Qianshan Scenic Area is located in Tiedong District, Anshan City, Liaoning Province. It is a national 5A-level tourist attraction, known as the "Pearl of Northeast China" and "the First Mountain of Liaodong". It gets its name from the legend that there are 999 peaks. The scenic area is famous for its beautiful peaks, steep rocks, secluded valleys, ancient temples, tall Buddhas, exotic pines, and blooming flowers, combining natural and cultural landscapes. It covers a total area of 125 square kilometers, with the core scenic area being about 44 square kilometers. The highest peak in the area is Xianrentai, with an altitude of 708.3 meters, which is the second highest peak on the Liaodong Peninsula. Qianshan belongs to the branch of the Changbai Mountains, with a geological structure dominated by granite. After hundreds of millions of years of weathering and erosion, it has formed many unique landforms such as the One-Line Sky, Clip-Flat Stone, and Rootless Stone. There are 38 existing temples in the scenic area, among which Zuyue Temple built in the Tang Dynasty, Da'an Temple in the Liao Dynasty, Xiangyan Temple in the Jin Dynasty, and Wuliangguan in the Ming Dynasty are known as the "Five Great Zen Forests of Qianshan". It is one of the important birthplaces of Buddhist and Taoist cultures in Northeast China, attracting a large number of tourists and believers for sightseeing and pilgrimage every year.
Historical Culture
The development history of Qianshan can be traced back to the Neolithic Age, when ancestors already lived here. During the Shang and Zhou dynasties, the Qianshan area belonged to Youzhou and was an important region of ancient Liaodong culture.
The spread of Buddhist culture in Qianshan began in the Eastern Jin Dynasty and had initially taken shape in the Tang Dynasty. Zuyue Temple is a representative building of this period, and the existing remains of Tang Dynasty Buddhist statues on steles witness the religious prosperity at that time. During the Liao and Jin dynasties, Qianshan became a Buddhist sacred place, with temples such as Xiangyan Temple and Da'an Temple built one after another, attracting numerous monks and enjoying prosperous incense. In the Ming Dynasty, Taoism was introduced to Qianshan, and the construction of Wuliangguan marked the formation of a situation where Buddhism and Taoism coexisted and prospered in Qianshan. Over the next few hundred years, the two cultures merged with each other, leaving a large number of cultural relics such as inscriptions and cliff carvings, such as the "Straight to the Blue Sky" stone carving in Wuliangguan and the "Tufu Yingsheng" plaque in Longquan Temple.
In the Qing Dynasty, Qianshan was valued by the royal family. Emperors such as Kangxi and Qianlong once visited Qianshan and left many poems and inscriptions. Since modern times, Qianshan, as an important religious, cultural and scenic area in Northeast China, has been continuously protected and developed. It was listed as a national scenic spot in 1982 and promoted to a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction in 2017. Today, Qianshan is not only a combination of nature and humanity, but its rich religious buildings and inscription culture also provide valuable material materials for the study of Northeast local history and religious history.
Main Attractions
Xianrentai
Xianrentai is the main peak of Qianshan, with an altitude of 708.3 meters. It gets its name because there is a huge stone on the top of the mountain that looks like an immortal sitting or lying. Climbing to the top, you can overlook the whole view of Qianshan, and on clear days, you can see the Bohai Bay in the distance. There is an existing Liao Dynasty ancient pagoda on the top of the mountain, which is 7 meters high, a hexagonal solid brick pagoda with Buddhist scriptures carved on the body, and it is a provincial cultural relics protection unit. The hiking trail from Wuliangguan to Xianrentai is about 5 kilometers long, with dangerous landscapes such as "Heavenly Sky" and "Step to the Sky" along the way. Among them, "One-Line Sky" is formed by two huge stones sandwiching each other, and the gap is only wide enough for one person to pass sideways, with the narrowest part being about 0.5 meters wide.
Wuliangguan
Wuliangguan (The Temple of Infinite Views) is the core site of Taoism in Qianshan. Founded in the 6th year of the Chongzhen era of the Ming Dynasty (1633) by Liu Tailin, a Taoist priest of the Quanzhen School, it covers an area of approximately 20,000 square meters. The main buildings within the temple, including the Hall of the Three Officials, the Hall of Laojun (the Supreme Lord), and the Yuhuang Pavilion (the Pavilion of the Jade Emperor), are all constructed against the mountain, arranged in an orderly and scattered manner. Among them, the Yuhuang Pavilion stands at the highest point of the temple, with a construction area of about 80 square meters; climbing the pavilion allows a panoramic view of the entire temple. Wuliangguan preserves a large number of inscriptions from the Ming and Qing dynasties, such as the Taoist spell carvings on the "Taiji Stone" and the poems inscribed on the "Wooden Fish Stone", which hold significant historical and cultural value. The "Clip-Flat Stone" landscape outside the temple is particularly unique: two huge rocks slope in a V-shape, and visitors must turn sideways and draw in their stomachs to pass through. The stone is engraved with the three characters "Jia Bian Shi" (Clip-Flat Stone), which were inscribed during the Qing Dynasty.
