Qinhuangdao Tianmen Mountain

Qinhuangdao Tianmen Mountain

The Tianmen Mountain Scenic Area is located in Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province, China. Qinhuangdao lies against the Yanshan Mountains to the north and borders the Bohai Sea to the south. It is 280 kilometers from the capital, Beijing. The city enjoys convenient air transport and well-developed maritime facilities, making it a renowned tourist destination in China. The Tianmen Mountain Scenic Area is situated 10 kilometers north of Qinhuangdao and 8 kilometers south of the Jing-Shen Expressway.

The scenic area is embraced by rolling mountains, with peaks rising one after another. The valleys twist through steep cliffs, and stone walls stand upright while meandering along the slopes. Majestic peaks tower above, and oddly shaped rocks dot the landscape. The mountain forms are graceful and diverse. It is hailed as the “Huangshan of the North.”

The southern Tianmen Mountain features towering crimson cliffs and soaring peaks. The Yongping Prefecture Annals record: “The Back Ox peak is wondrous, the Yellow Cliff is majestic, the Five Peaks are beautiful, but Tianmen Mountain combines grandeur, wonder, and beauty all in one.”

Legend has it that Liu Bowen retired to seclusion at Tianmen Cave after resigning from his official post. When Emperor Taizu of Ming built the Gongchen Tower and had his founding meritorious officials killed by explosion, Liu Bowen harbored deep resentment. He resolutely took off his official robe and threw it down from the southern Tianmen. The robe then formed what is now known as Qipao Mountain. The Tianmen Mountain Scenic Area is also the source of the Tang River, the second-largest river system in Qinhuangdao. Its waters flow year-round, clear, sweet, cool, and gentle.

Qinhuangdao’s semi-humid maritime climate has nurtured a lush forest sea within the scenic area. Dense woods and thriving vegetation cover the land. In spring and summer, the area is green with vegetation and fragrant with fruit blossoms. In autumn and winter, wild fruits are abundant across the mountains, making it the best season for fruit picking. An ancient pine tree stands on the southern Tianmen Mountain, about 20 meters tall with a crown diameter of over 30 meters, visible from 10–20 li away. This tree is over 400 years old. Standing beneath it, with the mountain winds howling and branches swaying and creaking like a dragon’s roar, the sight is awe-inspiring.

The Lotus Cave in the scenic area is a unique underground karst attraction in Qinhuangdao. Over 160 meters have been excavated so far. Geophysical surveys indicate that the cave has two levels, with the lower level being a water cave stretching over 1,000 meters in total length. Discovered cave formations include: “Lotus About to Bloom,” “Sea-Calming Pillar,” “Fire Tree Silver Flowers,” “Guardian Heavenly Dog,” “Milky Way Waterfall,” “Dripping Stone Curtain,” “Goose Tube,” and “Stone Melon.”

During the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, the Tianmen Mountain Scenic Area served as a military stronghold of Yongping Prefecture (now Lulong County), leaving behind numerous cultural and historical sites. Qinhuangdao is home to over 260 kilometers of the Great Wall, about 3 kilometers of which lie within the scenic area. Although not long, this section is famous for its uniqueness and is known in Great Wall culture as the “Four Wonders.” The “Twin Towers” are named for their side-by-side watchtowers, just 30 meters apart — this is the first wonder. The Twin Towers are also called the “Stele Towers,” as each watchtower has a stone stele recording its history — this is the second wonder. The “Flower Tower” is named for its uniquely elaborate and ornate construction style, which differs significantly from typical Ming and Qing Great Wall architecture. Moreover, it is located neither on the main line nor any branch line, standing alone. The purpose and function of its construction remain an unsolved mystery — this is the fourth wonder.

The Tianmen Mountain Scenic Area also boasts five temples: Tianmen Cave, Chaoyang Cave, Shuanglong Chan Temple, Putuo Nunnery, and Xi’an Nunnery, collectively referred to as the “Three Temples and Two Nunneries.” Emperor Taizu of Ming “cut down trees to send off” someone, and Liu Bowen went into hiding at Tianmen Cave. Shuanglong Chan Temple, also called “Xi’an Nunnery,” is located at the northeast foot of the southern Tianmen Mountain. Qi Jiguang (Qi, Duke of Wei) chose this auspicious site as the temple location. After more than a century of effort by three generations of monks — Xingcun, Jilu, and Haiju — it was completed in the 17th year of the Kangxi reign. It was formerly the site of a Ming dynasty government office before being converted into “Putuo Nunnery.” It is said to have been very large in scale, once reputed as the “Number One Nunnery in Eastern Beijing.”