East Tianmu Mountain

East Tianmu Mountain

Tianmu Mountain consists of two mountains, east and west, with their peaks facing each other across a distance of 10 kilometers. East Tianmu stands at 1,478 meters above sea level, while West Tianmu reaches 1,506 meters. At the summits of both peaks, there are naturally formed pools resembling a pair of eyes gazing up at the sky. In ancient times, they were named “-” and “Floating Jade,” and during the Warring States period, they began to be called “Tianmu.” Int

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The east and west waterfalls of East Tianmu Mountain are spectacular and can rival the waterfalls of Mount Lu. One waterfall plunges down from Longchi Pool between Xianglu Peak and Longxu Peak, splashing like flying pearls and jumping jade, with a deafening roar, commonly known as the “East Waterfall.” The other cascades straight down through the valley of Erxian Peak, dashing into the Rainbow Bridge and rushing away joyfully, named the “West Ridge Hanging Rainbow.”

The sea of clouds is one of the great wonders of East Tianmu Mountain. When climbing the mountain for sightseeing, you are often surrounded by ever-changing clouds and mist, as if you are on the sea, floating in a realm of illusion.

With the hills and rivers of Yue and Wu all submerged in a whirl of flying blossoms and surging waves.

From Yitian Gate to Daxian Peak, the area is lush with trees, dense with centuries-old Chinese fir and thousand-year-old pines standing tall along the path. The verdant forests and bamboo groves offer boundless scenic beauty.

History: East Tianmu Mountain has a long history. In the seventh year of the Tianjian era of the Liang Dynasty (503 AD), the monk Baizhi arrived here and took up residence, pioneering the mountain by constructing huts and hermitages to establish Buddhist practices. Xiao Tong, the eldest son of Emperor Wu of Liang and known as Crown Prince Zhaoming, once left the palace to travel across famous mountains and rivers. He came to East Tianmu Mountain to practice meditation and wrote the "Wen Xuan" (Selections of Refined Literature) and annotated the "Diamond Sutra."

It is said that he overexerted himself spiritually, which led to blindness in both eyes. Monk Zhigong guided him to wash his eyes with water from the stone pools on the two peaks, and his sight was restored (to this day, the Eye-Washing Pools remain on both East and West Tianmu).

Within a few years, Emperor Wu sent people to welcome the crown prince back to the capital, and the troops waited at the foot of the mountain where a temple was built,

commonly referred to as “Dengci An.” A “Zhaoming Chan Temple” was built on the hillside, and a “Zhaoming Temple” was constructed at the mountain’s base. It was destroyed in the late Yuan Dynasty but restored during the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty,

reaching a grand scale with hundreds of monks and thriving incense offerings.

The renowned Shaolin martial monk, Master Haideng, also practiced here in modern times.