Mengding Mountain

Mengding Mountain

Mengding Mountain is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

　Comprising two main scenic areas—Mengshan Mountain and Baizhang Lake—it is one of the first batch of provincial-level scenic spots in Sichuan. Located within Mingshan County, it is 110 kilometers from Chengdu and 15 kilometers from Ya’an City. National Highway 318 runs through the scenic area, and two approach roads from the Chengdu–Ya’an Expressway connect directly to Mengshan and Baizhang Lake, making transportation extremely convenient.

Mengshan Mountain lies to the northwest of Mingshan County. The mountain slopes from north to south and stretches in a northeast–southwest belt-like formation, extending into Ya’an. It is approximately 10 kilometers long and 4 kilometers wide. The five peaks of Mengding are arranged in a ring, resembling a lotus flower. The highest peak, Shangqing Peak, stands at an elevation of 1,456 meters. From the western side of Mengding, you can see Mount Emei, Mount Wawu, and Mount Zhugong. Looking eastward, the landscape unfolds with flat plains, undulating mountains, and crisscrossing streams, presenting a picturesque scene. Existing ancient temples such as Yongxing Temple, Qianfo Temple, and Jingju Nunnery are nestled among lush tea gardens and dense forests. Their red walls and Buddhist halls add a unique charm to the scenery.

Mengshan Mountain gets its name from the “misty drizzle” that often shrouds it. With annual rainfall exceeding 2,000 millimeters, it was historically called the “Leaky Sky of Western Shu.” Ya’an, located at the western foot of the mountain, is known as the “City of Rain,” and there’s a saying: “Ya’an sees much rain, but Mengshan is its heart.” The abundant rainfall leads to frequent clouds and fog. In spring, summer, and autumn, when viewed from the mountaintop, clouds drift through the valleys and hills, with small peaks peeking out like fairy mountains and celestial pavilions. In winter, when viewed from below, the mountain is adorned with icy threads and snow drapes, with cloud-wrapped ridges creating a scene that is both real and illusory. At sunrise, golden rays spread across the sky, and red clouds float above. The small peaks resemble phoenixes bathing in the rising sun. In the evening, the twinkling lights of Mingshan and Ya’an cities resemble stars fallen to earth, presenting a breathtaking view.

Mengshan Mountain is one of the birthplaces of China’s tea cultivation and tea culture. As early as over two thousand years ago during the Western Han Dynasty, Wu Lizhen, the pioneer of Mengshan tea, began domesticating and planting wild tea trees on Mengding, marking the start of artificial tea cultivation. The Tang and Song dynasties were the golden ages of Mengshan tea. Listed as a tribute in the first year of the Tianbao era (724 AD) during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, it was exclusively used for imperial ceremonies to worship heaven, earth, and ancestors—a tradition that continued uninterrupted for over 1,200 years until the Qing Dynasty. Among the people, Mengding tea has long been regarded as a miraculous remedy for ailments. Thus, the time-honored Mengding tea is called the “Tea of Immortals,” and Mengshan is hailed as the “Hometown of the Tea of Immortals.”

The fame of Mengding tea has made it the subject of praise by poets and scholars throughout the ages. In China, the most celebrated tea-related couplet is the widely circulated proverb: “Water from the middle of the Yangtze River, tea from the top of Mengding.” The great Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi wrote in his poem “Qin Cha” (Lute and Tea): “In music, I know only the clear tones of ‘Lu Shui’; in tea, my old friend is Mengshan.” Liyang Wang of the Tang Dynasty lamented in his poem “Mengshan Baiyunyan Tea”: “I’ve heard Mengshan’s flavor is fine, its essence steeped deep in misty caves… If Lu Yu were to judge, it would surely be the finest tea under heaven.” The Song Dynasty poet Wen Tong praised in his poem “Mengding Tea”: “Among Sichuan teas, the sacred one is praised; Mengshan’s taste is uniquely rare.” Literary giants of the Tang and Song dynasties such as Meng Jiao, Wei Chouhou, Ouyang Xiu, Lu You, and Mei Yaochen all left behind numerous poems and essays themed around Mengshan tea. The Ming and Qing dynasties saw even richer literary works, and contemporary poets and artists have also composed many elegant verses celebrating Mengshan tea. This long tea history has given rise to the distinctive Mengshan tea culture.

Located in Mingshan County, Ya’an, Sichuan, it is the sacred mountain of world tea culture and the birthplace of tea civilization. In the Western Han Dynasty (53 BC), tea pioneer Wu Lizhen pioneered human tea cultivation here. From the Tang Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty, the tea used for imperial ceremonies to pray to heaven and ancestors came from the Imperial Tea Garden. “Water from the middle of the Yangtze River, tea from the top of Mengding” has captivated countless tea lovers. The Buddhist scripture “Mengshan Food Offering Ritual” and the tea used for offering to Buddha, “Mengshan Sparrow’s Tongue Tea,” both originated here. Chinese tea spread across the world via the Silk Road and the Ancient Tea Horse Road.

Among them, Huangya and Ganlu are considered top-quality teas, along with others such as Que She (Sparrow’s Tongue), Mao Feng (Hair Point), and Bi Tan Piao Xue (Jade Pool Floating Snow).

Mengding Mountain is located within Ya’an City, Sichuan Province, in the southwestern part of the Sichuan Basin. It lies to the northwest of Mingshan County, with the mountain sloping from north to south and stretching in a northeast–southwest belt-like formation, extending into Ya’an. It is approximately 10 kilometers long and 4 kilometers wide. The five peaks of Mengding are arranged in a ring, resembling a lotus flower. The highest peak, Shangqing Peak, stands at an elevation of 1,456 meters.