Qiguan Mountain

Qiguan Mountain

Qiguan Mountain is located in Datiechang Village, Waziyu Town, Yixian County, Jinzhou City. It belongs to the western branch of the Yiwulu Mountain Range and lies to the southwest of the main peak of Lüshan (Mount Lü). Its highest peak, Yingzui Peak, stands at an elevation of 961 meters. The mountain features perilous terrain, majestic beauty, grandeur, and breathtaking magnificence, with highly unique natural landscapes.

Around 120 million years ago, during the Yanshan orogeny period, the Pacific Plate collided with the Eurasian Plate. Magma intruded upward in the area where Qiguan Mountain now stands, eventually emerging at the surface. Granite, basalt, rhyolite, and metamorphic rocks developed extensively, forming a uniquely rugged landscape characterized by steep cliffs, towering peaks, exquisite rock formations, beautiful springs, and caves scattered throughout the valleys.

More than 1,300 years ago, during the Sui and Tang dynasties, this area served as a military encampment for the northern army led by Xue Rengui during his eastern campaign. Today, the horse hoof prints on the mountain rocks are said to have been left by Xue Rengui. The mountain once featured sites related to the campaign, such as the Overturned Well and the Horse King Temple. A thousand years ago, the Khitan civilization gave rise to the culture of the Great Liao Dynasty. Historically, this was the core region of the Great Liao’s Khitan culture within the Yiwulu Mountain Range and was once the territory of the Xiao clan, the maternal family of the Khitan empress dowagers. Descendants of the Xiao clan, the Khitan imperial in-laws, lived here quietly, guarding the secrets of their ancestors—the Medicine Mother and the Shaman Father. This place was also a sacred site where the Khitan people worshipped their gods and ancestors, leaving behind numerous historical relics and ruins.

Peculiar-shaped rock formations are one of the highlights of Qiguan Mountain. Across its vast expanse, winding paths lead through clusters of rocks—large and small, standing or lying, upright or horizontal, high or low—varying in shape and resembling a veritable ocean of stones. What’s particularly astonishing is how nature’s craftsmanship has sculpted these rocks into thousands of lifelike forms—some resembling humans or objects, others birds or beasts—strikingly vivid and realistic, sparking rich imagination and endless delight.

Qiguan Mountain offers five hiking routes for exploring its wonders, truly embodying the idea that “the whole mountain is filled with strange rocks, and every peak holds a spiritual scene.” Peaks such as Cockcomb Mountain, Tianmen Mountain, Little Huashan, Qishi Mountain, Snake Mountain, Lion Mountain, Pagoda Mountain, Brush Rack Mountain, Reclining Buddha Mountain, Taiping Mountain, Weiwang Mountain, Tianpeng Mountain, Twin Peaks Mountain, Big Cave Mountain, and Little Cave Mountain are all majestic and uniquely beautiful. Peaks like Yingzui Peak, Lingyun Peak, Elephant Head Peak, and Camel Peak are elegant and exquisitely shaped. Hundreds of scenic spots—including Twin Tortoise Rock, Golden Toad Rock, Bat Rock, Sparrow Rock, Fire Fox Cave, Twelve Caves, Pigeon Cave, Heaven’s Crack, Southern Heavenly Gate, Grand Canyon, Tiger Head Cliff, Sun Valley, Vertical Wall Valley, Stone Beasts, Stone Monkeys, Stone Great Wall, Falcon Turn, Lion’s Head, Thousand-Mu Prickly Ash Valley, Ten-Thousand-Mu Lilac Ridge, Korean Houses, Xiangguang Temple, and ancient temple ruins—are all excellent destinations for sightseeing, photography, painting, sketching, and outdoor hiking adventures.