in the scenic area are relatively high. Tourists can bring some snacks and drinking water according to their needs.
- There are many tourists during holidays. It is recommended to buy tickets through official channels in advance, arrange the tour time reasonably, and visit popular attractions during off-peak hours.