Tianwai Village

Tianwai Village

marks the start of the western climbing route. At the junction stands a massive rock inscribed with “Tianwai Village.” To the north lies Heilongtan Reservoir, built in 1942 with a water storage capacity of 360,000 cubic meters. Further north is Jiandai Bridge, constructed in 1964. Southeast of Jiandai Bridge is Xiangyou Bay.

A beautiful legend is associated with Tianwai Village: it is said that Lü Dongbin and Zhang Guolao played chess here while an oil peddler watched. Later, the peddler noticed his oil carrying pole had rotted and the oil had floated into the bay. When he returned home, no one recognized him, and villagers only mentioned that the oil peddler had gone into the mountain over 200 years ago and never returned, realizing he had accidentally entered the immortal realm. When the peddler came back, the immortals were gone, but he saw two figures resembling them on Feiyan Peak to the northwest. Today, standing on the bridge and looking at the southern cliff of Feiyan Peak, one can still see the shadow of the two immortals facing each other, with the slightly whiter figure to the west now hidden by green cypresses. Bailong Pool is located north of Jiandai Bridge. It gets its name from the fact that the waterfall from Baiyanyan Cliff above plunges directly into the pool, resembling a white dragon leaping through the gorge and gullies into the water. A massive, tablet-shaped rock lies in the northern part of the pool, inscribed with “Xuan Gui Stone.” During heavy floods, this rock remains steadfast, as if a giant boat sailing through rapids; after the rain clears, it lies basking on the rocks like a giant turtle emerging from the pool, hence it is also called Shizhou (Stone Boat) or colloquially, Shai Gui Shi (Sunbathing Turtle Stone). The nearby Sanyuan Stone to the north bears large inscriptions such as “Bailong Pool” and “Longtan.” Both this stone and Xuan Gui Stone are covered in inscriptions. Gu Yanwu identified 15 Song dynasty inscriptions, and later scholars found 16 more, all of which still exist today. Bailong Pool has a mythological story. According to *Records of Mount Tai*, “In the pool under Aolai Peak, the white dragon is the most spiritual. Legend says the dragon transformed into a handsome man, worked as a farmhand for a family south of Mount Tai, and later married their daughter. He was skilled at watering the garden—every night, the vegetable plots were fully watered without the sound of a water wheel. Neighbors, puzzled, peeked through a gap in the garden and saw a white dragon several zhang long, its silver scales glinting brilliantly. Half of its body was submerged in the well drawing water, which it then sprayed across several plots. The man was so startled he fell down and spread the story. Realizing the secret was out, the dragon left, telling his wife, ‘My home is under Baiyanyan Cliff at Aolai Peak.’ That place is today’s Bailong Pool.” From the Han, Tang, to Song dynasties, historical records indicate that many emperors sent envoys here to pray for rain. In the fifth year of the Yuanfeng era (1082) during Emperor Shenzong’s reign of the Song dynasty, the white dragon was honored as “Yuanji Gong,” and a Divine Dragon Shrine was built by the pool. To the east of Bailong Pool is Zhaojun Ridge, to the west is Feiyan Peak, to the front is Luogu Bay, and to the rear is Heilongtan. On summer evenings and autumn mornings, the high gorge and deep pool send cascading waters scattering pearls and splashing jade, with clouds and mist rising. Ancient people praised this as “Dragon Cave Sweet Rain,” listing it as one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Tai’an. The Ming dynasty poet Li Yangzheng wrote a poem about Bailong Pool: *“Rumors speak of this pool’s charm,* *Autumn waters gleam so cool and calm.* *Winding through valleys, sun and stars it greets,* *Rain clears, the turtle basks on its seat.* *Soft winds ruffle the crane’s feathered crest,* *I’d seek pearls—but is the white dragon awake or at rest?”*

Climbing from Tianwai Village on the western route of Mount Tai. The winding scenic highway, completed in 1985, stretches 14.35 kilometers and takes about 40 minutes by car. The western valley of Mount Tai is broad, serene, surrounded by towering peaks, shaded by dense forests, and dotted with clear springs and peculiar rocks, thus known as the “Expansive Zone.” Located at the valley’s entrance, it serves as the junction between mountain and city, as well as the convergence point of the ring road and the western scenic highway, making it a hub for tourists. Since 2000, comprehensive management of the Tianwai Village route has been underway. First, the “Tianyuan Difang” (Heaven-Round-Earth-Square) Square was built. “Tianyuan Difang” symbolizes the unity of heaven and humanity. Ancient emperors held Fengshan ceremonies atop Mount Tai, setting up a round altar at the summit to worship heaven and a square altar at the foot to worship earth, signifying “heaven is round, earth is square.” The square covers a total area of 35,000 square meters, mainly consisting of a square plaza (36-meter sides, over 1,000 square meters) and a circular plaza (108-meter diameter, over 10,000 square meters), both paved with Tai’an granite. Along the connecting passage between the two plazas, 12 dragon pillars (7.2 meters high, 0.9 meters in diameter) represent the 12 emperors from Qin Shi Huang to Emperor Qianlong who worshipped at Mount Tai. At the center of the passage lies a 27-meter-long, 3-meter-wide relief depicting Emperor Xuanzong of Tang’s Fengshan ceremony. The surrounding railings of the square plaza are engraved with famous quotes about Mount Tai by historical figures, and the area has been landscaped. The circular plaza houses six ticket booths equipped with an access control system for card-swipe check-ins, ensuring orderly boarding. The inner ring serves as a driveway, capable of parking 12 tour buses simultaneously and transporting over 8,000 visitors per hour, meeting peak tourist demand. Since its completion, Tianwai Village has become a model scenic area integrating traffic organization, information display, ticketing, shopping, and landscape appreciation. Connected to surrounding roads, it also serves as a vital transportation hub between the scenic area and the city.

Suggested Duration

2–3 hours

Transportation

Take bus routes 19, K37, K39 Inner Loop, K39 Outer Loop, K3, or K49 and get off at Tianwai Village Station to reach the Mount Tai Tianwai Village entrance.

Admission

Free

Opening Hours

Open all day

Location

Huanshan Highway, Taishan District, Tai’an City, Shandong Province

Dai Temple of Mount Tai

Eighteen Bends of Mount Tai

Tian Street of Mount Tai

Confucius’ Ascension Spot

Fanzi Cliff

Dai Zong Archway

Mount Tai’s Body-Sacrificing Cliff

Doumu Palace

Yunbu Bridge

Zhongtian Gate

Jingshiyu (Scripture Rock Valley)

Cypress Cave