Longquan Temple
Longquan Temple, ranking first among the "Five Great Zen Monasteries" of Qianshan, was first built in the Tang Dynasty. The existing buildings, which were rebuilt during the Ming and Qing dynasties, cover an area of approximately 15,000 square meters. The temple gets its name from a clear spring (Longquan, meaning "Dragon Spring") nearby, which never dries up all year round and maintains a constant water temperature of around 10°C. The main buildings within the temple include the Mahavira Hall, the Dharma King Hall, and the Sutra Repository. Among them, the statue of Sakyamuni enshrined in the Mahavira Hall stands 5 meters tall, crafted using the Ming Dynasty technique of bronze casting with gilding. Surrounding Longquan Temple are numerous ancient pine trees, among which the "Coiled Dragon Pine" has a history of over 800 years. Its trunk twists and turns like a dragon, with a crown spanning 20 square meters. The temple preserves more than 20 stone inscriptions dating from the Jin Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, which record the rise and fall of the temple throughout its history.
Da'an Temple
Da'an Temple is located in the southern part of Qianshan. It was founded in the Liao Dynasty and rebuilt in the Ming Dynasty, covering an area of about 12,000 square meters. Because it is located in the deep mountains with a quiet environment, it is known as the "Pure Land of Qianshan". The main buildings in the temple include Weituo Hall, Guanyin Hall, and Dizang Hall, all of which are hard-top buildings. The natural landscape of Da'an Temple is unique. The "Tongming Mountain" next to the temple is named because there is a sky-penetrating stone cave on the top of the mountain. The cave is about 3 meters high and 2 meters wide, and you can see the opposite peak from inside the cave. The "Stone Shed" in the temple is a naturally formed huge stone platform with an area of about 50 square meters, which is said to have been a place where monks meditated.
Xiangyan Temple
Xiangyan Temple was founded in the Jin Dynasty and is located in the middle of Qianshan. It gets its name because the ancient pines and rocks in the temple emit a fragrance (actually the smell of pine resin combined with rock minerals), covering an area of about 10,000 square meters. The buildings in the temple are centered on the Dabei Hall, in which the thousand-handed Guanyin statue enshrined is 6 meters high, a Qing Dynasty wood carving. There are many strange rocks around Xiangyan Temple, such as "Golden Turtle Watching the Moon" and "Giant Elephant Drinking Water", which are vivid in shape. The "Immortal Cave" behind the temple is about 30 meters deep, and the stone walls in the cave are carved with inscriptions by Jin Dynasty monks.
Food
Qianshan Old Tofu
Qianshan Old Tofu is a local specialty food. It is made of soybeans soaked in Qianshan mountain spring water, ground by stone mill and coagulated with bittern. It has a delicate texture and a strong bean fragrance. When eating, it is served with a special marinade (stewed with shiitake mushrooms, fungus, shrimp skin, etc.) and seasonings such as leek flower and chili oil. It tastes smooth and tender, salty and delicious. Each serving in the farmhouses in the scenic area is priced at about 15 yuan. It is recommended to eat it with corn cakes to have more farm flavor.
Anshan Meat Dates
Anshan Meat Dates are a traditional flavor snack in Liaoning. They are named because they look like red dates and are common in restaurants around Qianshan Scenic Area. They are made of lean pork as the main ingredient, cut into thin strips, marinated with soy sauce, sugar, cooking wine and other seasonings, then air-dried and smoked. They are bright red in color, tight in texture, and moderately salty and sweet. Vacuum-packed meat dates are available in the specialty stores in the scenic area, priced at about 40 yuan per 500 grams, suitable as a souvenir.
Qianshan Braised Chicken
Qianshan Braised Chicken uses locally raised free-range chickens, paired with Qianshan's specialty hazel mushrooms and vermicelli, and slow-cooked in a pottery pot for more than 2 hours. The chicken is tender and the soup is rich. Each serving in the "Mountain Flavor Restaurant" in the scenic area is priced at 88 yuan. The selected native chicken weighs about 1.5 kilograms, enough for 3-4 people to eat, and it is the first choice for tourists to experience farm dishes.
Surrounding Food
There are many characteristic restaurants on the "Food Street" in Tiedong District, Anshan City, about 5 kilometers away from Qianshan Scenic Area. It is recommended to go to "Old Anshan Restaurant", which focuses on Northeast home-cooked dishes. The signature dishes such as Guo Bao Rou (38 yuan/serving) and Di San Xian (28 yuan/serving) have authentic flavors; "Seafood Food Stalls" provide fresh Bohai Bay seafood, such as garlic vermicelli steamed scallops (6 yuan each) and spicy fried clams (25 yuan/serving), with an average consumption of about 60 yuan per person.
Tickets
The ticket is 76 yuan per person.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "千山景区" to get the latest news or buy tickets online.
