Tianzhu Mountain Scenic Area is located in Qianshan City, Anqing, Anhui Province. It is one of China's first batch of national key scenic spots, a 5A-level tourist attraction, a national forest park, a national geopark, and a national natural and cultural dual heritage site. It is also ranked among China's "Top Ten Most Potential Scenic Spots". The scenic area covers 102.72 square kilometers, with a protected area of 304 square kilometers. As a mountainous scenic spot dominated by granite peak cluster landforms, Tianzhu Mountain boasts both the grandeur of northern mountains and the elegance of southern ridges. Its bizarre peaks, exotic rocks, dense caves, and secluded waterfalls are scattered all over the area, and it houses the world's largest and deepest exposed ultra-high pressure metamorphic belt to date.
Historical Culture
Tianzhu Mountain has a long history. During the Spring and Autumn Period, it was the fief of the Wan State, hence the mountain was named Wan Mountain and the adjacent river Wan River. The abbreviation "Wan" of Anhui Province is derived from this. In 106 BC, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty ascended and worshipped Tianzhu Mountain, conferring on it the title of "Southern Yue". In the 9th year of the Kaihuang reign of the Sui Dynasty, Emperor Yang expanded the territory and renamed Hengshan Mountain in Hunan as Southern Yue, but Tianzhu Mountain has still been honored as the "Ancient Southern Yue". Emperors of successive dynasties either personally worshipped it or sent officials to offer sacrifices to Tianzhu Mountain, the Southern Yue.
Tianzhu Mountain is also a thriving place for religious culture. As early as the late Eastern Han Dynasty, there were many religious activities here, with alchemists, monks, and Taoists practicing, building temples, and spreading their doctrines. Baozhi, a renowned monk from Jinling, settled at the foot of the mountain (now around Sanzu Temple) and founded the first temple. During the Tang Dynasty, Qianshan City served as the administrative seat of Shuzhou. In the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty, Mazu Nunnery was imperialy named Foguang Temple, which later became a famous temple.
In addition, Tianzhu Mountain is rich in cultural heritage, attracting numerous literati and scholars such as Wang Anshi, Su Shi, and Huang Tingjian, who left behind a great number of poems, odes, travel notes, and stone carvings. It is also the birthplace of the story in "Peacock Flies Southeast", known as "China's longest poem". It is the hometown where the famous beauties of the Three Kingdoms, Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao, dressed up. It has also nurtured Cheng Changgeng, the "Father of Peking Opera", Zhang Henshui, a master of chaptered novels, Xia Juhua, the "Queen of Acrobatics", and Han Zaifen, a rising star of Huangmei Opera.
Major Attractions
Tianzhu Peak
With an altitude of 1,489.8 meters, Tianzhu Peak is entirely composed of stone, rising abruptly from the ground and towering over the Huaihe and Yangtze River basins like a pillar holding up the sky. At the top of the peak, there are eight huge stone carvings: "Zhongtian Yizhu" (A Pillar in the Mid-Heaven) and "Guli Qingxiao" (Standing Alone Piercing the Clouds), each character being five meters square, exuding great momentum.
Tianchi Peak
As the second highest peak of Tianzhu Mountain, it is slightly higher than Feilai Peak, with an altitude of 1,426 meters. It is the best location to watch the sunrise, sea of clouds, Buddha's light, and sunset glow.
Feilai Peak
With an altitude of 1,424 meters, the entire peak is a single huge boulder. At the top, there is a stone that looks like it fell from the sky, hence the name "Feilai Stone" (Flying Stone), and the peak is also named Feilai Peak (Flying Peak) after it.
Mysterious Valley
As the highlight of the main peak scenic area, the valley is formed by fallen boulders naturally stacked into caves. It is over 450 meters long with a drop of more than 100 meters. Inside the valley, there are caves within caves, winding up and down, and twisting left and right, forming "Heavenly Palace", "Underground Palace", "Xiaoyao Palace", "Maze", and "Dragon Palace".
Shangu Liuquan Cliff Carvings
There are more than 400 existing inscriptions from the Tang Dynasty to the Republic of China, engraved with original poems and essays by officials and literary masters of successive dynasties. It includes various literary genres such as poems, ci, prose, odes, and inscriptions, as well as all calligraphic styles including running script, cursive script, regular script, clerical script, and seal script. It is a natural calligraphy exhibition hall and a corridor of stone carvings.
Liandan Lake
As the third largest alpine man-made lake in China, it is located at an altitude of 1,100 meters, with a water surface area of nearly 30,000 square meters and a water storage capacity of 80,000 cubic meters, like a piece of jasper inlaid among the peaks.
Travel Routes
One-Day Tour
Take Dalongwo Cableway up the mountain → Tianzhu Peak → Feilai Peak → Mysterious Valley → Liandan Lake → Take Tianzhu Mountain Cableway down the mountain.
Two-Day Tour
- Day 1: Take Dalongwo Cableway up the mountain → Tianzhu Peak → Feilai Peak → Mysterious Valley → Stay overnight on the mountain.
- Day 2: Liandan Lake → Take Tianzhu Mountain Cableway down the mountain → Sanzu Temple → Shangu Liuquan Cliff Carvings.
Travel Tips
- Check the weather forecast in advance and choose a sunny day for the trip to enjoy the best scenery.
- Wear comfortable sports shoes as the trip involves mountain climbing with a long distance.
- You can choose to take the cableway up the mountain according to your physical condition to save energy.
- Bring an appropriate amount of water and food. There are some snack bars on the mountain, but the prices are relatively high.
Notes
- Abide by the scenic area regulations: do not spit or litter.
- Pay attention to safety during mountain climbing and follow the signs and the guidance of the staff.
- Protect cultural relics and historic sites: do not touch or carve on cliff carvings, etc.
- In case of bad weather such as heavy rain or strong winds, take shelter in a safe place in a timely manner.
Transportation
- High-Speed Railway: Take the high-speed railway to Qianshan South Station. After exiting the station, there are special tourist buses directly to Tianzhu Mountain Scenic Area.
- Bus: There is a bus station in Qianshan City with regular buses to Tianzhu Mountain.
- Self-Driving: Navigate to Tianzhu Mountain Tourist Center, where there is a parking lot in the scenic area.
Opening Hours
Opening hours: 07:00-17:30. Admission is closed after 16:00.
Ticket Price
The ticket price is 130 yuan per person.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "安徽天柱山" to get the latest updates or buy tickets online. There are various types of tickets available; please purchase according to your needs.
Online Booking
Click here to jump to the Trip.com ticketing platform for ticket purchase.
