Crane Cry Mountain Taoist Cultural Tourism Scenic Area

Crane Cry Mountain Taoist Cultural Tourism Scenic Area

Crane Cry Mountain Taoist Cultural Tourism Scenic Area is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

Dayi Crane Cry Mountain, also known as Goose Cry Mountain. During the Han Dynasty, it was part of Jiangyuan County in Yizhou Commandery, located in present-day Chengdu, Sichuan Province.

It lies within Sanfeng Village, Sanying Town, twenty-five li northwest of Dayi County. Part of the Minshan Mountain Range, it stands at an elevation of about 900 meters and is one of the four famous mountains of ancient Jiannan. It earned its name either because the mountain resembles a crane, or because it is said to harbor stone cranes or be home to celestial cranes. Aligned with the Di constellation, it features twenty large caves corresponding to the Twenty-Four Solar Terms, seventy-two small caves corresponding to the Seventy-Two Pentads, as well as attractions such as Immortal-Seeking Rock, Tian Valley Cave (Heavenly Master Cave), Dragon Ford, and Immortal Spring. It is the sacred site where Laozi descended, where Zhang Ling received the Dao, and where Taoism was founded.

The establishment of China’s early Taoism (the Way of the Five Pecks of Rice) by Zhang Ling on Crane Cry Mountain in Dayi during the Han An era (126–144) of the Eastern Han Dynasty is first recorded in Chen Shou’s "Records of the Three Kingdoms" by the Jin historian. Later works such as Chang Qu’s "Huayang Guo Zhi," Fan Ye’s "Book of the Later Han," Wei Zheng’s "Book of Wei · Treatise on Buddhism and Taoism," as well as renowned Taoist scholars from the Tang, Song, Ming, Qing dynasties, and contemporary experts both in China and abroad, all confirm this as the birthplace of Taoism, as well as a famous scenic tourist area and summer retreat.

The earliest structure on the mountain was the Shangqing Palace, also known as the Ancestral Hall of the Three Masters, built by Zhang Ling, the Han An Hermit. Through successive expansions and embellishments, by the Republican era, it boasted over a hundred halls including Shangqing, Heavenly Master, Ziyang, Yingxian, Three Palaces, and Wenchang, along with pavilions, terraces, towers, and gardens full of flora, presenting a magnificent sight. Renowned poets throughout history such as Tang Qiu, Du Guangting, Lu You, Wen Tong, and Yang Shen all left poetic inscriptions here. Unfortunately, it was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution.

Since its reopening in 1987, it has hosted tens of thousands of visitors from home and abroad, including guests from the United States, Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, as well as Taoist abbots from major mountains and temples across China. With funds raised by the public, the Ziyang and Menmu Halls were restored, and more than fifty new structures were built, including the Yanxiang Temple, Lingzu Tower, and Xiejiang Taoist Monastery, along with over two hundred zhang of perimeter walls. Currently, with donations from the Hong Kong Flying Goose Cave Buddhist-Taoist Society, the Three Saints Hall is under construction, and plans are underway for the Heavenly Master Ancestral Hall, Jade Emperor Tower, Taoist Clinic, Exhibition Room, and Stele Forest, aiming to welcome visitors and pilgrims from both within and outside China, regardless of religious affiliation.

Address: Dashuang Road, Hemiao Township, Dayi County, Chengdu City

Type: Mountain & Historical Site

Recommended Visiting Time: About 2 hours

Opening Hours:

Open all day

Ticket Information:

Gate Price: 40.0 RMB