Nazhan Geological Park

Kaolaoshan Mountain

At the southern end of Shanglin Lake in Cixi, there stands a peculiar mountain with a relatively high elevation. The mountain is covered with lush green trees, and thunderous waterfalls roar through its ravines — this is Kaolaoshan Mountain (also known as Xianjushan Mountain). As the poem goes: “Clear springs meander around the stream, rugged rocks stand oddly shaped; legends speak of gods and spirits, their glow flickering over the cold sand.” However, the origin of the name “Kaolaoshan” remains unknown, and even a literal interpretation offers only partial clues. The name “Kaolaoshan” has its own story — as an old poem states, “The embroidery is meant to be displayed in the spring garden, enticing the yellow oriole to descend from the willow branches.” It describes how a skilled embroiderer created exquisite work to attract the oriole. Yet every peak, stream, rock, and tree on Kaolaoshan is entirely the handiwork of nature, bearing no trace of human carving. Just like its name, it is primitive and unadorned. The mountain consists of two peaks, eastern and western, which are often shrouded in thick white mist all year round.

Between the two peaks lies a valley where the stream at the bottom rushes violently — this is the Kaolaoshi Stream. Following the stream up through the valley between the peaks, you’ll find that due to its location at the mouth of the valley, the stream flows particularly fast, and the sound of rushing water can be heard from afar. On the left side of the entrance to the mountain hollow, there used to be a temple called Longqing Temple, built during the Datong era of the Liang Dynasty, but it has now collapsed. On the right side of the ridge, there stands a large round rock jutting out abruptly, known as Qipan Stone (Chessboard Stone). Legend has it that during the Three Kingdoms period, the deities of the Southern and Northern Dipper stars once played chess here. As they played, they observed human behavior from above, so as to mete out appropriate rewards or punishments for good and evil.

Aside from its bizarrely shaped rocks, Kaolaoshan also features Qigu Ting (Strange Valley Pavilion) and cliff inscriptions from the Song Dynasty. Qigu Ting is named after a massive rock that resembles the shape of a pavilion. This shows that the mountain’s reputation for wonder has long been established. With confidence and perseverance to climb further up, you’ll see a waterfall cascading from the sky — the famous Kaolaoshan Waterfall. From a distance, it looks like a silver-white ribbon dotted with glistening droplets, amid a mountain enveloped in thick mist and thunderous roars, presenting a truly magnificent sight. At the top of the waterfall, there is a precarious rock jutting out horizontally like a beam, “gathering clouds above and stirring waters below.” The towering, craggy rock seems to hold a mystical aura, giving one a feeling of transcending the mortal world and ascending to immortality. Without the craftsmanship of nature itself, how could such a marvelous scene have been created?

Address: Southern end of Shanglin Lake, Cixi City, Ningbo

Type: Mountain

Recommended visiting time: 2–3 hours

Ticket information:

40 RMB