Opening Hours
The opening hours are adjusted according to the season: the peak season (April 1 - October 31) is 7:00 - 17:30 (admission stops at 16:30); the off-season (November 1 - March 31 of the next year) is 8:00 - 16:30 (admission stops at 15:30). All temples are open at the same time as the scenic area. The cableway operates from 8:00 to 17:00 (shortened to 16:00 in the off-season).
Tour Route
Recommended one-day tour route: enter the scenic area from the main gate at 7:30 am, take the sightseeing bus to Wuliangguan (about 15 minutes), visit Wuliangguan and surrounding landscapes such as "Clip-Flat Stone" and "Taiji Stone" (about 2 hours); go to the Heavenly Sky Scenic Area along the trail at 9:30, experience dangerous landscapes such as "One-Line Sky" and "Step to the Sky" (about 1.5 hours); take the Heavenly Sky Cableway to Wufoding at 11:00 (about 10 minutes), climb to the top of Wufoding to overlook the mountains (about 1 hour); have lunch in the rest area near Wufoding at 12:00 (you can bring your own dry food or buy simple meals); walk to Longquan Temple at 13:30, visit the ancient temple and "Coiled Dragon Pine" (about 1.5 hours); go to the direction of Xianrentai at 15:00, visit the natural landscapes along the way (about 1.5 hours); return to the main gate of the scenic area at 16:30, and buy souvenirs in the specialty store on the way. The total walking distance is about 10 kilometers. Those with insufficient physical strength can appropriately reduce the number of attractions.
Transportation
- Bus: Take bus No. 8, 17 or 25 in Anshan City to "Qianshan Scenic Area" Station, walk about 10 minutes to the main gate, the journey is about 40 minutes, and the fare is 2 yuan.
- Self-driving: Starting from the center of Anshan City, drive east along East Qianshan Road for about 12 kilometers, taking about 25 minutes; the parking fee standard of the scenic area parking lot is 10 yuan per time for small cars and 20 yuan per time for large cars. Parking spaces are tight in peak seasons, so it is recommended to arrive early.
- Tourist line: There is a one-day tour line from Shenyang to Qianshan, including round-trip transportation and tickets, with prices ranging from 150 to 180 yuan per person. You can sign up at travel agencies near Shenyang Station and Shenyang North Station.
- High-speed rail: Take the high-speed rail to Anshan Station, then transfer to bus No. 8 to reach the scenic area. The high-speed rail journey from Shenyang takes about 30 minutes, and the fare is 30 yuan.
Must-Visit Attractions
- Xianrentai: The main peak of Qianshan, with an altitude of 708.3 meters. Climbing to the top, you can overlook the whole view. The Liao Dynasty ancient pagoda is a landmark landscape.
- Wuliangguan: The core of Taoism in Qianshan. Landscapes such as "Clip-Flat Stone" and "Wooden Fish Stone" complement Taoist buildings, with profound cultural heritage.
- Longquan Temple: The first of the "Five Great Zen Forests". The Tang Dynasty ancient temple, thousand-year-old ancient pines and Longquan form a quiet atmosphere, suitable for quiet sightseeing.
- Heavenly Sky Scenic Area: Featuring dangerous landforms such as "One-Line Sky" and "Step to the Sky", it is a popular area for mountaineering and adventure.
Tour Suggestions
- It is recommended to spend 1 day for the tour. The best season for visiting is from May to October, when the vegetation is lush and the climate is suitable; in winter, you can enjoy the snow scenery, but some sections are slippery, so you need to pay attention to safety.
- Before climbing, you need to prepare comfortable sports shoes and sun protection products. In summer, it is recommended to bring a sun hat and a water bottle (there are many drinking fountains in the scenic area). In winter, you need to wear non-slip shoes and carry warm clothes.
- The catering price in the scenic area is relatively high. You can bring your own bread, fruits and other dry food and eat in the rest area; if you want to taste local specialties, it is recommended to eat in the farmhouses outside the scenic area.
- Those with weak physical strength can make reasonable use of sightseeing buses and cableways to reduce walking distance; there are many rest pavilions in the scenic area, where you can stop to rest at any time.
- It is recommended to download the electronic map of the scenic area in advance, mark the must-visit attractions to avoid taking a wrong turn; there are many tourists on weekends and holidays, so it is recommended to travel at off-peak times (such as working days or arriving at the scenic area early).
Notes
- When climbing, you must abide by the rule of "don't look at the scenery while walking, don't walk while looking at the scenery", especially in dangerous sections such as "One-Line Sky" and "Clip-Flat Stone", you must pass in turn and not crowd.
- Smoking and littering are prohibited in the scenic area. Climbing and breaking flowers and trees, and carving on rocks are strictly prohibited, and violators will be fined.
- When entering the temple, you must abide by religious etiquette, do not make noise, do not touch the Buddha statues, and turn off the flash when taking photos.
- In the rainy season (July - August), geological disasters such as landslides may occur. You need to pay attention to the weather forecast and avoid climbing in bad weather; there are emergency shelters in the scenic area, and you can go there in case of emergencies.
- The medical station of the scenic area is located near Wuliangguan, providing simple medical services.