Goddess Peak of Wu Mountain

Goddess Peak of Wu Mountain

(Photography: China)

Goddess Peak of Wu Mountain is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Goddess Peak, also known as Sunset-Gazing Peak or Beauty Peak, is one of the Twelve Peaks of Wu Mountain. It is located on the northern bank of the Yangtze River in the Wu Gorge, about 15 kilometers east of Wushan County. A massive rock juts out from among the green peaks and rosy clouds, resembling a graceful and beautiful young maiden standing tall — hence the name Goddess Peak. Ancient people said, “The peak towers above the clouds, its base plunging straight into the river. Some say that even Mount Tai, Mount Hua, Mount Heng, and Mount Lu cannot compare to its wonder.”

When clouds and mist shroud the summit, the human-shaped stone pillar, draped like a gauzy veil, appears even more tender and enchanting. It is the first to greet the radiant morning glow and the last to bid farewell to the splendid evening sunset, thus earning the name “Sunset-Gazing Peak.”

Each of the Twelve Peaks of Wu Mountain has its own distinctive features — some resemble a golden dragon soaring, others a lion raising its head, some a maiden standing gracefully, and others a phoenix spreading its wings. With their myriad forms and captivating beauty, Goddess Peak stands out as the most exquisite and renowned.

After the impoundment of the Three Gorges Dam, visitors boating beneath the hem of the Goddess’s skirt still have to look up to admire her graceful figure.

There are three reasons why Goddess Peak is famous throughout history: first, Song Yu’s fictional tale in “Ode to the Goddess” about a tryst between King Xiang of Chu and the goddess; second, the legend of the heavenly maiden Yao Ji descending to assist Yu the Great in taming the floods; and third, the actual presence of a stone column beside the peak that resembles a young maiden.

In ancient Chinese mythology, Goddess Peak is the incarnation of the goddess Yao Ji, daughter of the Queen Mother of the West. She once assisted Yu the Great in carving river channels to drain floodwaters. After the waters receded, she chose to remain on Wu Mountain to safeguard passing ships, thus earning the reverence and worship of later generations. According to the Wushan County Annals: “Yao Ji, daughter of the Red Emperor, died before her marriage and was buried on the sunny side of Wu Mountain, becoming the Goddess.” Beneath Flying Phoenix Peak, which faces Goddess Peak across the river, lies the Platform of the Bestowed Scripture, said to be where Yao Ji gave scriptures to Yu the Great. Temples dedicated to the Goddess once stood to the east and west of the county town but were later renamed Ninging Temple.

The Twelve Peaks of Wushan, Chongqing

Sacred Spring Peak of Wushan

Ascending Peak

Morning Clouds Peak

Pine Ridge Peak

Ascending Dragon Peak

Gathering Cranes Peak

Pure Altar Peak

Immortals’ Gathering Peak

Flying Phoenix Peak

Cloud-Rising Peak

Emerald Screen Peak